Athens, GA Area Codes

Area codes serving Athens

Athens sits in Georgia, part of the South region and the Eastern Time zone. Its numbers are spread across an overlay of 2 codes that all cover the same ground: 706, 762.

The original code is 706 (in service since 1992). As the area ran low on numbers, regulators added overlay codes on top instead of splitting the city, so longtime residents kept their numbers while new lines received a newer code.

Code	Area served	In service
706	Northern and eastern Georgia outside metro Atlanta, including Augusta, Columbus, Athens and Rome	May 3, 1992
762	Northern and eastern Georgia outside metro Atlanta, including Augusta, Columbus, Athens and Rome	May 16, 2006

Nearby cities sharing these area codes

• Augusta
• Columbus
• Rome
• Dalton
• LaGrange
• Calhoun
• Thomson
• Toccoa
• Dahlonega
• Ringgold
• Fort Oglethorpe
• Hartwell
• Blue Ridge

How to pick an area code for a new number

When you activate a new line in Athens, the carrier assigns whichever code has numbers available — you usually can't choose. If a specific code matters to you (for example the prestige of 706), ask the carrier whether any blocks remain, or request a number transfer. All codes here dial identically and cost the same.

Dialing in Athens

Because Athens is an overlay area, 10-digit dialing is mandatory: always dial the area code plus the seven-digit number, even for a neighbor. From outside the US, dial +1, then the area code and number. See 10-digit dialing and overlay area codes for the background. For every code in Georgia, visit the Georgia area codes page.