Area code 206
206 is the North American telephone area code in the Seattle metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Washington. Area code 206 also serves Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, the islands of Mercer, Bainbridge, and Vashon, and portions of metropolitan Seattle from Des Moines to Woodway.
This area code is one of the few urbanized area codes without an overlay, meaning Seattle is one of the few major cities where seven-digit dialing is still possible. Despite the Seattle area's rapid expansion, it will likely remain as such until at least 2025.[1] Area code 564 has been reserved as an overlay for the entire western half of the state at some point after 2017. There are conflicting reports as to whether ten-digit dialing will become mandatory in Seattle and the surrounding area when area code 564 is implemented.
History
Area code 206 was one of the original area codes created in 1947; it originally covered the entire state of Washington. On January 1, 1957, area code 509 was created for the eastern two-thirds of the state in a flash-cut, with the split roughly following the Cascades. On January 15, 1995, most of the old 206 territory outside of the Seattle-Tacoma area split off to form area code 360 (one of the first two area codes not of N0X/N1X form).
Numerous residents in the Seattle exurbs complained about no longer being associated with 206, leading US West (now part of CenturyLink) to put them back shortly after the split. However, 206 was already close to exhaustion even after the 1995 split due to the proliferation of cell phones and pagers. This hastened a three-way split of the 206 territory that took effect on April 25, 1997. The southern portion, including Tacoma, became 253, while the northern portion became 425.
Culture
The area code is often used as a cultural marker that signifies Seattle (the city as well as the Puget Sound region as a whole).
References
See also
| Washington area codes: 206, 253, 360, 425, 509 | ||
|---|---|---|
| North: 360, 425 | ||
| West: 360 | Area Code 206 | East: 425 |
| South: 253 | ||
Coordinates: 47°37′9.37″N 122°20′28.38″W / 47.6192694°N 122.3412167°W