Area code 641

{{short description|Area code for a central portion of Iowa}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Iowa area codes image map|641}}

'''Area code 641''' is a telephone [[area code]] in the [[North American Numbering Plan]] (NANP) for the central region of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Iowa]]. The numbering plan area (NPA) includes [[Marshalltown, Iowa|Marshalltown]], [[Mason City, Iowa|Mason City]], and [[Ottumwa, Iowa|Ottumwa]]. The area code was created in a [[area code split|split]] of [[area code 515]] on July 9, 2000, which was the first split in Iowa since the establishment of the area code system in 1947.

In 2006, various companies began using Iowa's 641 as a number to access [[voice over IP]] gateways, including one which purported to allow users to "call China for free".<ref>{{cite web |title=Call China For Free |url=http://www.callchinaforfree.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208231638/http://www.callchinaforfree.com/ |archive-date=8 February 2007 |url-status=usurped |publisher=CallChinaForFree.com}}</ref> The scheme, no longer in operation, was based on the wholesale cost of calls to rural Iowa being substantially more than the cost of Internet calls to [[China]].

==See also== * [[List of Iowa area codes]]

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090208103646/http://areacodedownload.com/641/index.html List of exchanges from AreaCodeDownload.com, 641 Area Code] {{Area_code_footer|Map=IA}}

{{Area code box|State=IA| This=area code 641| N=[[Area codes 507 and 924|507/924]]| S=[[area code 660|660]]| E=[[area code 319|319]], [[area code 563|563]]| W=[[area code 515|515]], [[area code 712|712]]| S1=MN | S2=MO }}

[[Category:Area codes in Iowa|641]] [[Category:Area codes in the United States|641]]