Area code 872

Area code 872 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan for Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois.

[1] As early as 1998, the North American Numbering Plan Administration (Neustar) had recommended a third area code for Chicago, estimating that 312 and 773 would both be exhausted by 2001.

However, the Illinois Commerce Commission implemented a series of conservation measures that staved off the need for a new area code.

[1] With the implementation of 872, all local calls in Chicago must be dialed with the full 11-digit phone number (10 digits from cell phones).

[1] The Illinois side of the Chicago area–312/773/872, 708/464, 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.