03/05/2022
Happy 305 day!
The area code system was developed by AT&T and Bell Laboratories in the 1940's, and went into effect in 1947. It was called the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) and included the United States and Canada .
The 305 area code currently associated with Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys was one of the original 86 area codes created in 1947. It initially covered the entire state. Miami-Dade County's second 786 area code was introduced as an overlay in 1998.
How were the original area codes distributed?
In 1947, states and provinces that had a single area code we assigned three digit codes with 0 as the middle number, such as 203 for Connecticut and 305 for Florida . There were 86 area codes at that time.
States and provinces that had more than one area code distributed to them were given three digit codes with 1 as the middle number, such as 916 and 213 for various sections of California , and 212 and 518 for various sections of New York.
The first and third digits were allotted according to population density in the city or region the area code was going to, with the most populated areas getting the lowest numbers. The New York City area, for example, was assigned 212, while the surrounding suburbs were assigned 914.
The rationale for this “low number/high population” scheme was based on the fact that phones had rotary dials in those days. Lower numbers resulted in shorter “dial pulls” so it was reasoned that the regions with the most people in them should require the least “work” to call.
And now Meet 645, the new area code that will soon be used in Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys. Don't panic. You're not losing your 305 swagger. If you already have a 305 or 786 area code, you can keep it
"As Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys continue to attract new residents from all across our country and around the world, the new 645 area code will ensure that the demand for new lines is met," commission Chairman Andrew Fay said in a prepared statement.
