Getting to Know Your Local Calling Area

Post date: Nov 1, 2015 12:20:25 AM

Once upon a time, you could tell what phone numbers were local and which would cost you for long-distance simply by looking to see whether you were dialing seven digits or more. This is no longer the case. In the past few years, Ohio has seen several area codes run out of available numbers, creating the need for "relief," in the form of splitting the area codes covering particular geography.

When deciding whether to take traffic, you'll want to know where the recipient of the message is relative to you and the method that you intend to use for delivery. If you're using a land line that has tolls for long distance you'll want to be sure that you know the difference between local and toll calling. As an example, we had traffic this evening for a station with a 740 area code in Powell. As it turns out, that's local to Columbus. Yet, 740 also goes in the other direction and can reach down into an area where the call will be assessed as long distance, e.g., Lancaster.

The Public Utility Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has a map showing area codes and where they are, including the new 220 and 380 area codes.

In addition localcallingguide.com provides a helpful guide to help you determine whether a number that you're looking to call will be long distance for you. Give it a look, and be ready to make use of it as more and more local numbers require ten or eleven digit dialing and make it ever harder to see easily whether the number is local.

Thanks to Chuck WA8KKN for the training tip and pointer to localcallingguide.com!