Every big city, small town or village has its own area code. Why every location is assigned a certain code? It’s necessary for recognition of the place, as well as the possibility to get in touch with people who dwell there. The history of area codes hits back to 1940. The population of the United States of America began to grow rapidly. Therefore, the system of assigning specific codes was a logical way to mark various parts of the country. At first, people used phones rotary dials and so, the US government used 7-digit numbers. They were used for accurate connection with different parts of the country. Within time, it turned to be time-consuming and not really practical. A new practical solution was required and it was invented. The US locations were assigned specific area codes. It took place in 1947. However, it’s not the only reason.
People in the USA mark different cities, towns, and villages to determine the number of citizens. Lower numbers are assigned to big cities with a big population. Higher numbers are assigned to locations with not so many citizens and territories.
Many folks ask about the overlapping in some locations and it may be spotted several times. At first glance, it seems to be quite random and non-logical. To understand this issue, we should return back to 1940. The US government wanted to create a strong, mobile, and logical system of communication. Therefore, they used concrete numbers for concrete locations. Everything seemed fine at the moment. However, the development of the country and the growth of the population strongly affected this idea.
For example, 347 area code is the area code for New York. Its parent code is 718. Besides, it overlaps with such codes as 718, 917, and 929. Moreover, New York has many more codes. Those codes are quite different and far away from one another. The lowest is 212 and the highest is 934. Why did it happen? This big city began to grow in numbers of its citizens. New territories appeared and it was necessary to mark them as well because the new territories were occupied by more people.
As a result, the numbers that already existed were complemented with the new ones. As we take a look at the map, we can see a lot of assigned numbers to a single city. However, we know that the others are assigned to the territories that joined the city after 1940. Therefore, this randomness is not messy and non-logical anymore, is it?
Now, let’s see what an area code can tell us:
- Shows the accurate location of an inhabited city, town or village;
- Indicates the carrier;
- Specifies the type of connection (it can be wireless or landline);
- Sometimes, it indicates the date of the assignment.
There is nothing complicated about finding the required location. Simply specify the city and the area. Using the Internet, you’ll instantly find the area code. This is how it works and how to find your location.
