North American telephone area coes 503 and 971 service several locations in Oregon, including Portland, Salem, McMinnville, Tillamook, Astoria, and other locations in northwestern Oregon. Area code 503 was one of the original area codes created in October 1947, and prior to the creation of area code 541, which began service on November 5, 1995, it covered the entire state. On October 1, 2000, area code 971 was added to share the service area, with the exceptions of Clatsop and Tillamook counties, and 10-digit dialing became mandatory in that area. Visibility of 971 has been lower than expected, with some businesses in the overlay still advertising only seven-digit numbers.