Area code 817

Area codes 682 and 817 are Texas telephone area codes for numbers in Fort Worth and most of the western portion of the Metroplex. Area code 817 was created as a flash-cut sometime during 1953, but available databases do not indicate from which area code it was split, as all original area codes were created in October 1947. Based on proximity, however, it was probably split from the 915 area code. In a message posted to the Telecom Digest mailing list and newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom Carl Moore reported that 817 was created mostly in part from area code 915 as well as a small part from area code 214.

Originally, it not only covered the western portion of the Metroplex, but much of central Texas, the Texoma region and the South Plains. In 1957, Lubbock and the South Plains were combined with part of 915 to form area code 806. On July 25, 1997 it was reduced to its current size in a three-way split. The northern portion became area code 940, while the southern portion became area code 254.

This was intended as a long-term solution, but within two years 817 was in fear of exhausting once again due to the explosive growth in the Metroplex, as well as the popularity of auxiliary devices. The problem was magnified by the fact that the entire Metroplex is a single LATA, so several numbers in 214 weren't available for use. To solve this problem, area code 682 was overlaid onto the 817 territory on October 7, 2000. Certain areas (specifically involving the communities of Arlington, Bedford, Euless, Grapevine, Southlake, and Colleyville) in east Tarrant County generally closer to Dallas were overlaid with area codes 214 and 972 instead of 682, as 682 overlays central Fort Worth suburban areas. In those following named areas, 817 mainly serves the areas alongside 214 and 972 area codes.

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