We live in a time where there is a phone in everyone’s pocket. It would be easy to make the case that there are more phone calls being made now than at any point in history. Because of that, we are all accustomed to using area codes. In fact we use them so often in our day-to-day lives that we can sometimes tell where a person is calling from just by seeing their area code.

It can make you wonder how it is that area codes became so ubiquitous. You may even ask; when did we start using aread codes? . The funny thing is that area codes have only really been in use since the 1940s. If you are curious as to how area codes came to be, how they are determined, or if area codes are finite then we will answer those questions here. 

What Came Before

It is pretty easy to just pick up your phone today and call anybody in the world that you want. However, if you have ever watched a TV show or movie set before the 1940s then you may have some idea of how difficult making a simple phone call was. This is because telephone networks used to be much more difficult, requiring constant operation of switchboards. 

The way things used to work required each community having its own localized telephone network and its own administrator to both manage the calls and to assign telephone numbers. Once telephones grew more popular more numbers had to be added to the system. The local administrator would then use their own numbering plan to meet the need for phone numbers. 

While having local networks was fine for a time, as telephone use expanded across the country and became more ubiquitous, it became confusing as each network had its own numbering system. This became such a huge problem that the Bell system had to find a way to unify the local numbering plans and create a system that spanned the entire nation so that long distance calling could be more efficient and less of a headache for both callers and administrators.

The NANP

AT&T developed their Nationwide numbering plan in 1947, in partnership with independent phone call operators. The North American number plan or NANP was created with the long-term goal of simplifying the phone call process. Instead of having to rely on switchboard operators a person at home could dial the direct phone number and be put in contact with its respective recipient.

The North American numbering plan divided up North America into 86 regions. These regions are known as numbering plant areas. Canada and the United States with the primary territories in the plan however, parts of the Caribbean islands were included, as well as Mexico although Mexico eventually left.

Area boundaries were mainly based on existing state or provincial borders making it easier for people to understand and more cost effective to implement. However, some states and provinces were too large and had to be divided into multiple areas. 

As a solution, each area was given a three-digit code, originally called the numbering plan area code but now simply known as area code. If you were to call someone in the same area, didn’t need to dial the area code, but for calls to different areas you did. 

In each area were several different telephone exchanges, known as central offices which directed calls. These offices also received three digit codes, which became the first part of what is now your seven digit telephone number.

When Did We Start Using Area Codes?

AT&T completed work on the North American numbering plan in 1947. They had originally created 152 area codes capable of supporting 540 central offices. Initially there were only 86 area codes designed with New Jersey getting the first one, 201, and the District of Columbia getting 202. 

Area codes for a certain format. The first digit must be between the numbers 2 and 9, just like the first digit in a central office code. This excludes the number 0, and the number 1 which was ignored entirely by early switching equipment, though it later on became the country code for the United States and Canada.

Initially, a one as the middle digit of an area code indicated the state with multiple area codes, 0 in the middle signified a unified area code for the state. However, this system was changed in the 50s as the number of area codes needed increased.

By the ’60s cities such as Los Angeles and New York were facing a shortage in central office codes. This led to the rule change that allowed in the second position. A one before a number could be dialed, though this became increasingly less common due to advances and modern technology such as Mobile phone features or VoIP.

Another type of code includes easily recognized numbers such as 988, 888, 800, 411, and arguably the most famous 911. These follow a simple, easy to remember pattern. 

Brave New World

Communication absolutely exploded in the 1990s and 2000s with the Advent of the internet, fax machines, and mobile phones. This led to a major surge in the need for more phone numbers pushing many of the area codes already in existence to their limits. 

To combat this problem, new area codes were introduced through splits and overlays. Splits divided an area into two or more parts, if one keeping the old area code and the other getting new ones. Overlays, however, at a new area code to the same geographic region. A prime example of this would be Manhattan’s area code and resulting 212 numbers along with 646 and 917.

As a result of this the rules for area codes were given an update. The second digit, which had been restricted to zero or one, could now be any number from 0 to 8, with nine being reserved for emergencies and for future expansion. The first new codes under this rule, 334 in Alabama and 360 in Washington, were introduced on January 15th 1995. That year also saw many United States and Canadian cities adopting multiple area codes.

As a result of this expansion, another change came about: cities with multiple area codes began requiring 10 digit dialing for local calls, with Atlanta being the first to implement this policy in 1996.

What About Tomorrow?

As previously stated, smartphones are now everywhere. Area code such as 415 have been exhausted, and some phone service providers may not even have certain area codes available anymore. 

This begs the question of whether or not we will run out of area codes. There are currently 335 area codes with 18 of those being non geographic. The North American numbering plan estimates that the current system will run out in 2049, after which it will be necessary to make changes.

There are several different plans being discussed, but no plan has been deemed as the final solution. One idea is to add a zero or one to the beginning or end of area code or phone numbers. Another suggestion is to insert nine as the second digit in existing area codes.

It remains to be seen just what new system will be chosen. However, it is clear that 10-digit phone numbers might change in the next couple of decades, but area codes will continue to remain a crucial part of our communication systems.