The 471 area code is a new telephone area code approved for northern and parts of central Mississippi. It overlays the existing 662 area code, so both area codes serve the same geographic area. Existing 662 numbers will remain unchanged, while providers will assign 471 numbers to new phone lines after the available 662 numbers run out. Regulators expect 662 numbers to reach exhaustion around 2026.
What Is the 471 Area Code?
The area code 471 is a North American Numbering Plan (NANP) code created for the northern half of Mississippi. The Mississippi Public Service Commission approved it to work alongside the long-standing 662 area code, which has served the region since 1999, rather than replace it.
Why Is Mississippi Getting the 471 Area Code?
Area code ms eventually run out of available number combinations as populations grow and more devices, including cell phones, business lines, VoIP numbers, and IoT devices, require their own ten-digit numbers. The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) projected that the available 662 numbers would run out around the third quarter of 2026.
Which Areas Does the 471 Area Code Cover?
The area codes mississippi overlays the same territory as 662, covering most of northern Mississippi and part of central Mississippi, including the Memphis, Tennessee, metro-adjacent counties and the state’s two largest university towns.
Public Service Commission Northern District counties covered include:
Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Coahoma, DeSoto, Grenada, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Leflore, Lowndes, Marshall, Montgomery, Monroe, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica, Union, Webster, Winston, and Yalobusha.
Parts of the Central District also covered include:
Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, and portions of Kemper, Noxubee, Sharkey, Sunflower, Washington, and Yazoo counties. Notable cities and areas within this footprint include Oxford (home of Ole Miss), Starkville (home of Mississippi State University), Tupelo, Greenwood, Clarksdale, and the Mississippi counties bordering the Memphis metropolitan area (DeSoto, Marshall, Tate, Tunica, Benton, and Coahoma).
471 vs. 662: What’s the Difference?
| Feature | 662 Area Code | 471 Area Code |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced | 1999 (split from 601) | 2026 (overlay of 662) |
| Geographic area | Northern/central Mississippi | Same exact area as 662 |
| Who gets it | Existing customers keep it | Assigned to new lines/customers only |
| Dialing requirement | 10-digit local dialing | 10-digit local dialing |
| Call cost/coverage | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Do I need to do anything? | No | No |
Because both codes serve identical territory, a 471 number is a local Mississippi number in every practical sense: same calling area, same rates, same local status. It is simply a newer batch of numbers layered on top of the existing supply.
Do I Need to Do Anything Because of the 471 Overlay?
No. If you currently have a 662 number:
Is a Call From a 471 Number Legitimate or a Scam?
A 471 number by itself is not inherently a scam; it’s simply a new, legitimate Mississippi area code. However, scammers frequently exploit unfamiliar or newly launched area codes because recipients are less likely to recognize them, making people more likely to answer out of curiosity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Conclusion
The 471 area code isn’t a scam number, a mysterious new prefix, or a sign of problems with Mississippi’s phone system. It simply adds a new batch of numbers to the existing 662 area code through a standard overlay. If you already have a 662 number, you can stop worrying: your number stays the same, your calling area stays the same, and your rates stay the same.
