Area code 206

Area code 206 is a telephone dialing code in Washington for Seattle, Mercer Island and the islands of Bainbridge and Vashon, and portions of the Seattle metro area from Des Moines to Woodway.

At inception, area code 206 served all of Washington state. In 1957, Eastern Washington was split as area code 509.

In 1995, 206 was split again, limited to the Seattle metro and Puget Sound area, with the remainder of Western Washington assigned area code 360. Then in 1997, 206 was again split, limited to its current territory; the Eastside and northern suburbs assigned area code 425 and the southern suburbs and Tacoma metro area to area code 253.