What is Area Code and how it Work?

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Have you ever wondered what area code is for? Or why it exists? Area codes are the unique telephone numbers assigned to each geographic area in the United States. These codes are necessary for telephone communications and help route calls correctly.

Area codes were first introduced in 1923, and since then, they’ve evolved along with the telecommunications landscape. Learn more about area codes and their history in this blog post.

What does an Area Code consist of?

An area code is a geographic identifier for telephone numbers in the United States and Canada. The North American Numbering Plan (NANP) assigns area codes on a first-come, first-served basis. Area codes are associated with one or more telephone service providers within a given local service area.

How are Area Codes determined?

Area codes are determined by the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NAPA). The NAPA is a government organization establishing phone numbering plans for the United States and Canada. In most cases, a single area code covers a large geographic area. However, there are some areas where two area codes are needed. For example, the Seattle area has 206 and 253.

Why do Area Codes exist?

Area codes exist to make telephone calls across large geographical areas more efficient. For example, if someone in Detroit wants to call someone in Chicago, they must first dial 1-800-555-1212. However, if the two people are in the same area code (313), they could dial 3-1-13 and be connected without having to dial any other numbers.

914 area code

The 914 area code is located in the New York City metropolitan area. It was created on December 8, 1991, from the merger of the 212 and 718 regions. As of March 1, 2013, there were 1,011,763 numbers in use in this area code.

310 area code

Area code 310 is located in southern California. It covers the communities of Pasadena, Altadena, and Monrovia. The 310 area code also includes parts of Los Angeles County, including the cities of Glendale, Burbank, and Hollywood.

860 area code

Area code 860 is the area code for use in the state of California. As of October 1, 2013, it comprised portions of Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. Area code 805 was created as an overlay for area code 860 to prevent congestion on the telephone network.

201 area code

Area code 201 covers most of the western half of Massachusetts, including the cities of Boston and Worcester. The eastern half of the state is in area code 857.

617 area code

Area Code 617 is located in the northeast region of the United States. It covers most of New York state and parts of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The area code was created on March 1, 1959.

862 area code

Area code 862 is the area code for the state of Kentucky. It was created on September 15, 1997. The 862 area code is split between two primary counties: Breathitt and Harlan. AT&T provides the majority of telephone service within this area.

917 area code

Area code 917 covers the eastern portion of Orange County, California. It is served by area codes 760 and 857. This area was formerly part of 916, split in May of 1998. Area code 917 is one of the newest area codes in California, having been created on May 25, 1998.

203 area code

Area code 203 is located in the state of Massachusetts and covers most of the metropolitan area of Boston. The northern half of the area code, including the city of Cambridge, falls within the 410 area code.

929 area code

The 929 area code covers parts of southwestern Oregon, northwestern California, and southern Nevada. The area code was created in 1947 when the Pacific Telesis Company (now Qwest) needed to create a new telephone numbering plan for its newly acquired territories. It originally consisted of the entire state of Oregon.

Over time, the 929 area code was split up among several different areas. In 1993, it was divided between southeastern Oregon and northwestern California; in 1994, it was split between southern Oregon and Nevada; and in 2002, it was divided between eastern Oregon and California. Today, the 929 area code serves over 1.2 million people.

628 area code

The area code 628 covers a wide swath of the country, from Los Angeles in the west to Syracuse in the east. It also includes parts of Nevada and Arizona. Area code 628 was initially created as an overlay for area code 213 in 1999 when California began requiring new phone numbers to have nine digits. The overlap between these two areas makes it difficult for people in one part of the district to reach someone in the other.

737 area code

Area codes were first introduced in the early 1960s, replacing the existing 10-digit telephone numbers. Area codes are divided into Northern, Central, and Southern. The corresponding phone numbers are also assigned to these areas.

There are currently ten area codes in the United States: 727, 302, 404, 610, 612, 613, 614, 717, and 843.

346 area code

Area code 346 is a telephone area code in the U.S. state of New York. It covers most of the Hudson Valley and Catskill regions and parts of Westchester County and Rockland County. It serves the functions of Albany, Binghamton, Kingston, and Utica.

857 area code

Area code 857 is an area code for southwestern Louisiana and northern Mississippi. This area served by area code 857 includes the cities of Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, and Shreveport.

539 area code

The 539 area code covers much of central North Carolina. It includes the cities of Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem.

872 area code

Area Code 872 is located in the eastern part of California. The area code was formed on November 1, 1991.

507 area code

Area code 507 covers the Hudson Valley region of New York state. This area is home to some of the state’s most rural and scenic places. Area code 507 also includes parts of upstate New York.

469 area code

Area code 469 is located in the southwestern corner of Missouri. It covers most of the Bootheel region, including some rural areas and several big cities, including Kansas City and St. Louis. Area code 469 was created in 1997 as a split from area 573.

650 area code

The 650 area code is a regional code covering most of the state of California. It was established on October 20, 1985, as an overlay for the 213 area code. Most of central and southern California are covered by this number, including the major population centers of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Fresno.

628 area code

The 628 area code is situated in the southwestern region of the United States. Notably, it spans across five states, namely Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah. This expansive area code, denoted as 628, came into existence on November 15, 2001.

917 area code

Area code 917, located in northeastern New Jersey, boasts a rich history. The establishment of this area code dates back to November 1, 1947, and it has been home to a significant population ever since. The census conducted in 2000 reported that 208,136 individuals resided in the area code, distributed among 79,865 households and 54,533 families. Notably, the area exhibited a population density of 659 people per square mile (253/km²). Moreover, there were 84,272 housing units, averaging a density of 267 per square mile (103/km²). The area code’s racial composition showcased diversity, with 82.15% being White, 7.76% African American, 0.26% Native American, 2.02% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.92% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. Additionally, 13.37% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race.

Conclusion

As we enter the 21st century, the use of cell phones has experienced a significant increase. Consequently, familiarizing ourselves with the correct method of finding and dialing area codes has become crucial. Thankfully, most phonebooks provide easy access to area code information. By locating the table that contains all the area codes, you can identify your own number.

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