I am irrationally fascinated by area codes as a geography. I’ve been obsessed with them for a long time. Indeed, I would look in the front of the phone book every year when it arrived to see if there were new area codes, generally by splitting an existing code. (But then, who didn’t read the front pages of phone books?)
I wrote in 2009: “When I was a kid, I could tell you just what a legitimate area code looked like. The first digit was 2 to 9 (but not 1), and the next two were 01 to 09 or 12 to 19.” This was primarily dictated by some technological limitations I had read about, but My Eyes Glazed Over. This problem was resolved, obviously.
When I worked for the New York State Small Business Development Center, and our Research Network was providing library services for all SBDCs nationwide, I remember getting a call from Cleveland, TN. The area code was 423. 423? It must have been 1995 or later when it was created from a split of area code 615.
I attended college in New Paltz, NY, in the 1970s, with area code 914. Area code 845 was created in 2000, and everything except Westchester County changed to that. It was a pain for businesses in the 845, who had to change their business cards, signage, etc.
American Idol
Oh, a Final JEOPARDY from 10/21/2025! “When area codes were introduced, three very populous areas got the ones quickest to dial: these 3 codes”—correct responses at the end.
Back in 2002/2003, my wife and I were watching the second season of American Idol. The eventual winner, Ruben Studdard, was noted for his shirts printed with ‘205,’ the telephone area code of his hometown of Birmingham, AL. We didn’t know then about Area Codes and Their Impact on Hip-Hop Culture.
With the increase in the number of cellphones, a person’s phone number was no longer where they were in the moment but rather where they grew up. (I noticed this in my last job with people with 203 and 480 area codes from their family plans.)
More parts of a state have area code overlays. Yes, one has to dial ten digits instead of seven, but with cell phones, most people don’t have to dial anything; they just punch in the name. (I remember my friends’ phone numbers from growing up, but not my daughter’s cellphone today.)
Because of more phones, the old-school codes have a specific cache. Houston, after all, is the 713, not the 832 or the 346.
The 212 is a bit murky. The New York Times site is “revisiting New York institutions that have helped define the city, from time-honored restaurants to unsung dives,” that is, the whole city. But Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island were split into 718 so long ago, 1984, that the “newer” area code has its own following.
My town
We live in The 518. When you tell people outside of the Northeast that you live in upstate New York (whatever that means), most of them hear New York City. The 518, while physically vast, is more descriptive.
Moreover, as my daughter observed, if you were from Mechanicsville, a small city in Saratoga County, part of the state’s Capital District, you could define yourself as from The 518, which gives some information but not too much.
She recommended the 1990s group 702, who were, I guessed correctly, from Las Vegas.
Answers from JEOPARDY: What are 212, 213, and 312? I knew these were for New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, respectively, if only because they were the three largest cities. (None of the contestants got it correct.) Eek, I KNEW this.
I had a very specific dream last Saturday night—actually, Sunday morning, after which I woke up about 4:20 a.m. And I know the genesis.
A few years ago, I bought a Jeopardy Alumni T-shirt online. Initially, the shirts didn’t reflect the 1998-1999 season, in which I appeared. Presumably, the demand generated some of the earlier shirts.
REPOST PSA