What You Need to Know About the 562 Area Code

If you live or work in southeastern LA County, chances are you’ve got a 562 number. But there’s way more to this area code than just Long Beach and the surrounding suburbs. Let me break down what makes 562 unique and why it matters to your daily life.

The 562 area code serves as the communication lifeline for one of California’s most economically diverse regions, covering southeastern Los Angeles County and parts of northern Orange County. Created in 1997 as an overlay for the 310 area code, this numbering system has evolved to support millions of residents and thousands of businesses across its territory.

Table of Contents

• The Basics: Where 562 Covers

• A Quick History Lesson

• Time Zone Reality Check and Technical Stuff

• How Businesses Use 562

• What’s Coming Next

• Practical Setup Guide

TL;DR

• The 562 area code covers southeastern Los Angeles County, including Long Beach and surrounding suburban communities

• Created in 1997 as a split from the original 213 area code to handle growing phone service demand

• All 562 numbers run on Pacific Time (UTC-8/UTC-7) which affects business coordination

• Serves diverse industries from port logistics to healthcare, each with unique communication needs

• You now must dial all 10 digits for local calls—even calling your neighbor

• Mobile-first communication trends are changing how people manage their 562 numbers

The Basics: Where 562 Covers

The 562 area code blankets a huge chunk of southeastern Los Angeles County, plus a few spots in northern Orange County. We’re talking about everything from the massive Port of Long Beach to quiet suburban neighborhoods in places like Cerritos and Lakewood.

What’s interesting is how diverse this region is. You’ve got major industrial operations running 24/7 right next to family neighborhoods where people just want their phone to work when grandma calls. It creates some unique challenges for phone companies trying to keep everyone connected.

The Major Players

Here’s who’s covered under 562:

Los Angeles County: Long Beach, Bell Gardens, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, Signal Hill, South Gate, and more.

Orange County: La Habra, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach.

Understanding which cities fall under the 562 umbrella helps explain why this area code handles such varied phone traffic. Each community brings its own communication challenges to the table.

Long Beach: The Crown Jewel

Long Beach is obviously the star of the show here. As a major port city, it drives tons of business traffic that affects the entire phone network. I’ve worked with logistics companies there that get 500+ calls a day just coordinating shipments. That’s a lot of phone traffic!

What really impresses me about Long Beach is how well it handles the constant flow of international business communications. Port operations never sleep, which means the phone infrastructure has to be bulletproof.

Suburban Communities

Beyond Long Beach’s urban core, the 562 area code extends into cities like Bellflower, Cerritos, Lakewood, and Norwalk. These suburban areas create their own unique phone service landscape, blending residential needs with local business requirements.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department continues to serve multiple 562 area code communities through their “Lakewood Station, serving the areas of City of Artesia, City of Bellflower, City of Hawaiian Gardens, City of Lakewood, City of Paramount, Unincorporated Cerritos, Unincorporated Long Beach” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, showing how interconnected public services are across the region.

Industrial and Commercial Zones

The region’s industrial corridors and commercial districts generate some of the heaviest business phone traffic you’ll find anywhere in California. The Port of Long Beach complex alone creates enough phone demand to challenge even the most robust systems.

During peak shipping seasons, the volume of coordination calls, automated notifications, and emergency communications can overwhelm systems that weren’t designed for such intense usage patterns.

A Quick History Lesson

The Great Area Code Split of 1997

Back in 1997, the old 213 area code couldn’t handle all the growth in southeastern LA County anymore. So they carved out 562 to give everyone breathing room. It wasn’t just paperwork—businesses had to update everything from business cards to marketing materials.

This wasn’t just a simple administrative change—it represented a fundamental shift in how phone infrastructure had to evolve to keep pace with regional development. I remember the confusion it caused for businesses that suddenly had to retrain staff on new dialing procedures.

Geographic Boundaries and Overlaps

The 562 area code shares borders with several other California area codes including 213, 323, 714, and 310. This creates complex phone routing scenarios that most people never think about but directly impact call quality and connection reliability.

Time Zone Reality Check and Technical Stuff

All 562 numbers run on Pacific Time, which seems obvious but actually matters more than you’d think. If you’re coordinating with East Coast clients or running automated systems, you need to get this right.

Pacific Time Operations

All 562 numbers operate on Pacific Time (UTC-8 during standard time, UTC-7 during daylight saving time). This timing affects everything from business hours coordination to automated message scheduling systems that businesses rely on for customer communications.

The 562 area code follows Pacific standard time (PST), which is eight hours behind GMT (GMT−8) Global Call Forwarding, creating specific considerations for businesses coordinating with East Coast partners or international clients.

The Big Dialing Change

Here’s something new that caught a lot of people off guard: You now have to dial all 10 digits for local calls in 562. This changed recently to make room for the 988 suicide prevention hotline. So even calling your neighbor means dialing the full number.

“People living in the 562, 626, 949 and 951 area codes — and that includes you Long Beach, Pasadena, South Orange County and parts of Riverside and San Bernardino — now must dial all 10 digits to make a local call” LAist, a change that went into effect to accommodate the new 988 suicide prevention hotline.

For businesses managing communications across time zones, understanding proper US phone number formatting with country codes becomes essential when coordinating with international partners or customers.

Getting a New Number

When you need a new 562 number, you can’t just pick whatever digits you want. There’s a whole system that considers where you’re located, which carrier you’re using, and what numbers are actually available.

The good news? There are still plenty of 562 numbers available, though some prefixes in busy business areas get snapped up faster than others.

Number Portability Rules

Federal regulations allow users to keep their 562 phone numbers when switching carriers or moving within specific geographic boundaries. This portability has transformed how people think about their phone numbers and carrier relationships.

When a small business in Lakewood switches from a traditional landline provider to a VoIP service, they can retain their existing 562 area code phone number, maintaining customer recognition and avoiding the costs associated with updating marketing materials and business cards.

Cell Coverage Reality

The 562 region has pretty solid cell tower coverage thanks to all the urban and suburban development. But like anywhere else, you’ll find dead spots—usually in older industrial areas or places where geography gets weird.

The Port of Long Beach area actually has some of the best coverage because businesses there can’t afford to lose calls.

How Businesses Use 562

Different businesses in 562 have totally different phone requirements. From port operations that never sleep to healthcare facilities managing critical communications, each industry brings unique challenges that shape how phone services evolve.

Industry-Specific Needs

Different business sectors within the 562 area code show unique phone usage patterns that influence service requirements and infrastructure planning. These patterns help explain why certain areas see heavier traffic and require more robust systems.

Port Operations: Never Sleep

The Port of Long Beach and related logistics operations generate substantial business phone traffic that requires reliable message forwarding and notification systems. These operations can’t afford communication failures—they literally keep global commerce moving.

Port operations often require sophisticated message management systems, and many businesses benefit from forwarding critical text messages to email addresses to ensure 24/7 communication monitoring across multiple platforms.

Healthcare: Life and Death Communications

Medical facilities and emergency services in the 562 area rely on critical communications systems that must ensure message delivery and proper routing. When lives are on the line, phone infrastructure becomes a matter of public safety.

Healthcare providers need their 562 area code phone number systems to integrate seamlessly with emergency services while maintaining patient privacy compliance. I’ve worked with medical practices that handle hundreds of patient calls daily while managing complex appointment scheduling and prescription coordination.

Retail and Service Industries

The numerous retail establishments and service businesses throughout the 562 region depend on reliable customer communications and internal coordination systems. These businesses often operate on thin margins where communication failures can directly impact profitability.

Compliance Headaches

If you’re running a business, there are rules you need to follow:

TCPA Compliance

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act affects how businesses can use 562 numbers for marketing and automated communications, requiring careful message management. Violations can result in significant fines that can devastate small businesses.

TCPA Compliance Checklist:

• ☐ Obtain written consent for automated calls/texts

• ☐ Maintain opt-out mechanisms for all communications

• ☐ Document consent records for regulatory review

• ☐ Train staff on proper calling procedures

• ☐ Implement time-of-day calling restrictions

• ☐ Regular compliance audits and updates

Emergency Services Integration

All 562 area code services must properly integrate with 911 emergency systems and comply with Enhanced 911 location requirements. This integration ensures that emergency responders can locate callers quickly and accurately when every second counts.

What’s Coming Next

A few trends are shaping how 562 numbers work in the future. The region continues evolving with changing demographics, technology adoption, and phone infrastructure improvements.

Population Growth Impact

New developments are popping up all over the 562 region. Each new apartment complex or shopping center means more demand for phone services. Sometimes the infrastructure takes a while to catch up.

A new mixed-use development in Cerritos with 200 residential units and 50,000 square feet of commercial space requires phone companies to install additional fiber infrastructure and expand local switching capacity to handle the increased demand.

Technology Changes

Mobile Everything

People want their calls and texts to work seamlessly across all their devices. Nobody wants to miss important messages because they left their phone in the car.

Voiply reports being “trusted by over 50,000 satisfied customers” Voiply, indicating the growing demand for advanced business phone solutions in areas like the area code 562 region.

As mobile communication becomes paramount, businesses increasingly need comprehensive Android text forwarding solutions to ensure they never miss critical messages from customers or partners in the 562 area code region.

Mobile Communication Management Template:

• Primary Device: Smartphone with 562 area code phone number

• Backup Options: VoIP app, landline forwarding

• Integration Tools: SMS forwarding, email notifications

• Business Hours: Automated responses during off-hours

• Emergency Contacts: Priority routing for critical calls

• Analytics: Call/message tracking and reporting

Better Integration

Businesses want their phone systems to talk to their email, their scheduling software, their customer databases—everything.

SMS Forwarding: More people want their text messages forwarded to email or other devices so they don’t miss anything important.

Cross-Platform Integration: Businesses want their phone systems to work with their email, customer databases, and scheduling software.

Mobile-First Approach: People expect everything to work on their smartphones first, with other devices as backup.

Have you ever missed an important text because you were away from your phone? For businesses and individuals managing 562 area code communications, Auto Forward SMS provides essential message management capabilities that ensure you never miss critical communications. Whether you’re coordinating port logistics operations, managing healthcare communications, or running a retail business with field staff, our SMS forwarding service keeps you connected when it matters most.

Communication Management

For businesses managing multiple communication channels, having reliable SMS forwarding becomes crucial. Whether you’re coordinating with Port of Long Beach operations or managing a healthcare practice in Lakewood, missing a critical text message isn’t an option.

Modern businesses need systems that can forward important messages to email, route calls based on time of day, and integrate with existing business software.

Practical Setup Guide

Whether you’re a business owner or just a resident, here are some things worth knowing about setting up and managing your 562 phone service.

For New Businesses

When setting up phone service in 562:

1. Research available prefixes in your target city

2. Check number portability if you’re switching from another carrier

3. Set up professional voicemail with clear business information

4. Configure after-hours forwarding so you don’t miss important calls

5. Test 911 integration to make sure emergency services can find you

6. Update all business listings with your new number

7. Train staff on 10-digit dialing requirements

8. Set up compliance measures for marketing calls

9. Add SMS capabilities if your business needs text messaging

10. Schedule regular service reviews to make sure everything’s working

Business Phone Number Setup Checklist for 562 Area Code:

• ☐ Research available prefixes in your target city

• ☐ Verify number portability if switching carriers

• ☐ Set up voicemail with professional greeting

• ☐ Configure call forwarding for after-hours coverage

• ☐ Test emergency services integration (Enhanced 911)

• ☐ Update business listings with new number

• ☐ Train staff on 10-digit dialing requirements

• ☐ Implement TCPA compliance measures

• ☐ Set up SMS capabilities if needed

• ☐ Schedule regular service quality reviews

For Residents

Basic things to consider:

• Keep your number when switching carriers (it’s your right)

• Set up voicemail with a clear greeting

• Know your emergency services work properly

• Understand 10-digit dialing for all local calls

• Consider backup options if your main service goes down

Service Provider Considerations

When choosing a phone service provider for your 562 number:

Service Provider Comparison Template:

• Provider Name: [Carrier/Service Name]

• Monthly Cost: [Base rate + fees]

• Features Included: [Voicemail, forwarding, etc.]

• SMS Capabilities: [Text messaging options]

• Business Features: [Conference calling, auto-attendant]

• Coverage Quality: [Signal strength in your area]

• Customer Support: [Hours and contact methods]

• Contract Terms: [Length and cancellation policy]

• Number Portability: [Ease of keeping existing number]

• Emergency Services: [911 integration quality]

Compare costs including hidden fees and taxes
Check coverage quality in your specific area
Evaluate customer support availability and responsiveness
Understand contract terms and cancellation policies
Verify emergency services integration quality
Test SMS capabilities if you need text messaging
Review business features like conference calling or auto-attendant

Emergency Preparedness

Living in 562 means your phone service needs to work during emergencies. California has earthquakes, fires, and other natural disasters that can disrupt communications.

Make sure your phone service includes proper 911 integration and consider backup communication methods.

Business Continuity

For businesses, communication failures can mean lost revenue. Port operations, healthcare facilities, and retail businesses all need reliable phone systems with backup options.

Consider redundant systems, call forwarding options, and mobile backup solutions to keep your business connected when primary systems fail.

Community Impact and Identity

The 562 area code has become part of local identity. People reference living “in the 562” at community events and local gatherings. It’s more than just phone numbers—it’s become a way people identify with their region.

Local community events continue to strengthen the 562 area code’s sense of identity. “You live in the 562 area code” We Like LA notes as one of the key demographics for Fourth Fridays in Long Beach, highlighting how area code identity has become part of local community culture.

Bottom Line

The 562 area code isn’t just a bunch of numbers—it’s the communication backbone for one of California’s most economically diverse regions. Understanding how it works can help you make better decisions about your phone service and avoid communication headaches down the road.

The phone landscape in this region will keep changing as new technologies emerge and communication preferences shift. What won’t change is the need for reliable, efficient communication systems that can handle everything from emergency services to international business calls. Whether you’re a longtime resident or new to the area code 562 territory, staying informed about these developments helps you make smarter choices about your communication needs.

Whether you’re coordinating international shipments through Long Beach, running a medical practice in Cerritos, or just want reliable phone service for your family, knowing your area code’s quirks and capabilities makes a difference. From the massive Port of Long Beach to suburban neighborhoods and everything in between, this area code connects millions of people and thousands of businesses in ways that continue evolving with technology and changing communication needs.

Understanding how your 562 number fits into this larger phone ecosystem can help you make better decisions about your communication services and ensure you’re getting the most value from your phone service investment. I’ve seen too many businesses struggle with communication issues that could have been avoided with better planning and understanding of their phone options.