Did you know that the entire state of Kansas has only four area codes? It seems a little surprising when you consider that the neighboring state, Missouri, has seven distinct calling codes. This infographic, first published by Checkthem.com, explains the entire history of the state’s dialing codes, as well as the current arrangement.
The layout of the codes is fascinating. The state is divided roughly in half, with a 785 area code for the northern half of Kansas and 620 for the southern half. Within the southern half of the state, a small area around Wichita has been carved out and assigned a 316 area code. A thin sliver of the northern half, on the border with Missouri, has been set aside for the 913 area code. Glancing at the map, one would assume that the state started out with those northern and southern halves with the two tiny pieces added in later. The infographic reveals a different story.
The original area code for the southern half of the state was 316, this is the code that currently occupies a tiny space around Wichita. The 620 code, which covers the rest of Southern Kansas, wasn’t added until 2001. The proliferation of cell phones created the need for a new dialing code. Wichita was allowed to keep the original code, the rest of the 316 area had to adapt to the new code. That’s not the only surprise in the history of Kansas phone codes. Check out the graphic for more.
