TWO NEW AREA CODES ANNOUNCED TODAY FOR MINNEAPOLIS SUBURBS
The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) announced today that the two
new area codes that will be assigned to the Minneapolis suburbs will be 763 and 952. The
NANPA is responsible for administering the telephone numbering system in the United
States, Canada, Bermuda and many Caribbean nations.
Earlier this year, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission determined that the
shortage of telephone prefixes in the 612 area code should be resolved by adding two new
area codes to the metropolitan region now served by the 612 area code. The 612 area code
essentially encompasses Minneapolis and the metropolitan area suburbs to the north, west
and south.
With today’s announcement, suburbs to the north and northwest of Minneapolis will
receive the new 763 area code. This region includes suburbs such as Brooklyn Center,
Fridley, Mounds View, Blaine, Coon Rapids, Circle Pines, Lexington, St. Francis, Isanti,
Cambridge, Princeton, Elk River, Becker, Monticello, Buffalo, Waverly, Delano, Medina,
Plymouth and Golden Valley.
Suburbs to the south and southwest of Minneapolis will receive the new 952 area code.
Suburbs in the 952 area code will include Bloomington, Burnsville, Apple Valley,
Lakeville, Elko, New Prague, Belle Plaine, Hamburg, Norwood, Mayer, Watertown, Mound,
Orono, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Hopkins, Edina and St. Louis Park.
The cities of Minneapolis, Richfield, St. Anthony and the Fort Snelling area will keep
the 612 area code.
The 763 and 952 area codes are scheduled to be activated in February 2000. The period
from February 2000 to January 2001 is a permissive dialing period during which
telecommunications users will be able to complete calls to Minneapolis and the designated
suburbs using either the old area code (i.e., 612) or the relevant new code (i.e., 763 for
suburbs to the north and northwest or 952 for suburbs to the south or southwest). Also,
during this time, local calls between these area codes may be completed either with or
without an area code (i.e., either seven or ten digits). However, the public will be
encouraged to utilize this time to begin using the relevant area code for their calls.
After January 2001, use of the new 763 and 952 area codes will be mandatory, which
means that local calls between these area codes, as well as 612 and 651, will require ten
digits in order to be completed. Calls within an area code will continue to require only
seven digits. This process is similar to the way the 651 area code was introduced for St.
Paul and its suburbs. As before, calls that were local before the area code change will
remain local; i.e., these calls do not become long distance calls.
The introduction of the 763 and 952 area codes in the Minneapolis suburbs should
provide sufficient numbers for the suburbs for at least the next 13 years. Numbering
resources are expected to be sufficient in the newly reconfigured 612 area code
(Minneapolis, Richfield, St. Anthony and Fort Snelling) for at least 5 years.
The telecommunications industry in Minnesota will conduct an intensive public education
campaign to inform customers of the introduction of the new 763 and 952 area codes.
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