NEW 573 AREA CODE A MUST TODAY

It's official: The telephone area code for Southeast Missouri is 573.

If a person mistakenly uses the old area code today, a recording will advise the caller of the correct area code and ask them to dial again.

The new 573 area runs from Hannibal south to the Bootheel and west to Lake Ozark. Towns using the new area code include Jefferson City, Columbia, Cape Girardeau, Hermann, Poplar Bluff and Rolla. Retaining the 314 code is a St. Louis area bordered by Troy to the north, De Soto to the south and Washington and St. Clair to the west.

The 314 area code will be retained in the greater St. Louis area.

The 314 code has been around eastern Missouri a half century. Customers have had the option of using either of the code numbers since 573 was introduced in January.

The Missouri Public Service Commission ordered the 573 area code in July 1995, but the official change came in January. A six-month period was aimed at helping people get used to dialing the new area code and to give businesses time to adjust.

Today, the more than 1.3 million Southwestern Bell customers will have to break the old habit and conform to the required use of the 573 area code.

The 314 area code was running out of numbers with the advent of fax machines, cellular phones, computer modems and pagers.