# Will area codes ever lose correlation to geographic areas (U.S. phone numbers)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 31, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166 "2010-08-31T18:21:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/1 "2010-08-31T18:21:16Z")
Is it still important for an area code to be tied to a geographic area? Now that so many areas require 10-digit dialing I would think the next logical step is to require all areas to have 10-digit dialing, and go to phone numbers where the area code is not longer indicative of a geographic area. It seems that would add enormous flexibility. I suppose it would wreak havoc with the business processes of the phone companies, but it seems like such an archaic system. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/2 "2010-08-31T18:26:20Z")
You can look at the website [LincMad (dot) Com](http://www.lincmad.com/) he gives examples how the USA and other countries in the North American Numbering Plan (NAMP) could switch over to 8 digit telephone numbers (or more). I think in some small ways this is already happening. I mean most bigger business have toll free numbers and 888, 866, 800 and 877 are not geographic specific ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/3 "2010-08-31T18:28:41Z")
I think so. I moved here in 2003 and never changed my phone number from back east. For the first couple years, I would see people’s faces contort, toes curl, and blood boil when I told them my phone number. Some people would refuse to believe I lived here. Most people would assume I was telling them the exchange when I told them the area code. A lot of older people just could not comprehend the situation at all, despite all attempts at explanation. Some businesses wouldn’t deal with me because I didn’t have a local phone number. Now people don’t blink an eye. Half the people I know have out of state area codes now. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/4 "2010-08-31T23:05:29Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I think so. I moved here in 2003 and never changed my phone number from back east. For the first couple years, I would see people’s faces contort, toes curl, and blood boil when I told them my phone number. Some people would refuse to believe I lived here. Most people would assume I was telling them the exchange when I told them the area code. A lot of older people just could not comprehend the situation at all, despite all attempts at explanation. Some businesses wouldn’t deal with me because I didn’t have a local phone number. > > Now people don’t blink an eye. Half the people I know have out of state area codes now. Is that for a landline? Even with cell phones, the carriers usually don’t let you do that (according to posters in another thread here about cell phone number portability). ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/5 "2010-08-31T23:23:00Z")
You don’t have to change cell phone numbers no matter where you move in the US. You also can keep your number if you move to another carrier. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/6 "2010-08-31T23:36:42Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Is that for a landline? Even with cell phones, the carriers usually don’t let you do that (according to posters in another thread here about cell phone number portability). It’s a cell phone. Why would the carrier give a crap? I’ve been on the same Sprint family plan since the mid-90s and we’ve all moved a million times, often living in different states, and they’ve never given us an ounce of grief over it. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/7 "2010-08-31T23:40:47Z")
I can often tell where someone used to live by the area code on their cell phone. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/8 "2010-08-31T23:47:19Z")
When I was in college, you treated everyones number as a 10 digit number. Everyone had unlimited long distance and they were from all over the country. After college I moved to Alaska and I’m still sporting the 509 from eastern washington, and thats been 5 years. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/9 "2010-09-01T00:04:02Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I can often tell where someone used to live by the area code on their cell phone. Or the town nearest to where they used to live. [All this has had a social consequence as well.](http://ascii.textfiles.com/archives/1365) ---
**Author:** ![Ruminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Ruminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruminator)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/10 "2010-09-01T00:14:59Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > > [@CookingWithGas](#): > > > > Is that for a landline? Even with cell phones, the carriers usually don’t let you do that (according to posters in another thread here about cell phone number portability). > > It’s a cell phone. Why would the carrier give a crap? I’ve been on the same Sprint family plan since the mid-90s and we’ve all moved a million times, often living in different states, and they’ve never given us an ounce of grief over it. I can’t speak for **CookingWithGas** but I think the issue around “cell number portability” is switching carriers in different geographic regions and trying to keep the same phone number while doing so. For example, you have a cell phone on Nextel in New York area code 212 and later move to Los Angeles area code 213. You want to switch to AT&T to get the iPhone and you think you can keep your exact 212 phone number but the AT&T store in Los Angeles can’t do that for you; you have to get a new 213 based phone number. I’ve never run into this exact situation myself so don’t know if it’s real problem or limited to certain combination of factors. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/11 "2010-09-01T00:27:42Z")
You can move your home landline # to your cell phone which happens a good bit when people give up their landline. More rare but still allowed is moving a cell # to a landline. Cell companies fought tooth and nail against moving your number because many people would not move companies if it meant they lost their number. They claimed they owned your phone number but they eventually lost that argument. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/12 "2010-09-01T02:21:59Z")
I grew up thinking that I could recognize where a call was coming from based on the area code. Of course, it no longer means anything really. This causes a bit of a problem; I volunteer at a local non-profit running the front desk. I get many phone calls requesting local information. If the (ouf of area area code) call happens to go to voice mail I am unable to return the call because the front desk is not allowed to call long distance numbers. Bob ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-area-codes-ever-lose-correlation-to-geographic-areas-u-s-phone-numbers/552166/13 "2010-09-01T02:26:43Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > You don’t have to change cell phone numbers no matter where you move in the US. You also can keep your number if you move to another carrier. Seems to be varying experience with this. See [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=571776), especially post #2.