Area codes 714 and 657

In 1947, when the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) devised the first nationwide telephone numbering plan and assigned the original North American area codes, the state of California was divided into three numbering plan areas: 213, 415, and 916, for the southern, central, and northern parts of the state, respectively.

Starting in the 1950s, Southern California experienced rapid expansion of telephone service, requiring area code 213 to be split five times by 1998.

The first split became necessary in 1951, when most of the southern and eastern portion, including San Diego and most of Orange County, was assigned area code 714 in a flash cut, without a permissive dialing period[further explanation needed].

Today, five cities "straddle" the 657/714 and 949 area codes: Costa Mesa, Irvine, Santa Ana, Tustin, and Newport Beach.

Cities in the numbering plan area include Tustin, Placentia, Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa (unique because it is split between the 714/657 and 949 area codes, at Wilson Street and along Newport Boulevard), Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Orange, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Villa Park, Yorba Linda, portions of La Habra, and most of Brea and Huntington Beach.