What is the oldest area code in the United States?

Area code 201
History. Area code 201 was the first-assigned numbering plan area (NPA) code of the original NPAs when AT devised the North American Numbering Plan in 1947.

Will we ever run out of area codes?

According to forecasts by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — that’s the official clearinghouse for area codes in the U.S., Canada and some Caribbean countries — D.C.’s (202) phone numbers could run out as early as the second quarter of 2023.

When was the first US area code issued?

US Area Codes By State. On January 1, 1947, the first North American area codes were issued in regions where standard 7 digit dialing codes were scheduled to be exhaused the soonest. By adding a 3 digit prefix to a 7 digit local number, this allowed for hundreds of millons of new phone numbers to be issued.

How are area codes assigned in North America?

List of North American Numbering Plan area codes. The North American Numbering Plan (NANP) divides the regions of its member nations (primarily in North America, including the Caribbean) into geographic numbering plan areas (NPAs). Each area is assigned a three-digit area code which is prefixed to each telephone number issued in its service area.

What do the last 4 digits of an area code mean?

The NXX is also known as the prefix or exchange. Various telephone carriers will reserve blocks of telephone numbers by reserving an NXX within an area code. Like area codes, not all prefixes are currently in use. Subscriber : Finally, the final 4 digits of the phone number are known as the subscriber or local number.

How did the area code change over time?

The rise of monthly cell service, with its flattening of the national phone grid, transformed the area code from an economic signal into a purely cultural one—and one that has the ever-more-rare virtue of connecting its owner to a physical place. You could liken an area code, now, to a sports team affiliation.