Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!netsys!vector!telecom-gateway From: klb@lzaz.att.com (K.BLATTER) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: How big can a Local Dialing Area be? Message-ID: Date: 6 Apr 89 16:48:23 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: AT&T ISL Lincroft NJ USA Lines: 28 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 129, message 3 of 11 In article , folta@tove.umd.edu (Wayne Folta) writes: > a local call to anywhere in a 500-square-mile area. If you count DC as > a state, that includes three states (MD, VA, DC). > But is this really a very large area? How large might a local call area be > in LA or NY? Are all local dialing areas determined by distance, or might > there be an *enormous* exchange out in Montana somewhere that includes > thousands of square miles but only a few thousand people? To my knowledge, the largest (in terms of square miles) local dialing area in the United States is the Big Island of Hawaii in, of course, Hawaii. It is roughly 4900 square miles in size. Both New York City (212) and Los Angeles (213) are "full". This is the reason that new area codes have been spawned off of them. These areas have the most numbers assigned to them. (Also, Chicago (312) is probably in the running. As I mentioned earlier, the Big Island in Hawaii has the largest geographical area 4900 square miles. Kevin L. Blatter AT&T - Bell Labs Disclaimer -- These estimates are my own and have nothing whatsoever to do with my employer.