HOUSTON — July 13th, also known as 713 Day, is a day to celebrate all things H-Town.
The day is named after the city’s oldest area code. It was established back in 1947 as part of the North American Numbering Plan, and it was Houston’s only area code until 1996.
That was the year the Bayou City was split in two with most suburbs outside Beltway 8 getting a new area code – 281. By that point the area was growing fast and a third area code, 832, was added only three years later.
The 346 area code was added to the mix in 2014.
But 713 will always be the O.G. And unlike those other area codes it lines up nicely with a date on the calendar. So in recent years people have used the day to celebrate this city and today is no exception.
There are parties all over town, and you can expect plenty of bars to be blaring Paul Wall and Slim Thug. But there are also art shows and restaurant deals.
So where is Houston headed?
Well, when it comes to area codes, we should be good for a little bit. It’s predicted we won’t need a new one until 2028. That’s despite Houston continuing to grow.
It was one of the few metro areas in the US to add residents in 2021. In fact, city leaders predict H-Town will become the third largest city in the country later this decade.