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 404 was created in 1947 as one of the 86 original North American area codes, serving the entire state of Georgia. On July 1, 1954, the area from Macon southward was split off with area code 912. Numbering plan area 404 was reduced to the northern half of the state, from the Tennessee and North Carolina borders as far south as Columbus and Augusta.
Despite Atlanta's growth in the 1970s and 1980s, 404 remained unchanged for 38 years. By the end of the 1980s, 404 was nearing exhaustion of central office prefixes to assign new telephone numbers. In an effort to delay splitting the area code, Southern Bell (later BellSouth, now part of AT&T Inc.) decided to introduce interchangeable central office codes, effective October, 1 1989. [1] Previously, the 404 numbering plan served 640 central offices, but the addition of interchangeable codes increased its capacity to 792 central offices in the numbering plan area. As a result, north Georgia telephone subscribers were forced to dial the full ten-digit number (area code plus number).
By late 1991, the need for a new area code could no longer be staved off. On May 3, 1992, nearly all of the old 404 territory outside of metro Atlanta was split off with area code 706. [2] It originally comprised a horseshoe-shaped region that completely wrapped around Atlanta's inner ring. However, shortly after the split took effect, residents in several fast-growing exurbs of Atlanta that had been transferred to 706 complained about no longer being associated with 404. As a result, BellSouth returned these areas to 404 in the spring of 1993. [3] The 404/706 boundary was redrawn in a way that left Columbus and its surrounding area cut off from the rest of 706, making 706 one of the few area codes that are not contiguous.
BellSouth and the Georgia Public Service Commission knew that 404 was still close to exhaustion even after the creation of 706 due to the growing proliferation of cell phones, fax machines and pagers. Indeed, the GPSC had anticipated that the Atlanta area would eventually need another area code, and had planned to assign 770 to Atlanta's suburbs later in the decade. However, the decision to return the Atlanta exurbs to 404 forced the GPSC to shift nearly all of Atlanta's suburban ring to 770 on August 1, 1995, sooner than had been planned.
The 404/770 boundary roughly follows Interstate 285, locally known as "the Perimeter." Generally, 404 is Atlanta itself and most suburbs inside the Perimeter (such as Decatur), while most of the metro area outside the Perimeter uses 770. The boundary was drawn in such a way that a number of areas are split between the two codes. For some time after the 770 split, 404 continued to be used for all cellphones in metro Atlanta. 404/770 became one of the six pairs of "doughnut area codes".
Although the 1995 split was intended as a long-term solution, the numbering plan area approached exhaustion again within two years from demand and growth in communication services in Atlanta, particularly the continued proliferation of cellphones and pagers. On January 1, 1998, area code 678 was introduced for a new, combined numbering plan area of area codes 404 and 770, creating a complex overlay. Since then, ten-digit dialing has been mandatory throughout metro Atlanta. Because area codes cannot be dedicated to specific services, such as cellphones only, mobile customers throughout the metro area were given the option of choosing numbers in the 404, 770, and 678 area codes when signing up for service.
Within only two years, a fourth area code was needed for metro Atlanta. On September 2, 2001, area code 470, chosen by the Georgia Public Service Commission, was added to the 678 overlay. [4] Assignment of new central office prefixes for the new area code were not permitted before the exhaustion of 678. This was finally delayed until c. 2010, because of the implementation of number pooling.
Telephone numbers for high-capacity lines, such as for contest lines for radio stations, are assigned with the central office prefix 741. When 770 was split, these numbers continued to work as both 404-741-xxxx and as 770-741-xxxx, so that only seven-digit dialing was necessary. That lasted until 678 came into use. There are also other prefixes that are not assigned to just one exchange, such as 499 and 528 used by Cobb County government and formerly Southern Polytechnic State University. These were moved into NPA 770.
In November 2013, the NANPA announced the exhaustion of available number blocks for area code 404, citing significant population growth in Atlanta. [5]
An additional NPA, 943, was added to both metro Atlanta overlay areas, which commenced service on March 15, 2022. [6]
Area code 404 serves landline wire centers and cellphone exchanges in portions of Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton counties, as well as cellphones in portions of Cobb, Douglas and Gwinnett counties. All are shared with 770. The entire area is shared with 678/470/943.
The metro Atlanta region (404, 770, 678/470/943) is one of the largest local calling areas in the United States; with few exceptions, no long-distance charges are applied for calls from one portion of the metro to the other. Parts of 706/762 and north Alabama's 256/938 are local calls to Atlanta as well. [7]
Area codes 314 and 557 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in the U.S. state of Missouri, serving the city of 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 exclusive method of area code relief since 2007.
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Area codes 706 and 762 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the northern and west central parts of Georgia, but excluding metropolitan Atlanta.
Area codes 202 and 771 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Washington, D.C.
Area codes 813 and 656 are area codes in the North American Numbering Plan for the U.S. state of Florida in the city of Tampa, Florida, and its surrounding areas, such as Zephyrhills and Oldsmar. In 2022, due to exhaustion of central office prefixes, area code 656 was added to the service area forming an overlay complex.
Area codes 208 and 986 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan for all of Idaho. Area code 208 is one of the 86 original area codes created by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company in 1947. It was Idaho's sole area code until 2017, when 986 was added as a second area code to the same numbering plan area by creating an overlay complex.
Area code 403 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Canadian province of Alberta. The numbering plan area encompasses the southern third of the province, which includes the Calgary area. This numbering plan area is also served by area codes 587, 825, and 368, which form a complex overlay for all of Alberta.
Area code 780 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Canadian province of Alberta. The numbering plan area comprises the northern two thirds of the province, including the Edmonton area. The area code was established in 1999 in a split of area code 403, which had served the entire province since the establishment of the original North American area codes in 1947. The numbering plan area is also served by area codes 587, 825, and 368, which form a complex overlay for all of Alberta.
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 678, 470, and 943 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the U.S. State of Georgia in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The area codes are assigned in an overlay plan to a combined numbering plan area (NPA) consisting of 404 and 770.
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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.
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Area codes 440 and 436 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the U.S. state of Ohio, serving the parts of the Greater Cleveland area, surrounding the city of Cleveland, but not the city and most of its inner suburbs.
| North: 470/678/770/943 | ||
| West: 470/678/770/943 | 404 470/678/943 | East: 470/678/770/943 |
| South: 470/678/770/943 |