Do you remember when your area code was 312? (Chicago, Rockford: neighborhood, live in)

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by C. Maurio

Cell phones and beepers should be given their own area codes and all regular landlines left at 312.

Keep thinking that, and let us know how that works out for you. This train left the station decades ago, and it's not going back.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

Fax machines are hardly passé.

This is true. They probably should be by now, but every office I'm aware of still has one, along with a landline on every desk and in many cases a cell phone for each employee, too. Even if/when fax machines go away, there are still more and more people getting cell phones as plans get cheaper and cheaper. It's going to be awhile before the number of area codes plateaus, I bet.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

The introduction of fax machines in the '80s started the run on phone numbers, and then the beeper craze kicked things into high gear. By the time cells got real big we were already broken up into about 4 area codes in Chicagoland. Before the '80s we all just dialed seven digits.

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

I believe that the 815 goes back a long, long ways. Seems to me that was always the area code for Rockford, even before the 312 was split up. 708, 773, 630, and 847 were new ones conjured up and wedged into the old 312 area.

224 is a another suburban area code. When I see 224, 630 or 847, I know it's Chicagoland but pretty far away.

And btw, there's also the 219 which is, in fact, Chicagoland. Both the 219 and 815 are signicantly closer to southern Cook County than 224, 630 and 847.

815 can be either rural IL or far out suburbs..

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by urza216

And btw, there's also the 219 which is, in fact, Chicagoland.

Yep. 219 used to represent all of northern Indiana, clear to the Ohio border. That area is now divided into three area codes, with 219 only covering NWI.

[Lorielicious]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

This is true. They probably should be by now, but every office I'm aware of still has one, along with a landline on every desk and in many cases a cell phone for each employee, too.

I will happily dance on the grave of fax machines when that long-overdue day comes. Their sustained existence continues to mystify me. Probably one of the saddest things I've ever seen was fax spam. Spam! Come on! Who spams a fax machine? People with awesome vacation offers, apparently!

Originally Posted by urza216

When I see 224, 630 or 847, I know it's Chicagoland but pretty far away.

847? Des Plaines is far away?

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Lorielicious

847? Des Plaines is far away?

That area code comes much closer than that, too. It comes all the way up to the Chicago city limits, so it includes Evanston and other inner-ring suburbs. Not far away at all.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by Lorielicious

I will happily dance on the grave of fax machines when that long-overdue day comes. Their sustained existence continues to mystify me. Probably one of the saddest things I've ever seen was fax spam. Spam! Come on! Who spams a fax machine? People with awesome vacation offers, apparently!


847? Des Plaines is far away?

Evanston (the 847) does touch the north side of Chicago. However, Evanston is still close to an hour away from the University of Chicago. Des Plaines is even further away from it.

815, 630 and 224 are suburban area codes that DON'T touch Chicago. 708, 219 and 847 touch the city limits.

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

That area code comes much closer than that, too. It comes all the way up to the Chicago city limits, so it includes Evanston and other inner-ring suburbs. Not far away at all.

Yeah. They took 312, gave us 708, took that and gave us 847. It is too confusing.

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

Keep thinking that, and let us know how that works out for you. This train left the station decades ago, and it's not going back.

But it should go back. We have the technology to make it go back. Just give all landlines 312 or 708 and allow 7 digit calling and give all cell phones and beepers all the other area codes. We need to dump the confusion and go back to the old ways. In fact, we need to do it all over the country. All landlines should be given old codes that have a 1 or 0 in the middle and the rest of them can go for cell phones and beepers and such.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by C. Maurio

But it should go back. We have the technology to make it go back. Just give all landlines 312 or 708 and allow 7 digit calling and give all cell phones and beepers all the other area codes. We need to dump the confusion and go back to the old ways. In fact, we need to do it all over the country. All landlines should be given old codes that have a 1 or 0 in the middle and the rest of them can go for cell phones and beepers and such.

So I'd have to pay a long distance fee to call a business down the street from me?