Area code 480 covers the East Valley of the Phoenix, AZ metro area, serving communities such as Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, and parts of northeast Phoenix. This code was introduced in 1999 during the same Phoenix area code split that produced 623, with 480 designated for the fast-growing eastern suburbs and tech corridor. Cities in the 480 area experienced major growth in the 1990s and 2000s – for instance, Tempe (home of Arizona State University) and Chandler’s tech industry expanded significantly under the new 480 code. The assignment of 480 gave the East Valley its own identity distinct from Phoenix’s original 602 code, which remained with the Phoenix city core. By the early 2020s, 480 was nearing exhaustion due to sustained growth, prompting Arizona officials to unify the Phoenix area codes into a single overlay region in 2023. Now, 480, 602, and 623 function as overlay codes for all of Phoenix, but longtime residents of the East Valley still recognize 480 as a marker of their community’s emergence and prosperity over the past few decades.