Area codes 210 and 726

Area code 806 Area code 940 Area codes 682 and 817 Area codes 682 and 817 Area codes 214, 469, and 972 Area codes 214, 469, and 972 Area codes 430 and 903 Area code 575 Area code 915 Area code 432 Area codes 281, 346, 713, and 832 Area codes 281, 713, and 832 Area code 979 Area code 936 Area code 409 Area code 361 Area code 956 Area code 210 Area code 210 Area code 830 Area code 512 Area code 254 Area code 325 Area code 318 Area code 337 Area code 870 Area code 580
Map of Texas and adjacent regions, with numbering plan area 210 highlighted.

Area code 210 is a North American telephone area code for numbers in and near San Antonio, Texas. It is an enclave area code, similar to area code 312 in Chicago, area code 316 in Wichita, Kansas and area codes 385/801 in Salt Lake City, in that it is completely surrounded by area code 830.

It was created November 1, 1992, in a split from area code 512. Before that date, 512 had served the entire south-central portion of Texas since the area code system was instituted in 1947; 512 was the last of Texas' original four area codes to be split. Conventional wisdom would have suggested that San Antonio retain 512, as it was the largest city in the old 512 territory. However, state regulators decided to allow Austin, the state capital, retain 512 in order to spare state agencies the disruption of having to change their numbers.

The formation of 210 was intended to be a long-term solution in order to relieve exchanges in the Austin–San Antonio corridor. However, within four years 210 was already close to exhaustion because of San Antonio's rapid growth and the popularity of cellular telephones and pagers. This forced a three-way split, which took place on July 7, 1997. Most of Bexar County stayed in 210, while the San Antonio suburbs and the Texas Hill Country were split off as area code 830. The southern portion, centered around the Rio Grande Valley, became area code 956. The 1997 split made San Antonio one of the few cities that are split between two area codes. Some portions of San Antonio located in Medina and Comal counties, as well as a few portions of Bexar County, are now in 830.

Despite the 830 split, 210 has become part of the San Antonio area's identity and culture. However, amid projections that 210 would exhaust by mid-2018, it was decided to overlay 210 with a second area code, which would require the implementation of ten-digit dialing in San Antonio. Planning for that new area code began in June 2015. The new overlay code will be 726.[1][2][3]

The code was officially assigned to the Bexar County area in August 2016, and will go into effect after September 30, 2017.[2][3] Public education efforts about the upcoming change commenced in September 2016.[3] Permissive dialing of both seven and ten-digit numbers began on March 1, 2017,[3] and ten-digit dialing will be mandatory after September 30, 2017.[2] Until then, San Antonio is the last large city in Texas where seven-digit dialing was still possible.

Counties served by these area codes:

Most of Bexar and small portions of Atascosa, Comal, Guadalupe, Medina, and Wilson.

Towns and cities served by this area code:

Adkins, Alamo Heights, Artesia Wells, Atascosa, Castle Hills, Cibolo, Converse, Ecleto, Elmendorf, Helotes, Kirby, Leon Springs, Macdona, Olmos Park, Saint Hedwig, San Antonio, Shavano Park, Schertz, Universal City, Von Ormy, Wetmore, Windcrest

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.nanpa.com/nanp1/NPA_Relief_Activity_Status.xlsx
  2. 1 2 3 http://www.puc.texas.gov/agency/resources/pubs/news/2016/072116.pdf
  3. 1 2 3 4 San Antonio Will Soon Have Two Area Codes; Business Journals.com; accessed August 2016
Texas area codes: 210, 214, 254, 281, 325, 346, 361, 409, 430, 432, 469, 512, 682, 713, 737, 806, 817, 830, 832, 903, 915, 936, 940, 956, 972, 979
North: 830
West: 830 area code 210 East: 830
South: 830

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