If Los Angeles area codes had a hierarchy, 310 would sit near the very top. This is the prefix tied to Beverly Hills mansions, Santa Monica startups, and Malibu beachfront property — the number actors, agents, and talent managers actively request because of what it signals before a single word gets spoken on the call. If a number starting with 310 has reached you, here’s exactly what that connection represents and why it carries so much weight in the LA market.

310 at a Glance
| Category | Details |
| State | California, USA |
| Coverage Area | Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Malibu, Westwood, South Bay beach cities |
| Went Into Service | November 2, 1991 |
| Time Zone | Pacific Time (PST: UTC-8 / PDT: UTC-7) |
| Overlay Code | 424 |
| Dialing Format | +1-310-XXX-XXXX |
| Known For | LA’s Westside, entertainment industry, wealth and prestige |
The Split That Created LA’s Most Coveted Code
When area codes first arrived in 1947, all of Southern California ran on a single prefix, 213, covering everything from Downtown LA all the way out to Malibu and Long Beach. That worked for decades, but as the region’s population exploded, regulators eventually split the territory. On November 2, 1991, 310 was carved out specifically to cover LA’s western half, the Westside and the South Bay coastal communities. The split wasn’t universally welcomed — longtime 213 residents pushed back at the time, reluctant to lose a code they’d held for over forty years, but the geographic reality of the population made the change unavoidable.
Where 310 Numbers Actually Come From
This code sticks to LA’s Westside and coastal south, a stretch known for wealth, entertainment, and some of the most expensive real estate in America:
- Beverly Hills, Westwood, Brentwood, and Bel Air
- Santa Monica, Venice, and Pacific Palisades
- Culver City and Century City
- South Bay beach cities including Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance
One detail most people miss entirely: this code even extends offshore to Santa Catalina Island, sitting roughly 26 miles from the mainland. That makes 310 one of the few American area codes to include an actual island within its rate-centre territory.
Why Actors and Agents Specifically Request This Code
The Los Angeles Times once described 310 as effectively synonymous with Santa Monica, Brentwood, and Beverly Hills, and that reputation has only solidified since. Because this code covers the entertainment industry’s most concentrated business district, along with some of the city’s wealthiest residential neighbourhoods, it’s become something close to digital real estate. Talent agencies, entertainment lawyers, and high-end businesses actively pursue 310 numbers specifically because the prefix alone signals establishment and permanence in a city where image matters as much as substance.
Converting Pacific Time for an Indian Schedule
310 runs on Pacific Time, sitting at UTC-8 through winter months and shifting to UTC-7 once daylight saving begins each spring. For someone coordinating from India, that typically means this region runs roughly 12.5 to 13.5 hours behind IST, with the exact gap depending on the season. A simple shortcut: if you’re wrapping up your evening around 9 PM in Delhi or Mumbai, your Westside LA contact is likely just starting their morning, somewhere between 7:30 and 8:30 AM. Since daylight saving shifts happen twice yearly, in March and November, it’s worth rechecking the gap around those dates rather than assuming it stays constant.
Sharing Territory With the 424 Overlay
By 2006, even this prestigious stretch of Los Angeles had run through its available numbering combinations. Rather than splitting the Westside further, regulators introduced 424 as an overlay, letting it share identical geographic territory with 310. This means two businesses on the same Beverly Hills block could technically carry different area codes today, purely depending on when they registered their line, even though both connect to the exact same neighbourhood.
A Small Island Footprint Most Guides Skip
Santa Catalina Island deserves its own mention here, since it’s such an unusual quirk in America’s numbering system. Most area codes are defined entirely by mainland geography, but 310 extends its coverage across open water to this small island community, making it a genuine outlier among US area codes and a detail that surprises even people who’ve lived in the 310 region their whole lives.
Dialling a 310 Number From India
From within the US, dialling stays simple: 1-310-XXX-XXXX. From India, add your international access code first, then the US country code, giving you 00-1-310-XXX-XXXX, or just tap the “+” symbol if your smartphone auto-formats international numbers. As always, keep number portability in mind — someone holding a 310 number may have relocated away from LA’s Westside entirely while keeping their original digits, so the code confirms only where the number was first issued.
FAQs
Q1. Is a 310 number genuinely more valuable for business than other LA area codes?
There’s real perception weight behind it, given its strong association with Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and the entertainment industry. Businesses often report better response rates when calling from a 310 number specifically because of that established, affluent identity.
Q2. Why does 310 cover an island when most area codes stick to a single connected landmass?
Santa Catalina Island falls within LA County’s rate-centre boundaries despite sitting 26 miles offshore, and it was simply included in 310’s territory when the code split from 213 in 1991, making it a genuine exception among US area codes.
Q3. Can an Indian business get a 310 number without a physical LA office?
Yes, virtual number providers commonly offer 310 numbers to businesses anywhere, letting Indian companies establish a Westside LA presence for client calls or marketing without needing an actual office in Beverly Hills or Santa Monica.
Q4. Does having a 424 number instead of 310 mean anything negative for a business?
Not functionally. Both codes serve identical territory and work the same for calls and texts. The only difference is that 310 carries decades more brand recognition simply by being the older of the two prefixes.