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.

The numbering plan area was created in 1947 to cover 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 limited because the state is part of several LATAs that spill into neighboring states, but most of eastern Alabama is part of the Atlanta LATA.

Finally, in 1995, the southern half of the state, everything from Montgomery southward, was split off with area code 334. It was reduced in 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.