Why North Dakota remains one of the few places with a single area code

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: North Dakota is one of only eleven U.S. states that still relies on a single area code for its entire territory. While other regions have fractured under the pressure of modern connectivity, the 701 code has held steady since 1947, avoiding the transition to mandatory ten-digit dialing.

Established by AT&T in 1947, the 701 area code is one of the original 86 codes created for the North American Numbering Plan. Unlike many other states that have been forced to split or overlay their numbering plans to accommodate growing demand, North Dakota has maintained its singular identity for over seven decades. The state's numbering plan area is uniquely divided between the Bismarck and Fargo LATAs, with the latter extending across the border into northern Minnesota as far as Brainerd.

The stability of 701 is supported by current projections, which suggest that the state will not require a new area code until at least 2029. Out of nearly 800 possible central office codes available within the system, only about 730 have been assigned to date. This remaining capacity has allowed residents to continue using seven-digit dialing for all local calls, a practice that has largely vanished in more densely populated regions of the country.

The system faced a significant challenge in 2020 due to the introduction of 988 as a short-code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Because a central office in Bismarck was already using 988 as a prefix, the state was initially expected to switch to mandatory ten-digit dialing. However, local telephone administrators successfully averted this change by discontinuing the conflicting central office code and returning it to the North American Numbering Plan Administrator. This strategic move preserved the existing dialing convenience for the entire state, ensuring that the 701 code remains sufficient for the foreseeable future.

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