East Tennessee will soon have a new area code. Here's who will be getting a new number

There are many signs of an area's growth - more and taller apartment buildings , new schools and mor e traffic chief among them. But, every once in a while, more people also means a new area code to include in your contacts list.

The Tennessee Public Utility Commission approved a new 729 area code for the existing 423 region in eastern Tennessee. The change goes into effect Aug. 5.

If you have a 423 number, don't worry. Your phone number will not change. The 729 code will be assigned to people requesting brand new lines.

Customers will be required to dial the area code and the seven-digit telephone number to complete local calls. Local calling prices or other rates will not change and it will not affect the ability to dial emergency services' numbers.

Here's all you need to know about the change:

When will new 729 area code go into effect?

Starting Aug. 5, it's recommended to use 10-digit dialing to make local calls, but a grace period of six months is being given to help customers get accustomed to the change.

From Feb. 5 onward, however, all local calls made within the 423 area code would need to be dialed using 10 digits and seven-digit calls will no longer be completed.

Who will be assigned a 729 area code?

The new area code will go into effect in parts of East Tennessee, including the communities of Ball Play, Cokercreek, Englewood, Niota, Riceville, Tellico Plains and Vonore.

Will 729 area code be assigned in Knoxville?

Koxville and Oak Ridge are centered in the 423 zone but the 865 area code serves the metro area.

When the 865 area code was added for Knoxville in 1999, the Tennessee Regulatory Authority deliberately selected those digits, which spell out VOL on a phone keypad, in hopes of making the change more palatable, Knox News reported at the time.

An article from April 1999 announcing the new Knoxville area code quoted a University of Tennessee official describing the VOL code as a compliment to University of Tennessee sports and “an awfully handy thing.”

Are all Tennessee counties seeing rapid growth?

Statewide population has exploded in recent years , and for the eighth straight year.

Knox County is predicted to have explosive growth in the next 20 years and beyond. But by how much? And how are those predictions made?

Nobody has a crystal ball, but local governments and organizations mostly use projections from the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization or the University of Tennessee Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research .

Their estimates differ slightly, but on this they agree: By 2045, expect there to be around 80,000 more people in Knox County than there are in 2024.

It's not that shocking because Knox County – population 493,617 in 2024, according to the Boyd Center – has become a popular place to move to. In the past year, you've probably heard the phrase "the secret is out," from many an elected official.

Rutherford County in Middle Tennessee has topped the list of the state’s fastest growing counties, according to study this month from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

The Middle Tennessee County southeast of Nashville saw a 1.8% increase last year for 6,419 more people, marking a total population of more than 360,000.

The Tennessean contributed to this story.

Areena Arora , data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at areena.arora@knoxnews.com . Follow her on X @ AreenaArora and on Instagram @areena_news

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: East Tennessee will soon have a new area code. Here's who will be getting a new number