The newest set of phone numbers about to crop up using the new metro Atlanta 470 area code will seem strange at first, but for residents in the greater Atlanta area setting up a brand new phone number, they will only have to accept that as the other area codes, 770, 678, and 404 are no longer available.

While the area code 470 first appeared to me on a personal level this weekend, 470 is actually not so new, having been first activated in 2010. As the fastest growing city in the Southeast, Atlanta has already had to add new area codes in the past to accommodate its continuous urban sprawl.

Much like area code 212 is synonymous to New York City, so is the 404 area code to metro Atlanta. When the area code 770 was introduced in 1995, and later, area code 678 was introduced in 1998, residents complained how strange their new phone numbers looked.

In addition to the rapid growth of Atlanta's population, the increased usage of cell phones and cell phone numbers have once again required an additional area code overlay.

The practice of using an overlay plan is applied to areas which already have coverage and are occupied by one or more existing area codes.

Phone subscribers will not have an option to pick which area code numbers they want like they once were able to. Phone subscribers will now be given a new number beginning with area code 470 when they sign up for new services.

The area code 470 overlay is being used to overlay 678, which was used to overlay area codes 404 and 770.

The new 470 overlay covers metro Atlanta which includes both Rockdale and Newton counties as shown in the image above.

With Baxter International coming to Stanton Springs and many other industries sure to follow, the growth of Atlanta, and thereby Newton County, we will be seeing more and more numbers beginning with 470 as strange as it looks and sounds.

The 470 area code will serve Barrow, Bartow, Cutts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton Gwinnett, Hall, Heard, Henry, Lamar, Newton, Oconee, Paulding, Pike, Polk Rockdale, Spalding and Walton counties.

Jared Williams contributed to this story.