Learn About the New Mexico Area Code Directory

The telephone numbers in the United States comprises 10 digits; the first three digits of which represent the area code of a particular area, followed by the prefix and the last four digits represent the particular phone number. Every part of a telephone number is very important particularly the first three digits of the telephone number that represent the area code. This is because the area code helps to pinpoint the particular geographic region to which the area code belongs such as the state as well as the county or the town or even the city. According to the recent reports at present there are around 215 area codes in operation in the country.

The area codes are regulated and maintained by the Federal Communications Commissions. Under the supervision of the Federal Communications Commission, the federal as well as the state regulators play an active role in the management of the area codes. For matters pertaining to the administration of the telephone numbers, the Federal Communications Commission receives proposals from the North American Numbering Council. The North American Council or the NANC is an advisory division that is made up of consumer advocates, participants from the various industries as well as the state regulators.

The North American Numbering Plan has assigned the area codes 505 and 575 for the state of New Mexico. While the area code 505 at present caters to the northwestern part of the State of New Mexico including Albuquerque and Santa Fe, the area code 575 serves the remaining area of the state.

Area Code 505

The 505 area code is among one of the original area codes that was assigned to the state of New Mexico by the North American Numbering Plan Administration or NANPA. The 505 area code was created in October, 1947. Initially this area code served the entire state of New Mexico but in October 7, 2007 the area code 505 was split to establish a new area code of 575.  At the moment the 505 area code covers the central as well as the northwestern regions of the New Mexico State, including Santa Fe, Farmington and Albuquerque.

The area code 505 was split in 2007 in order to accommodate the increasing need for the new telephone numbers. As a result the remainder of the state of New Mexico excluding the ones that fall under the central and the northwestern regions, switched over to the new area code of 575.

But the decision of implementing the split and the establishment of the new area code was a contentious one. The need for the creation of a new area code for the state was quite clear from 2000 itself. But the decision of the Public Regulation Commission of the state of New Mexico to allot Santa Fe and Albuquerque to the new area code of 575 while retaining  Gallup and Farmington in the old area code of 505 was met with severe reservations. This included strong vocal opposition as well as death threats. As a result the decision to establish the new area code of 575 was put on hold until the year 2006 to put an end to the conflicts and heightened tensions that emerged between the rural and the urban areas of the state.

By a popular vote of the Public Regulation Commission of the New Mexico State, in 2006 Albuquerque and its adjoining metropolitan area was retained under the old area code of 505.

At present the area code 505 serves 37 counties, 307 cities and has a total of 756 telephone exchanges under it starting with the telephone exchange 200 and ending with the telephone exchange 999. The 505 area code caters to a population of about 1,813,338.

The 37 counties that fall under this area code are: Apache, Catron, Bernalillo, Chaves, Colfax, Cibola, Curry, Dona Ana, De Baca, Eddy, Greenlee, Grant, Guadalupe, Hidalgo, Harding, Lea, Hudspeth, Lincoln, Luna, Los Alamos, Maricopa, Mora, Mc Kinley, Quay, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, Roosevelt, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Sierra, Taos, Socorro, Torrance, Valencia and Union.

Some of the important cities covered by this area code are: Abiquiu, Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Algodones, Alto, Alcalde, Amistad, Angel Fire, Anthony, Animas, Anton Chico, Arenas Valley, Aragon, Arrey, Arroyo Seco, Arroyo Hondo, Aztec, Artesia, Bayard, Bard, Bent, Belen, Blanco, Bernalillo, Bloomfield, Bosque, Bluewater, Bosque Farms, Broadview, Brimhall, Buena Vista, Buckhorn, Canjilon, Caballo, Canones, Cannon AFB and many more.

Area Code 575

This area code was established in October 7, 2007 when the original area code of 505 was split to meet the growing needs for new telephone numbers. At present it covers the rest of the New Mexico State outside of Gallup, Farmington, Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

This area code serves 97 cities and has 334 telephone exchanges beginning with the telephone exchange 200 and ending with the telephone exchange 997.