Area Code 201
Area code is a significant factor in connecting the inhabitants of a city with another. The concept of dividing the whole country into different area codes was introduced, designed and planned by AT & T and Bell Laboratories. This concept was then called Numbering plan Areas. Later in 1947 it came to be known as Area Codes. Before the massive boom of telecommunication sector that revolutionized the idea of communication, every major city had only one area code. With as population increased, need for more area codes was felt. Gradually more area codes were assigned to the cities.
Area code 201 covers areas the counties of Hudson, Bergen, Essex and Passaic in the state of New Jersey. This is one of the oldest area code that was created with first 18 original area codes that came into being in 1947. Strange enough, this code was implemented not before 1951 when the long distance call was made for the first time. This was a direct-dial call from Eaglewood in New Jersey to Alameda in California. Till 1958, New Jersey had only one area code at play. After the split in 1958, area code 609 came into being and was allotted the southern part of the state.
Post 1958, the areas under the area code 201 included Essex, Bergen, Morris, Somerset, Union, Passaic, Hudson, Middlesex, Sussex, Warren and Monmouth. With time, the central part of New Jersey kept growing. However, the decade of 1980 saw a massive downfall in population as the prime cities of the state like Newark, Elizabeth, Clifton etc declined. Yet, on June 8th of 1991, area code 201 saw another split when area code 908 was created for North and Central part of the state. Area code 201 continued to cover the northern counties of New Jersey.
The decade of 1990 saw a steep rise in the living condition in this zone as the state was flourishing once again. The cellular and dial-up Internet services were introduced and almost immediately became popular. People started applying for extra phone connections. To meet this bulk requirement, more area codes were introduced. By June of 1997, New Jersey had acquired six area codes. Essex, Passaic, Morris and Sussex were withdrawn from 201 and allotted a new area code of 973. Only two counties that remained under the area code 201 are Hudson and Bergen, the two counties of densest population in New Jersey.
Hudson and Bergen counties are the closest one to New York City. Naturally, counties developed even further. With that, increased the demand of yet more telephone numbers. So much so that another split of 201 was demanded. However, the concerning authorities settled with introducing overlay area code which was cost effective and convenient for them. On December 01 of 2001, this new area code came into practice. Along with that, a new regulation of 10-digit dialing got a mandatory status. It was in the same year that area code of 551, 862 and 848 came into existence that had overlay area codes of 973 and 732.