Area codes 706 and 762

In the NANP, area codes 706 and 762 cover parts of northern and west central Georgia outside of metropolitan Atlanta. Until 1992 it was within area code 404, which was retained by the metro area.

This area code is divided into two disconnected geographical regions. A small section is west-central Georgia, in the region around Columbus. This is bordered by area code 334 to the west in Alabama, area code 478 to the east, area code 229 to the south, and metro Atlanta's 404, 678, 770, and 470. It does not border the landline area of 404, only the cellphone area.

The major section of 706 wraps around from Rome in northwest Georgia, east through the mountains past Dahlonega, meeting its narrowest point at Toccoa, then broadening south to Athens and Augusta. It touches Alabama's area code 256/938 and 334 on the far west, Tennessee's area code 423 on the northwest, North Carolina's area code 828 and Upstate South Carolina's area code 864 to the north-northeast, and midlands area code 803 to the east, and middle Georgia's 478 and metro Atlanta as above.

Originally, 706 included a number of southern exurbs of Atlanta. However, the residents of these areas felt chagrin at no longer being associated with 404. Shortly after 706 commenced service, BellSouth returned several of these areas to 404. The boundary was redrawn in such a way that Columbus and the surrounding area was cut off from the rest of the 706 territory, making 706 one of the few area codes that is not contiguous. However, 404 had been close to exhaustion even after the creation of 706, and the return of the southern exurbs forced the Georgia Public Service Commission to switch most of Atlanta's suburbs over to 770 sooner than it had planned.

In June 2005, the GPSC announced that 706 had nearly exhausted its capacity for new telephone exchange prefixes. The supply of numbers was further limited because the 706 territory includes portions of three LATAs that spill into neighboring states. The Atlanta LATA, which includes Columbus, spills into Alabama. The northern portion is split between the Atlanta and Chattanooga LATAs. The Augusta LATA spills into South Carolina. On June 24, 2005, the NANPA assigned area code 762 for this purpose. However, the Columbus area was not large enough for its own area code, but was too large to stay in 706. For this reason, it was decided to make 762 an overlay, with 10-digit dialing to be allowed on September 3. On April 1, 2007, 10-digit dialing became mandatory in the 706/762 territory.

This is the third time that the GPSC has flip-flopped on its policy for deciding how new area codes would be assigned. Atlanta's suburbs were split into 770, but then both 404 and 770 were overlaid with 678, and cellphones (originally 404 only) can now have any of those no matter where in the metro area. Southern Georgia was then split three ways instead of an overlay.

Despite the rapid growth in 706/762's main section (particularly the northern portion), it is nowhere near exhausting. Under current projections, it is expected to remain in its unusual, non-contiguous state until 2038.

Prior to 1990, area code 706 covered regions of Mexico.