Area code 206 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the U.S. state of Washington. The numbering plan area (NPA) includes Seattle and most of its innermost suburbs. This includes such suburbs as Shoreline and Lake Forest Park; Mercer, Bainbridge, and Vashon Islands; and portions of metropolitan Seattle from Des Moines to Woodway.
Area code 206 was one of the original North American area codes assigned in 1947, when it served the entire state of Washington. In 1957, area code 509 was assigned for the eastern two-thirds of Washington in a flash-cut, with the split roughly following the Cascade Mountains.[ citation needed ]
Despite western Washington's growth in the second half of the 20th century, this configuration remained in place for 38 years. By the start of the 1990s, however, 206 was nearing exhaustion of central office codes from proliferation of cell phones, pagers, and fax machines.
On January 15, 1995, most of the old 206 territory outside of the Seattle/Tacoma area was split off with area code 360, which was one of the first two area codes not conforming to the then-traditional N0X/N1X format. [1]
Numerous residents in the Seattle exurbs protested about no longer being associated with 206, leading US West, now part of Lumen Technologies, to return these to 206 shortly after the split. As part of the reintegration, the cities of Des Moines and Woodway were both split between the new area codes, required by the capacity of the switching centers. [2]
However, western Washington would have likely needed another area code before the end of the decade, as 206 was still on the brink of exhaustion even after the 360 split. The return of the Seattle exurbs, combined with the continued proliferation of cell phones, faxes, and pagers, hastened a three-way split of the 206 territory, effective on April 25, 1997. The southern portion, including Tacoma, received area code 253, while the northern portion, including Everett and the Eastside, was assigned area code 425. [3] [4]
On June 15, 2023, the WUTC approved the expansion of the overlay plan of area code 564 to the 206 area before central office code exhaustion occurs in 2025. [5] Area code 564 had only served the 360 numbering plan area since 2017. 564 will also be added to the 253 and 425 area codes once necessary. [6] [7] However, ten-digit dialing has been mandatory for all of Washington west of the Cascades since 2017.
Area codes 314 and 557 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in the U.S. state of Missouri, serving St. Louis and most of its inner-ring suburbs in neighboring St. Louis County. The numbering plan area is bordered to the west by area code 636, which serves St. Louis' outer suburbs to the west, south, and north. Across the Mississippi River to the east, 314 is adjacent to area code 618, which serves southern Illinois and most of Metro East. Area code 557 was added to the 314 numbering plan area on August 12, 2022, to form an overlay numbering plan.
In telecommunications, an area code overlay complex is a telephone numbering plan that assigns multiple area codes to a geographic numbering plan area (NPA). Area code overlays are implemented in territories of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) to mitigate exhaustion of central office codes in growth areas. The method has been in use since 1992, and has been the preferred and exclusive method of relief since 2007.
Area code 775 is a Nevada telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan. It was split from area code 702 on December 12, 1998, and covers the entire state except for Clark County, which retained area code 702 after the split. Major cities in this area code include Reno, Carson City, Elko and Pahrump. While it appears to be rural, more than 80 percent of its numbers are located in the far western portion, around Reno and Carson City.
Area code 414 is a telephone area code of the North American Numbering Plan for the area around and including the city of Milwaukee in the state of Wisconsin.
Area code 262 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for southeastern Wisconsin, and was created on September 25, 1999, in an area code split of area code 414. The numbering plan area comprises most suburbs of Milwaukee, but not Milwaukee County.
Area code 404 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Atlanta, Georgia and its closest suburbs. This comprises roughly the area encircled by Interstate 285. It is an enclave area code, surrounded by area code 770, which serves most of Atlanta's suburbs. Both 404 and 770 are overlaid by area codes 678, 470, and 943.
Area code 813 is an area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the city of Tampa, Florida, and surrounding areas such as Zephyrhills and Oldsmar.
Area codes 704 and 980 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Charlotte and all or part of 12 surrounding counties in south-central North Carolina. Other major cities in the service area are Gastonia, Kannapolis, Concord, Mooresville, Salisbury, Statesville, and Shelby. The South Carolina side of the Charlotte metropolitan area is part of area codes 803 and 839. Area code 704 is one of the original area codes assigned to numbering plan areas (NPAs) by AT&T in October 1947. Area code 980 was added in an overlay numbering plan in 2000.
Area code 770 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) serving all or part of 29 counties in North Georgia, including most of Atlanta's suburbs. It was created in 1995 in a split of numbering plan area (NPA) 404.
Area codes 410, 443, and 667 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the eastern half of the U.S. state of Maryland. The numbering plan area (NPA) includes the Baltimore metropolitan area and the Eastern Shore. The three area codes are overlay codes for one numbering plan area, among which 410 was the initial area code for the NPA, when it was split from area code 301 in 1991. 443 and 667 found assignment primarily in cellular service and for competitive local exchange carriers, such as Comcast and Cavalier Telephone, when introduced, but have since become universal in carrier availability.
Area code 334 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for southeastern Alabama. It was created on January 15, 1995, in an area code split from area code 205. It was the first new area code in Alabama since the announcement of the area code system in 1947. To permit a transition period for the reconfiguration of equipment, such as computers and fax machines, use of area code 205 continued in the 334 region through May 13, 1995.
Area code 360 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for western Washington state outside metropolitan Seattle and west of the Cascade Mountains. Its numbering plan area (NPA) comprises all of western Washington outside urban King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties and Bainbridge Island, Until January 15, 1995, when the area code commenced service, the numbering plan area (NPA) was served by area code 206, Washington's original area code since 1947.
Area code 253 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for a part of the U.S. state of Washington. The numbering plan area (NPA) includes the area south of Seattle and the southern Puget Sound area, centered at Tacoma and extending to include the areas around Gig Harbor, Auburn, and Roy. It also serves the western half of Pierce County, as well as southern King County.
Area code 425 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the suburbs north and east of Seattle in the U.S. state of Washington. The numbering plan area includes the Eastside, extending east to North Bend, north to Everett, and south to Maple Valley. It also includes the cities of Bellevue and Redmond, both major employment centers. The area code was created in 1997 in a three-way split of area code 206.
Area code 912 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. The numbering plan area contains Savannah, Richmond Hill, Hinesville, Vidalia, Metter, Reidsville, Homerville, Waycross, Brunswick, Folkston, Douglas, Statesboro, Ludowici, Jesup and Kingsland. The area code was created in 1954 in an area code split from area code 404, which had been assigned to the entire state in 1947.
Area codes 703 and 571 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Northern Virginia, including the independent cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park, as well as all of Arlington and Fairfax counties and parts of Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William counties. Area code 703 was created as one of the eighty-six original North American area codes in October 1947, and originally served the entire Commonwealth of Virginia. Area code 571 was created on March 1, 2000, to form an overlay plan with 703. The headquarters for The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Virginia was at 703 East Grace Street, Richmond, Virginia.
| North: 360, 425 | ||
| West: 360 | Area Code 206 | East: 425 |
| South: 253 |
