Section
Area Codes
Where an area code comes from, which state or metro it covers, and the split-and-overlay history behind it -- not just which city it's in.
Every Texas Area Code, and the Overlay Stack Behind Each Metro
Texas has 29 area codes today. Dallas alone accounts for four of them stacked on top of each other -- here's the full list, plus which codes overlay which in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Fort Worth.
Every California Area Code, and the Family Tree Behind Los Angeles's Six
California has 41 area codes today, more than any other state -- and Los Angeles alone traces back through six generations of splits and overlays to a single 1947 code, 213.
How US Area Codes Actually Work
A US phone number has three parts, not one. Here is what each part actually identifies, why New York got 212 specifically, and the real difference between a "split" and an "overlay."
Is There Really Such a Thing as a 'Scam Area Code'?
Short answer: mostly no. Scammers fake your own area code to get you to answer (a tactic the FCC calls "neighbor spoofing"). There is one real exception -- six actual NANP area codes tied to a well-documented "one ring" callback scam.