When looking up telephone area codes, most numbers correspond to a specific, active geographic region. The 935 area code, however, is a unique case. While it is officially assigned to a major U.S. city, it is not currently in service, existing only as a reserved code for future use.
An Unactivated Future Area Code for San Diego
The 935 area code is designated as a future overlay for the region in Southern California that is currently served by area codes 619 and 858. This region primarily covers the city of San Diego and its immediate surrounding communities. An overlay is a method of introducing a new area code to a region without splitting it geographically, allowing existing phone numbers to remain unchanged.
The History and Purpose of the 935 Overlay
The plan for the 935 area code was established in the late 1990s to provide numbering relief as the demand for new phone numbers in the rapidly growing San Diego area was projected to exhaust the available numbers in the 619 area code. The initial plan was a three-way split, which introduced the 858 area code in 1999.
The final phase was to introduce the 935 area code as an overlay. However, due to successful telephone number conservation efforts and the implementation of number pooling, the immediate need for the new area code was alleviated. As a result, the plan to activate the 935 area code was suspended, and it remains reserved for when the 619/858 region requires additional numbering resources.
What This Means for Residents and Businesses
- No Active 935 Numbers: Currently, no one has a phone number with a 935 area code. It is not possible to get a new number with this prefix.
- Future Implementation: If and when the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decides to activate the overlay, new phone numbers assigned in the San Diego area could begin with 935.
- 10-Digit Dialing: The 619/858 region already uses mandatory 10-digit dialing (area code + seven-digit number) for all local calls. The activation of the 935 area code would simply continue this requirement.
Distinguishing from ZIP Code 935
It is important not to confuse the planned 935 area code with the 935 ZIP code. ZIP codes are used by the United States Postal Service for mail delivery. The 935 ZIP code prefix covers a vast, sparsely populated area of Eastern California, including parts of the Eastern Sierra, the Mojave Desert, and communities in Kern, Los Angeles, Inyo, and Mono counties—a region geographically distinct from San Diego.
