How Do Area Codes Work in the United States?

If you're curious about the way phone numbers work in the United States, you've come to the right place. While the early telephone system used a fairly simple system, the numbering scheme has become much more complex. Today, area codes represent individual regions within a state. This has not only been made possible by growing population, but also by changes in technology.

Originally, us area codes were not distributed in a specific order. In fact, some were given next to each other. For example, Virginia (703) and North Carolina (704) were abutting codes in 1947, but that changed in the 1960s. Although the 1947 system wasn't perfect, it was designed by engineers who knew it would be scrapped at some point.

Today, area codes are made up of three digits. In the past, the second digit was 0 or 1, depending on whether the city was a single state or had more than one area code. The numbers in the area codes are based on the area covered. The larger cities have higher numbers than smaller cities.

In the 1970s, area codes covered entire states. Today, they cover only small portions of those states. This has had a strange effect on identity. As Megan Garber argued in a 2014 piece, area codes have become regional identifiers, as people move around the country.

The United States has over three hundred area codes, including California and Puerto Rico. The area codes differ by region, although some states have dozens of area codes. If you are abroad, it is important to remember that you should use the right one - the one that corresponds to the city you are calling from.

Before a new area code is implemented, the public service commission must approve it. A new area code may affect the numbering plan of a city or area. The public service commission will decide how to introduce the new area code, and may order a transition period to educate consumers and inform them of the new area code.

The United States' numbering plan was originally designed to accommodate one provider. Number allocations in the original plan were in blocks of 10,000 numbers. However, as competition increased, the numbering plan began to run out of available blocks. Many service providers failed and left unused numbers. Consequently, the numbering plan was forced to be revised.

The purpose of area codes is to connect callers. The area code is a 3-digit prefix that narrows down the location of a phone number. It is also followed by a four-digit line number. This last digit helps identify the phone. If you're calling from outside the country, you must include an exit code. Typically, this exit code is 011.

Since there are more telephones than people in the United States, each phone needs a separate area code. This has prompted some areas to implement a second local area code to handle local calls.