Area code 773

{{short description|Area code in the U.S. state of Illinois}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|cs1-dates=y|date=December 2025}} 300px|thumb|right|The numbering plan areas of Illinois

'''Area code 773''' is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in the U.S. state of Illinois. It serves the outer areas of Chicago, outside the Loop and the innermost neighborhoods.

Originally, all of Chicago and its suburbs used area code 312. In 1989, area code 708 was created for the suburbs, leaving the city with area code 312.

By the mid-1990s, Chicago's continued growth and the proliferation of cell phones and pagers made it apparent that the city needed a new area code. It was decided to split off all of the city outside the downtown area as 773. The new area code went into effect on October 12, 1996. Permissive dialing of 312 continued across Chicago until January 11, 1997.<ref>{{cite web |title=AT&T Area Code History: Illinois |url=http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=1717 |year=2009 |publisher=AT&T |accessdate=August 19, 2009 |archive-date=October 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028144526/http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=1717}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Grace Period Ends for 773 Area Code |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/01/11/grace-period-ends-for-773-area-code/ |date=January 11, 1997 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |access-date=October 24, 2020}}</ref> On August 10, 2007, the Illinois Commerce Commission announced that area code 872 would overlay area codes 312 and 773; it went into service on November 7, 2009.

The Illinois side of the Chicago area–312/773/872, 708, 847/224, 630/331 and portions of 815/779–is one of the largest local calling areas in the United States; with few exceptions, no long-distance charges are applied from one portion of the metro area to another.<ref>[https://localcallingguide.com/lca_exch.php?exch=047801 Local calling guide: Chicago Zone 01: Calumet, IL]</ref>

Fictional Chicago chef Carmy Berzatto from ''The Bear'' TV series has a tattoo featuring ''773''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Selvam |first=Ashok |date=2022-08-01 |title=‘The Bear’ Star Jeremy Allen White on Why Carmy Is No Dirtbag |url=https://chicago.eater.com/2022/8/1/23287582/the-bear-star-jeremy-allen-white-hulu-reasons-that-carmy-is-no-dirtbag |access-date=2025-12-29 |website=Eater Chicago |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Area code box | State = IL | This = 773 | N = 224/847 | S = 464/706 | E = 312, 219, Lake Michigan | W = 708 |S1=IN}}

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773 773 Category:Chicago