Evolution of North American Area Codes, 1947 to 2021

The following chart shows the original 86 area codes, plus the regions that were added later, and the area codes now used in those regions. Many of the new area codes were created by simple geographic splits, but in several cases the existing boundary was realigned and/or a new area code was created from portions of two old area codes. However, area code splits have entirely given way to overlays: the last split in the United States was in 2007, and the last split in Canada was in 1999. Overlay codes are shown in red. Updated 2021-03-17.

(Also check the cumulative listing of area code splits from 1995 to 2007)

¶ The tiny town of Hyder, Alaska, receives telephone service from neighboring Stewart, B.C., Canada, and therefore uses area code 250. Calls to Hyder — whether originating in the US, Canada, or elsewhere — will be billed as calls to British Columbia, Canada. The other 99.99% of Alaska is in area code 907.

§ Area code 321 in Florida is both an overlay on area code 407 (Orlando) and a separate standalone area code for the “Space Coast” area. Area code 689 overlays only the Orlando area, but 689 or a future area code may overlay the coastal area at some point.

Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Diego all had area code splits that were later converted to overlays. The original split codes (770, 972, and 281, 323, and 858 respectively) are indicated as overlays in the chart above.

Some sources suggest that a small part of what is now the 518 & 838 area code in far upstate New York, started out in area code 315.

Last updated 2021-03-17. LincMad.com received over a million visits from 1997 until the counter broke.