Geographic Coverage & Key Cities

The 323 area code serves as the anchor for central Los Angeles, encompassing some of the city's most iconic neighborhoods. It was introduced in 1998 as an overlay to the original 213 area code to address increasing demand for telephone numbers. More recently, area code 738 was activated in November 2024 to further support this growing demand. Together, these area codes serve a densely populated and dynamic region with nearly 10 million residents across Los Angeles County.

The 323 area code encompasses approximately 29 cities within Los Angeles County, including major urban centers such as Long Beach, Glendale, and Pasadena. In Los Angeles itself, it encompasses culturally rich neighborhoods such as Silver Lake, Echo Park, Los Feliz, Koreatown, and parts of Hollywood, areas renowned for their creativity, diversity, and economic vitality that make the 323 area code synonymous with the vibrant urban life of central Los Angeles.

Key Economic Zones & Business Hubs

  • Major Cities: Hollywood (entertainment headquarters), Silver Lake (indie music hub), Echo Park (arts district), Los Feliz (affluent studio area), Koreatown (multicultural business center), West Hollywood (design and fashion), Beverly Hills (luxury retail)
  • Economic Zones: Entertainment production corridors, creative agency districts, music industry centers, fashion and beauty hubs
  • Business Hubs: Downtown Arts District (tech startups), Hollywood Boulevard (studios and agencies), Sunset Strip (entertainment venues)
  • Neighboring Area Codes: 213 (Downtown LA), 310/424 (West LA/Santa Monica), 818/747 (San Fernando Valley), 626 (Pasadena), 562 (Long Beach)
  • Strategic Industries: Entertainment production, music labels, advertising agencies, fashion brands, creative tech startups, professional entertainment services

Time Zone & Business Impact

The 323 area code operates within the Pacific Time Zone, alternating between Pacific Standard Time (PST: UTC-8) from early November to early March and Pacific Daylight Time (PDT: UTC-7) from early March to early November. For 2025, the critical transition dates are March 9 for Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and November 2 for Pacific Standard Time (PST).

The 323 area code provides a strategic advantage for businesses in LA's entertainment and creative industries by aligning with Pacific Time, supporting real-time collaboration with local studios and production schedules. It also enables efficient coordination with East Coast media in the morning and international markets in the evening, extending your effective business hours during award seasons, casting calls, and fast-paced production cycles.

Time Zone Advantages

  • Studio Synchronization: Perfect alignment with LA's entertainment production timelines and shooting schedules
  • East Coast Media Coordination: 3-hour overlap enables morning collaboration with NYC media and finance executives
  • International Market Access: Evening availability for Asian markets and morning reach for European collaborations
  • Awards Season Optimization: Ideal timing for campaigns, casting calls, and global entertainment industry coordination
  • Production Flexibility: Seamless scheduling across time zones for on-location shoots and international co-productions
  • AI Automation: Smart answering systems automatically adjust for daylight saving and time-sensitive industry needs