Area code 201
Encyclopedia
201 is the North American
telephone
area code
for the state
of New Jersey
covering most of Bergen County, as well as parts of Essex
, Hudson and Passaic
. It is overlaid
with area code 551.
The 201 area code was the first area code to be assigned in the United States
, as part of the North American Numbering Plan
. While it was part of the original set of area codes assigned to the U.S. in 1947, this area code was not placed into service until 1951. In that year, the first direct-dialed long distance call
was made from Englewood, New Jersey
to Alameda, California
. Until 1958, it was the only area code serving New Jersey; that year, the state split the area code, with the southern portion of the state becoming area code 609
.
After the split in 1958, area code 201 served the northern counties in the state: Essex
, Bergen
, Hudson
, Union
, Morris
, Passaic
, Hunterdon
, Somerset
, Middlesex
, Monmouth
, Sussex
and Warren
counties. New Jersey's southern counties, including the southern Jersey Shore
, as well as the Philadelphia
and Wilmington, Delaware
suburbs (in New Jersey) were served by 609.
As the central region of New Jersey grew during the 1980s, the northeastern section of the state lost sizeable chunks of its population due to the decline of its major cities, including Newark
, Paterson
, Clifton
, and Elizabeth
. On June 8, 1991, area code 908
split off from 201; it primarily serves the North/Central regions of the state.
The northernmost counties continued to use 201, while the southern half of the state kept 609, which is the area code of Trenton
, the state's capital.
During the mid-1990s, businesses began to flourish once again in North Jersey
, while cell phones and internet
dial-up connections proliferated. In response to the pressure for the addition of more telephone numbers, New Jersey added more area codes, going from three to six. As of June 1, 1997, Essex and Passaic counties, home to Newark
and Paterson
respectively (the state's first and third-most populous cities), as well as the more rural northwestern counties of New Jersey, Morris and Sussex, were broken away from area code 201, forming the new area code, 973
. Hudson County and Bergen County, the state's two northeastern counties (as well as being two of the state's most densely populated counties) and the closest two counties to New York City
, became the last remaining counties in the state to be served by area code 201.
As Hudson and Bergen Counties developed further, and even more telephone numbers were demanded, it was debated whether 201 should split again, or if an overlay area code should be added instead. The latter option was chosen, to avoid the costs and frustration associated with splitting an area code. However, with the implementation of the overlay area code on December 1, 2001, 10-digit dialing
became mandatory. Area code 551 was created in 2001, along with area codes 862 and 848 which overlay area codes 973
and 732
respectively.
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
area code
Telephone numbering plan
A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunications to allocate telephone numbers to subscribers and to route telephone calls in a telephone network. A closed numbering plan, such as found in North America, imposes a fixed total length to numbers...
for the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
covering most of Bergen County, as well as parts of Essex
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
, Hudson and Passaic
Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...
. It is overlaid
Overlay plan
In telephony, especially in North America, an overlay plan is the practice of introducing a new area code by applying it onto a geographic area that is already occupied by one or more existing area codes, resulting in two area codes serving the same area.- Methodology :Prior to the introduction of...
with area code 551.
The 201 area code was the first area code to be assigned in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as part of the North American Numbering Plan
North American Numbering Plan
The North American Numbering Plan is an integrated telephone numbering plan administered by Neustar which encompasses 24 countries and territories, including the United States and its territories, Canada, Bermuda, and 16 nations of the Caribbean...
. While it was part of the original set of area codes assigned to the U.S. in 1947, this area code was not placed into service until 1951. In that year, the first direct-dialed long distance call
Direct distance dialing
Direct distance dialing or direct dial is a telecommunications term for a network-provided service feature in which a call originator may, without operator assistance, call any other user outside the local calling area. DDD requires more digits in the number dialed than are required for calling...
was made from Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147.Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of...
to Alameda, California
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
. Until 1958, it was the only area code serving New Jersey; that year, the state split the area code, with the southern portion of the state becoming area code 609
Area code 609
Area code 609, is located in southeastern and central New Jersey. The telephone code includes the cities of Trenton, Princeton, and Atlantic City....
.
After the split in 1958, area code 201 served the northern counties in the state: Essex
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
, Bergen
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
, Hudson
Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...
, Union
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
, Morris
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, Passaic
Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...
, Hunterdon
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington....
, Somerset
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....
, Middlesex
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
, Monmouth
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
, Sussex
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
and Warren
Warren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere...
counties. New Jersey's southern counties, including the southern Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
, as well as the Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
suburbs (in New Jersey) were served by 609.
As the central region of New Jersey grew during the 1980s, the northeastern section of the state lost sizeable chunks of its population due to the decline of its major cities, including Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, Clifton
Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136. The 2010 population represented an increase of 5,464 residents from its population of 78,672 in the 2000 Census, making it the state's 11th largest...
, and Elizabeth
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
. On June 8, 1991, area code 908
Area code 908
Area code 908 is an area code in northern New Jersey. The area code covers the North/Central portions of the state. It includes communities in Union County, Somerset County, northern parts of Middlesex County, Hunterdon County, Warren County, and Morris County as well as some cell phones in...
split off from 201; it primarily serves the North/Central regions of the state.
The northernmost counties continued to use 201, while the southern half of the state kept 609, which is the area code of Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, the state's capital.
During the mid-1990s, businesses began to flourish once again in North Jersey
North Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...
, while cell phones and internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
dial-up connections proliferated. In response to the pressure for the addition of more telephone numbers, New Jersey added more area codes, going from three to six. As of June 1, 1997, Essex and Passaic counties, home to Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
respectively (the state's first and third-most populous cities), as well as the more rural northwestern counties of New Jersey, Morris and Sussex, were broken away from area code 201, forming the new area code, 973
Area code 973
Area code 973 is a North American Numbering Plan area code for Northern New Jersey that covers portions of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Union Counties. It was formed as of June 1, 1997 when Area code 201 was split. In 2001, the 862 area code was created to overlay the 973...
. Hudson County and Bergen County, the state's two northeastern counties (as well as being two of the state's most densely populated counties) and the closest two counties to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, became the last remaining counties in the state to be served by area code 201.
As Hudson and Bergen Counties developed further, and even more telephone numbers were demanded, it was debated whether 201 should split again, or if an overlay area code should be added instead. The latter option was chosen, to avoid the costs and frustration associated with splitting an area code. However, with the implementation of the overlay area code on December 1, 2001, 10-digit dialing
10-digit dialing
In the United States and Canada, 10-digit dialing is a popular term used to refer to the practice of including the area code of a phone number when dialing...
became mandatory. Area code 551 was created in 2001, along with area codes 862 and 848 which overlay area codes 973
Area code 973
Area code 973 is a North American Numbering Plan area code for Northern New Jersey that covers portions of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Union Counties. It was formed as of June 1, 1997 when Area code 201 was split. In 2001, the 862 area code was created to overlay the 973...
and 732
Area code 732
Area code 732 was created on June 1, 1997, as the result of a split in New Jersey area code 908, and became mandatory on December 6 of that year. The area code mostly covers the Jersey Shore region of New Jersey, with a small area of North Jersey covered...
respectively.
See also
- List of NANP area codes
- North American Numbering PlanNorth American Numbering PlanThe North American Numbering Plan is an integrated telephone numbering plan administered by Neustar which encompasses 24 countries and territories, including the United States and its territories, Canada, Bermuda, and 16 nations of the Caribbean...
- Original area codes