Area code 312

Area code 312 encompasses the Chicago Loop and surrounding areas in Chicago, Illinois. It is roughly bounded by North Avenue on the north, Ashland Avenue on the west, Lake Michigan on the east, and 31st Street on the south. By size, it is one of the smallest area codes in the nation encompassing only a few square miles.

History

312 was one of the original 86 area codes created in 1947, then called "Numbering Plan Areas." With the rotary dialing technology available at the time, care was given to keep the number of "clicks" to a minimum for large cities, hence Chicago being assigned a code with only six clicks.

The first production #4ESS toll switch was installed in January 1976. [http://www.dmine.com/phworld/switch/4xb.htm Telephone World]

Area-code split

Until 1989, 312 included most of the Chicago metropolitan area; at that time the suburbs became area code 708. In 1996, most of the city split off into 773 after the northern suburbs and western suburbs split into area codes 847 and 630 respectively, while the southern and western suburbs kept 708.

In popular culture

*Goose Island Brewery brews a beer named 312 Urban Wheat Ale.
*A restaurant at the Kimpton Hotels-operated Hotel Allegro, at LaSalle and Randolph streets in the Loop, is named 312.
* When 312 covered the entire city, city residents would derisively call suburbanites "708-ers" in reference to their area code.
* The Chicago-based Christian rock group Resurrection Band released a song called "Area 312" on their 1982 album D.M.Z.

External links

* [http://www.nanpa.com/area_code_maps/display.html?il Map of Illinois area codes] at North American Numbering Plan Administration's website

ee also

* List of NANP area codes
* List of Illinois area codes

Area Code Box 0 | State = IL | This = area code 312
N = 773
W = 773
E = Lake Michigan
S = 773