{{Short description|Area codes in southeastern Pennsylvania}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Pennsylvania area codes image map|215}} '''Area codes 215, 267, and 445''' are telephone [[area code]]s in the [[North American Numbering Plan]] (NANP) for [[Philadelphia]] and adjacent portions of [[Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Bucks]] and [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]] counties in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Pennsylvania]]. Area code 215 was one of the [[original North American area codes]] established in 1947, while 267 and 445 are [[overlay plan|overlay]] codes for the same numbering plan area (NPA).

==History== When the [[American Telephone and Telegraph Company]] (AT&T) organized the telephone networks of North American with a universal [[telephone numbering plan]] in 1947, Pennsylvania was divided into four numbering plan areas, which received the area codes 215, [[area code 412|412]], [[area code 717|717]], and [[area code 814|814]].

Area code 215 was assigned to the [[Delaware Valley|Delaware]] and [[Lehigh Valley|Lehigh]] valleys in southeastern Pennsylvania, including the [[Philadelphia]] metropolitan area.

On January 8, 1994, the western and northern portions of the original 215 territory, including Philadelphia's western suburbs, most of [[Berks County, Pennsylvania|Berks County]], and the Lehigh Valley, changed to [[area code 610]], while Philadelphia and its northern suburbs retained 215. However, three central offices were moved from 215 to east-central Pennsylvania's [[area code 717|717]], namely 267 in [[Denver, Pennsylvania|Denver]], 484 in [[Adamstown, Pennsylvania|Adamstown]] and 445 in [[Terre Hill, Pennsylvania|Terre Hill]], with 215-267 becoming 717-336 because 717-267 was already in use. These exchanges were originally slated to move into 610, but were served by non-Bell telephone companies which sought to consolidate their eastern Pennsylvania customers into one area code.

This was intended as a long-term solution, but within two years 215 was close to exhaustion due to the rapid growth of the Philadelphia area and the proliferation of cell phones and pagers. For relief, area code 267 was established as an overlay on the 215 numbering plan area on July 1, 1997. Local calls across the Delaware/Pennsylvania border required [[ten-digit dialing]].

Area code 445 was first proposed in July 2000 as an overlay code on numbering plan area 215/267.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nanpa.com/pdf/pl-nanp-237.pdf |title=NPA 445 to Overlay NPAs 215 and 267 (Pennsylvania) / NPA 835 to Overlay NPAs 610 and 484 (Pennsylvania) }}&nbsp;{{small|(582&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]])}}</ref> However, these plans were delayed and then rescinded in 2003 by the [[Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nanpa.com/pdf/PL_332_v1.pdf |title=NPA 445 Implementation for 215/267 NPA Rescinded — 445 NPA Code Reclaimed |access-date=2013-03-09 |archive-date= 2007-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211153116/http://www.nanpa.com/pdf/PL_332_v1.pdf |url-status=dead }}&nbsp;{{small|(64.5&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]])}}</ref> The need for new phone numbers in area codes 215/267 was delayed until 2018. Area code 445 was activated as an additional overlay code on February 3, 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://6abc.com/home/445-philadelphia-suburbs-getting-new-area-code/3011823/ |title=445: Philadelphia, suburbs getting new area code (Pennsylvania) |date=2018-01-31 }}</ref> This assigned 23 million telephone numbers to a service territory of four million people, and 215/267/445 is not projected by the NANP to require relief action until beyond 2050.<ref>[https://nationalnanpa.com/reports/2020-1_NPA_Exhaust_Projections_Final.pdf April 2020 NANP exhaust analysis]</ref>

==Service area== [[image:Philly skyline.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Philadelphia]] was located in the original numbering plan area 215; 267 was added in 1997 and 445 in 2018.]] The service area comprises all or parts of five counties in Pennsylvania.<ref name=puc>{{cite map|publisher=[[Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission]]|title=Area Code 215 and 267 Map|url=http://www.puc.state.pa.us/telecom/pdf/areacode/215_ACMap.pdf|access-date=June 22, 2011}}</ref> *[[Berks County, Pennsylvania|Berks County]] (extreme eastern portion) *[[Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Bucks County]] (all but northeastern portion, which is served by [[area codes 610, 484, and 835]]) *[[Lehigh County, Pennsylvania|Lehigh County]] (extreme southern portion) *[[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery County]] (northern and eastern area, rest of county served by [[area codes 610, 484, and 835]]) *[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia County]] (all)

Places with over 30,000 inhabitants: *[[Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Abington]] *[[Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania|Bensalem]] *[[Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Bristol]] *[[Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania|Cheltenham]] *[[Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Falls]] *[[Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania|Lower Makefield]] *[[Northampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Northampton]] *[[Philadelphia]] *[[Warminster Township, Pennsylvania|Warminster]]

==See also== {{Portal|Philadelphia|Pennsylvania}} *[[List of Pennsylvania area codes]] *[[List of NANP area codes]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Area code footer|Map=PA}}

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{{Area code box | State = PA |This = 215/267/445 | N = [[Area codes 610, 484, and 835|484/610/835]], [[area code 908|908]] | W = [[Area codes 610, 484, and 835|484/610/835]] | E = [[area codes 609 and 640|609/640]] | S = [[area code 856|856]] | S1 = NJ}} {{Authority Control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Area Codes 215, 267, and 445}} [[Category:Area codes in Pennsylvania|215]] [[Category:Area codes in the United States|215]] [[Category:Philadelphia]] [[Category:Telecommunications-related introductions in 1947]] [[Category:Telecommunications-related introductions in 1997]]