Area Code Directory Information

Area codes are assigned to specific cities or areas within a state (or country) in order to distinguish local numbers that are identical but belong to different people or businesses. For example, the local number 123-4567 may belong to someone in both New York and California, so the 3-digit area code is necessary to distinguish which person you are going to call. In the U.S., if you are calling a different area code you must dial it in addition to the local number; this is considered a long-distance phone call. Depending upon the carrier and whether you're calling from a cellular or land phone, you may also need to dial a 1 prior to the area code.

Finding the Correct Area Code

Most often, phone directories and phone books will provide the area code in addition to the local numbers of people or businesses you wish to call. However, if you have no idea what the area code is, you can use an area code directory. An area code directory provides you with the codes found in a specific city or part of a state to help determine what the area code may be for that particular number. Of course, you may also use an online phone directory to find the complete number.

Information in an Area Code Directory

An area code directory will often provide every area code found within a particular state, as well as the boundaries of each code. Some directories will provide this with names of the covered and included cities, and others will do so with a visual map of the area.

You may also find the region that the area code belongs to, as well as the time zone. This will help you when making the call so you know whether you are calling during business hours.

Area code directories can also help you determine where a call is coming from. If you are receiving calls from a number you don't recognize and your caller ID shows an area code you aren't familiar with, you can use a directory to determine the specific locale it belongs to.

History of the Area Code

In the 1940's, AT&T and Bell Laboratories initiated the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in the U.S. and Canada. The plan started with only 86 area codes, and they were three digits long. States with only one area code were given numbers with 0 as the middle digit, and those with more than one were given codes with a 1 in the middle. In addition, the population of an area determined the remaining digits. More residents in a city meant the area code digits were lower, and vice versa.

Even today, if you are placing a call to a location covered by the NANP, you must know the area code prior to dialing. You can always use an area code directory to ensure you have the correct code, or discover which region and area you have been receiving calls from.

State-Specific Area Code Directories:

Alabama Area Code Directory

Alaska Area Code Directory

Arkansas Area Code Directory

California Area Code Directory

Colorado Area Code Directory

Connecticut Area Code Directory

Delaware Area Code Directory

Florida Area Code Directory

Georgia Area Code Directory

Hawaii Area Code Directory

Idaho Area Code Directory

Illinois Area Code Directory

Indiana Area Code Directory

Iowa Area Code Directory

Kansas Area Code Directory

Kentucky Area Code Directory

Louisiana Area Code Directory

Maine Area Code Directory

Maryland Area Code Directory

Massachusetts Area Code Directory

Michigan Area Code Directory

Minnesota Area Code Directory

Mississippi Area Code Directory

Missouri Area Code Directory

Montana Area Code Directory

Nebraska Area Code Directory

Nevada Area Code Directory

New Hampshire Area Code Directory

New Jersey Area Code Directory

New Mexico Area Code Directory

New York Area Code Directory

North Carolina Area Code Directory

North Dakota Area Code Directory

Ohio Area Code Directory

Oklahoma Area Code Directory

Oregon Area Code Directory

Pennsylvania Area Code Directory

Rhode Island Area Code Directory

South Carolina Area Code Directory

Tennessee Area Code Directory

Texas Area Code Directory

Utah Area Code Directory

Vermont Area Code Directory

Virginia Area Code Directory

Washington Area Code Directory

West Virginia Area Code Directory

Wisconsin Area Code Directory

Wyoming Area Code Directory