Area code 321

{{short description|Area code for east central Florida}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} right|400px

'''Area code 321''' is an area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Brevard and Seminole counties, and the Space Coast region in the U.S. state of Florida. The area code was activated in 2000, as an overlay for the Orlando area.

Prior to October 2021, the area code had telephone numbers assigned for the central office code 988, which created conflicts given the designation of 988 as a three-digit code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In 2020, the Federal Communications Commission ordered 82 area codes to transition to ten-digit dialing, including 321, in the area not overlaid by 407. Per the timeline set by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), permissive dialing began on April 24, 2021, and 10-digit dialing was required on October 24, 2021.<ref name="pl556">{{cite web |url=https://www.nanpa.com/sites/default/files/planning_letters/PL-556.pdf |title=Transition to 10-digit dialing (for 988 as 3-digit access to National Suicide Prevention Hotline) |publisher=NANPA |date=2021-01-08 |access-date=2025-08-29 }}</ref>

American Space Museum volunteer Robert Osband petitioned the creation of area code 321.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Leone |first1=Anthony |title=Originator of the 321 area code Ozzie Osband dies |url=https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/space/2023/08/08/originator-of-the-321-area-code-ozzie-osband-dies |website=mynews13.com |access-date=29 August 2025 |language=en}}</ref> The code refers to the countdown sequence which has launched many spacecraft from Cape Canaveral.<ref>{{cite news | title=3-2-1, Call Cape Canaveral |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/23/science/3-2-1-call-cape-canaveral.html | date=1999-11-23 | work=The New York Times |at=Section F, page 6| access-date=2011-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mehta |first=Stephanie N. |title=The Kennedy Space Center Acquires A New Area Code: 3-2-1, as in Blast Off |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB91992421914317000 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=1999-02-26 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|id=zQwlNZ2exDU|title="Phone phreaking, DMCA and Hacking. An interview with Cheshire Catalyst July 2000"|t=31m9s}}</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|Florida}} *List of Florida area codes *List of North American Numbering Plan area codes

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Area code footer|Map=FL}} *[http://www.sprint.com/areacodes/florida/history.html Florida's Area Code History] *[http://cheshirecatalyst.com/321.html ''How I Got My Own Area Code'' by Richard Cheshire, "The Cheshire Catalyst"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050828020645/http://cheshirecatalyst.com/321.html |date=2005-08-28 }}

{{Area code box |State = FL | This = 321 | N = 386 | S = 772 | E = Atlantic Ocean | W = 407/689/part of 321 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Area Code 321}} 321 321 Category:Brevard County, Florida Category:Telecommunications-related introductions in 1999 Category:1999 establishments in Florida