Area code 205

Area code 205 is the North American telephone area code for western and central Alabama, including the cities of Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.It was one of the original numbering plan areas created in 1947, and covered the entire state of Alabama. By the 1990s, Alabama needed additional telephone numbers. In addition to the state's rapid growth, the state was running out of numbers due to the proliferation of cell phones and pagers. The supply of numbers was further limited because the state is part of several LATAs that spill into neighboring states.Finally, in 1995, area code 334 was created to serve everything from Montgomery southward. It was reduced to its current size in 1998, when the northern and eastern portions were assigned area code 256.Area code 659 is scheduled to provide numbering relief for the 205 number plan area, but no implementation date has been announced.