We recently relocated from Sacramento to Ashland, Oregon. I can’t decide whether I should change my cell # and get a 541 area code. I sorta feel like my 916 # tags me as an escaped Californian. I realize that the very idea that I associate phone numbers with geography makes me old.
So, did you change your cell# when you moved? Didn’t change it but wished you had? Will anyone care outside the short list of people I’ll need to notify? Am I ridiculously overthinking the whole business?
I still live in the same area code as when I first got a cell phone, so I can’t help you. Just popped in to post the obligatory xkcd reference.
I am grateful at least once a week that I don’t have a local area code. Say I used to live in 123, now I’m in 555. If I get an unknown call from 555, I know it’s probably important. If it’s 123, I know it’s probably spam.
When my father in law moved from Kansas about 5 years ago to live with us in Georgia, he still kept his Kansas cell phone number. It made sense because that was the number all his friends, the bank, doctors etc already had. Recently his old phone quit working so I was getting his new one activated and the Tracfone guy freaked out at me saying it was illegal to have an area code from a different state from where you live. He wouldn’t transfer the number until I gave him Dad’s old address.
So anyway, I vote for keeping your old number.
I also vote for keeping your number. Who cares what your area code is? Probably only you and no one else.
Here in the Austin area, there are a lot of people who moved here in the last 10-15 years from other places (as we did), lots from California (like us). Nobody even notices where your area code is from any more. When we first got here sometimes people would ask but not now. And that Tracfone guy is just wrong.
I’d assume that, these days, everyone puts your number into their phone and then immediately stops thinking about it.
My daughter moved from MD to FL about 5 years ago, but her cell still has her MD area code. But she’s thinking about moving back, so it won’t matter then.
My husband got his cell when he was living in Baltimore, but we now live in an area where a call to Baltimore is long distance if you have a land line. In fact, it’s a long distance call from my office phone, but I just call him from my cell, so no biggie.
There’s really no reason to change, IMHO.
When confronted with an arbitrary decision, my first rule is to do the easiest thing. In your case, I believe that means simply keeping your current number. Changing one’s phone number can be a real PITA, and you could get a bad number (e.g., previously a pizza parlor or a sex line).
Sounds like the “no” vote is pretty much unanimous. Makes sense. Thanks, all!
I didn’t change mine through a couple moves - every now & then someone asks about my area code “where IS that?” but it never really matters.
BTW, congratulations - I lived in Medford for a bit and I loved the area. Ashland is wonderful and I’d be there now if I thought I could afford it. 
same with Jacksonville, I used to drive to their farmers market all the time.
My business partner moved from Ohio to Georgia 10+ years ago and kept his Ohio number. It’s the number everyone had for him, case closed.
Oh, and for a while there it also made it easier for me to talk to him for free when “long distance” was still a thing.
I didn’t change mine and I’ve been in Chicago for 5.5 years. My number is fairly easy to remember, even though it’s rare for someone to actually have to know a phone number these days. I have a coworker with a mobile number from Florida and he’s been here for over 7 years. A family member moved from Florida to South Carolina and she still has a Florida cell phone number as well.
I’ve only changed mine due to two situations.
It did get kind of annoying where people who needed your number would pre-fill the area code and get confused without you explicitly saying that you are stating the area code first. Somewhat recently, this annoyance is less common, and people with local numbers say the area code too.
It’s a nice area though maybe an unfortunate time to move? Hope OP’s lungs are okay!
I looked into this, and discovered Verizon would not support any call forwarding or even an advisory message on my old number if I switched. The only way I could figure out how to do that was to go through a convoluted process of first porting my old number to Google Voice. I decided it wasn’t worth the effort.
And, as others have mentioned, a significant benefit is that several years after moving, I know that all calls from my cellphone area code are id-spoofed telemarketers. And I finally found an app that blocks all numbers from an area code on iPhone, it’s called WideProtect. Seems to work.
I think there is an extra charge to get a number that was previously a sex line. if not, there should be. the phone companies would make a fortune. 
You say that as if being from CA taints you somehow. 
The sooner you can get rid of your CA license plates, which are a more visible sign of your origin, the less you have to worry about it. I doubt anyone will notice your area code, and anyone that does will likely not take the time to look up where it’s from.
I kept my old non local area code phone number for years after I moved because I rarely used my phone, and because I had a really good, easy to remember number. Then I upgraded and switched carriers and had to get a new number. Now I’m moving back to my old area code. I’d like my old number back, but the hassle of letting everyone know and changing my contact number on everything its linked to isn’t worth it. I won’t be changing it.
Thanks! Fortunately, we’ve had a bit of rain and the air is much more breathable. We were wondering for a bit if we’d made a huge mistake. But we expect to really like it here.
The main reason I was thinking about a number change was to use it as our “main” number and not bother with a land line. I’ve decided the cell # stays & I’ll use google voice for a main #. Given that, the benefits of not changing far outweigh the inconveniences.