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Area codes 301, 240, and 227

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<imagemap> image:Area code 301.png|right|300px|thumb|alt=area codes 240 and 301|Maryland consists of the red and blue areas. The red area indicates area codes 240 and 301. This map is clickable; click on any neighboring area code to go to the page for that code. poly 336 37 323 30 310 13 305 -2 337 2 Area code 215 poly 339 121 325 118 296 86 296 73 307 56 319 51 328 48 327 42 337 34 Area code 856 poly 248 1 257 11 265 35 253 43 264 50 258 64 278 67 286 56 294 54 305 58 328 47 324 41 335 35 322 30 304 -2 Area code 484 poly 85 65 88 53 101 43 109 48 111 33 100 12 94 4 100 -1 245 -1 258 12 266 35 250 43 263 50 256 66 Area code 717 poly 36 1 43 9 38 19 37 29 17 44 14 67 84 66 87 53 101 44 106 48 111 35 96 5 96 -1 Area code 814 poly 2 2 0 65 16 68 18 43 39 30 40 17 45 10 35 2 Area code 724 poly 181 143 184 134 195 144 186 156 184 147 182 142 Area code 202 poly 168 182 169 171 177 170 176 165 184 162 184 152 179 139 168 135 171 131 148 123 141 129 148 166 Area code 571 poly 327 230 290 235 282 236 283 246 317 243 Area code 757 poly 336 153 335 186 288 188 277 69 286 56 294 55 303 57 298 76 299 88 316 129 Area code 302 poly 337 190 327 226 278 242 235 193 219 187 214 168 211 157 211 135 205 121 201 116 198 109 200 105 173 94 175 86 167 66 275 67 288 188 Area codes 410, 443, and 667 poly 0 68 -1 184 16 191 22 186 38 151 51 159 85 118 88 103 87 90 125 121 133 106 135 97 129 92 128 87 122 84 126 81 126 75 116 77 104 68 98 69 93 75 86 73 81 77 79 84 69 84 61 81 59 76 59 73 54 74 43 93 37 88 32 87 31 94 4 117 5 67 Area code 304/681 poly 247 250 249 239 221 220 214 212 200 213 189 199 184 211 169 211 142 226 121 223 106 243 113 248 Area code 804 poly 48 250 34 235 60 212 84 208 79 192 77 189 93 172 106 185 122 223 106 243 107 247 Area code 434

poly 1 248 1 184 15 193 22 187 39 151 49 159 58 142 62 147 67 137 69 140 84 118 88 102 87 90 126 123 135 105 138 107 144 105 149 110 153 112 154 114 147 120 149 123 142 131 148 168 167 182 164 189 169 199 179 199 185

History

The main area code, 301, was one of the original area codes established in 1947, and originally covered the entire state of Maryland. This was despite the fact that, then as now, the bulk of the state's population is split between two very large metropolitan areas–Baltimore and the Washington suburbs. From 1947 to 1990, it was possible for telephone users on the Maryland side of the Washington metropolitan area to dial any number in the region with only seven digits. Although the metro area was split between three area codes–the district's 202, Northern Virginia's 703, and Maryland's 301–it was a single local calling area. Every number on the Maryland and Virginia sides of the metro was given a "hidden" number in the District's 202, essentially using 202 for the entire metro. One consequence of this was that no central office codes could be duplicated in the D.C. area. For instance, if 202-574 was in use in the District or 703-574 was being used in Northern Virginia, the corresponding 301-574 exchange in Maryland could only be used in areas at a safe distance from the Washington metro area, such as the Eastern Shore.

By the end of the 1980s, the Washington metropolitan area was running out of prefixes. In order to free more available numbers, the suburban use of 202 was ended on October 1, 1990. As of that date, local calls from Maryland to either the District of Columbia or Virginia were required to include the area code when dialing. Local calls to Maryland from either the District of Columbia or Virginia also needed to include the area code while dialing. Local calls within Maryland did not require dialing the area code.[1]

Despite the presence of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area, 301 remained the exclusive area code for Maryland for 44 years, making Maryland one of the largest states with a single area code. By the end of the 1980s, it was apparent that breaking seven-digit dialing in the Washington area would not free up enough numbers to stave off the immediate need for a new area code. The number shortage was magnified by the fact that most of the Washington metro is a single LATA, meaning that many numbers in the District and Northern Virginia were unavailable for use.

Baltimore and the Eastern Shore were split off as area code 410 on October 6, 1991. The split largely followed metro area lines. However, part of Howard County, which is reckoned as part of the Baltimore area, stayed in 301 while the rest shifted to 410.[2] Normally, when an area code is split, the largest city in the old numbering plan area retains the existing area code—in this case, Baltimore. However, it was decided to let the Washington suburbs keep 301. Not only do the Washington suburbs have the bulk of the state's population,but Bell Atlantic (now Verizon) wanted to spare the large number of federal agencies on the Maryland side of the metro the expense and burden of having to change their numbers.

This was intended as a long-term solution, but within four years 301 was close to exhaustion due to the proliferation of cell phones and pagers, especially in the Washington suburbs. To solve this problem, area code 240 was introduced on June 1, 1997, as the state's first overlay area code.[3] Overlays were a new concept at the time, and met with some resistance due to the requirement for ten-digit dialing. For this reason, conventional wisdom would have suggested a split in which the Washington suburbs would have kept 301 while Frederick and points west would have shifted to 240. However, Bell Atlantic wanted to spare residents, particularly in the more rural western portion, the burden of having to change their numbers.

Area code 227 is scheduled to be overlaid on 301/240 some time in the longer term to provide additional assignable numbers, although the current area codes are not expected to exhaust before 2024.

Geography

Counties served by these area codes include:

Local calls require 10-digit dialing (area code + number, leading "1" is not required).

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Four counties were split between area code 301 and 410.
    • Anne Arundel County was assigned area code 410, except Laurel exchanges 210, 317, 490, 497, 498, 596, 604, 725, and 778 and Marlboro exchange 952 remained area code 301.
    • Carroll County was assigned area code 410, except Mount Airy exchange 829 remained area code 301.
    • Howard County was assigned area code 410, except Mount Airy exchange 829 and Laurel exchanges 210, 317, 490, 497, 598, 604, 725, and 776 remained area code 301.
    • Frederick County remained area code 301, except Union Bridge exchange 775 and New Windsor exchange 635 was assigned 410.[4]

References

  1. ^ Jordan, Mary; Quimpo, Margie G. (September 23, 1990). "Territorial Telephones; On Oct. 1, Local Calls Will Get Complicated". The Washington Post. p. 1.
  2. ^ "Bellcore Letter IL-90/12-049" (PDF). North American Numbering Plan Administration. Neustar. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  3. ^ "Bellcore Letter IL 96/06-009" (PDF). North American Numbering Plan Administration. Neustar. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  4. ^ "New area code for eastern Maryland". The Baltimore Sun. November 1, 1991. p. 1A.
Maryland area codes: 301/240/227, 410/443/667
North: 223/717, 412/724/878, 814
West: 202, 304/681, 540, 571/703 area codes 240/301 East: 410/443/667
South: 804, 304/681
District of Columbia area codes: 202/771
Pennsylvania area codes: 215/267/445, 412, 570/272, 610/484/835, 717/223, 724, 814/582, 878
Virginia area codes: 276, 434, 540/826, 703/571, 757/948, 804/686
West Virginia area codes: 304/681
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