Every Fax has an area code. Here is a handy reference.


Area Code Map

The History of Area Codes

What is an area code?

In general, area codes are the first three digits of a fax number that correspond with a physical geographic area. In the United States and most of the rest of North America, including the Canadian provinces and most of the Caribbean, a fax number consists of 10 digits. If you are making the call from North America some carriers will automatically add the country code or a “1” in front of the ten digit number, however you may need to add the “1” to your dialing procedure making the total number of digits required to make an outbound fax call eleven. After the country code is the area code. There are currently 320 area codes in the North American Numbering Plan, (NANP) for short. These 320 are codes include overlays.

Area codes by Geographical area

An area code overlay is a three digit area code that covers the same geographical area. An individual area code has up to 8 million possible unique numbers. If you consider the population of larger metropolitan areas like New York City, Los Angeles or Chicago, 8 million possible unique phone or fax numbers does not begin to cover the total number of phone and fax numbers required to serve the population. That’s why an overlay was required to provide enough numbers to make calls and faxes possible. If you’ve lived in New York City for long enough you might be lucky to have a 212 area code attached to your fax number. The 212 area code is highly coveted and provides a level of prestige and legitimacy that presents to the public that your business has been able to withstand the test of time. Currently there are 3 additional overlays in Manhattan, 917, 332 and 646. This provides a total of 32 million possible phone and fax numbers. Area code 212 was one of the original 86 area codes created by AT&T in 1947. In 1992 it was determined that Manhattan and the rest of New York City needed more possible numbers so an overlay of area code 917 was added to the possible available numbers. Area code 917 was used primarily for mobile numbers, but by 1999 an additional overlay was needed so area code 646 was added for an additional 8 million possible phone and fax numbers. As the need for more possible numbers grown in New York and the rest of North American more are code will need to be introduced. Every large city is the US now uses geographical overlays as part of the North American Numbering Plan.

Are Area codes always required?

If you are old enough to remember past 1994 you might remember dialing a number without an area code. Some local areas still allow you to dial a number without an area code to make a local call, but this is rare and dependent on the local exchange carrier. You may even remember the famous Glenn Miller song that immortalized the number for the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City’s midtown. The Pennsylvania 6-5-000. This reflected the day when there was not an area code at all and the call was connected manually by an operator. Another famous song by Jim Croce in the early 1970’s contained the lyric, “Operator, can you help me place this call? See the number on the matchbook is old and faded”. The interesting thing about the number on the matchbook that was old and faded is that it likely did not contain an area code.

Area code and Number Portability

For all of us living in the modern age today area codes are a part of daily life. In cities where the workforce is more transient it’s likely you will meet someone with a mobile number that contains an area code for the city they moved from rather than the city they are currently living in. This happens because of an FCC rule called Local Number Portability. What is local number portability? LNP allows mobile consumers to port their mobile number to a new carrier regardless of the geographic area of the consumer. Wireless Local Number Portability first became available in the 100 most populated US cities in November 2003 and in May 2004 for the rest of the US.

To learn more about area codes and 10 digit dialing you can visit the FCC site here: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/ten-digit-dialing

Alabama Area Codes:

205

251

256

334

659

938

Alaska Area Code:

907

Arizona Area Codes:

480

520

602

623

928

Arkansas Area Codes:

479

501

870

California Area Codes:

209

213

279

310

323

341

408

415

424

442

510

530

559

562

619

626

628

650

657

661

669

707

714

747

760

805

818

820

831

858

909

916

925

949

951

Colorado Area Codes:

303

719

720

970

Connecticut Area Codes:

203

475

860

959

Delaware Area Code:

302

Florida Area Codes:

239

305

321

352

386

407

561

689

727

754

772

786

813

850

863

904

941

954

Georgia Area Codes:

229

404

470

478

678

706

762

770

912

Hawaii Area Code:

808

Idaho Area Codes:

208

986

Illinois Area Codes:

217

224

309

312

331

618

630

708

773

779

815

847

872

Indiana Area Codes:

219

260

317

463

574

765

812

930

Iowa Area Codes:

319

515

563

641

712

Kansas Area Codes:

316

620

785

913

Kentucky Area Codes:

270

364

502

606

859

Louisiana Area Codes:

225

318

337

504

985

Maine Area Code:

207

Maryland Area Codes:

227

240

301

410

443

667

Massachusetts Area Codes:

339

351

413

508

617

774

781

857

978

Michigan Area Codes:

231

248

269

313

517

586

616

734

810

906

947

989

Minnesota Area Codes:

218

320

507

612

651

763

952

Mississippi Area Codes:

228

601

662

769

Missouri Area Codes:

314

417

573

636

660

816

Montana Area Code:

406

Nebraska Area Codes:

308

402

531

Nevada Area Codes:

702

725

775

New Hampshire Area Code:

603

New Jersey Area Codes:

201

551

609

640

732

848

856

862

908

973

New Mexico Area Codes:

505

575

New York Area Codes:

212

315

332

347

516

518

585

607

631

646

680

716

718

838

845

914

917

929

934

North Carolina Area Codes:

252

336

704

743

828

910

919

980

984

North Dakota Area Code:

701

Ohio Area Codes:

216

220

234

283

326

330

380

419

440

513

567

614

740

937

Oklahoma Area Codes:

405

539

572

580

918

Oregon Area Codes:

458

503

541

971

Pennsylvania Area Codes:

215

223

267

272

412

445

484

570

610

717

724

814

878

Rhode Island Area Codes:

401

South Carolina Area Codes:

803

839

843

854

864

South Dakota Area Codes:

605

Tennessee Area Codes:

423

615

629

731

865

901

931

Texas Area Codes:

210

214

254

281

325

346

361

409

430

432

469

512

682

713

726

737

806

817

830

832

903

915

936

940

956

972

979

Utah Area Codes:

385

435

801

Vermont Area Code:

802

Virginia Area Codes:

276

434

540

571

703

757

804

Washington Area Codes:

206

253

360

425

509

564

Washington DC Area Code:

202

West Virginia Area Codes:

304

681

Wisconsin Area Codes:

262

414

534

608

715

920

Wyoming Area Code:

307

American Samoa Area Code:

684

Guam Area Code:

671

Marianas Island Area Code:

670

Puerto Rico Area Codes:

787

939

US Virgin Islands Area Code:

340