411 Area Code
Local directory assistance
The 411 area code is reserved for directory assistance. It is an N11 code dialed as 4-1-1, not as the leading digits of a regular phone number.
How 411 is used
Callers dial 4-1-1 (three digits, not a full ten-digit number) to ask a directory-assistance operator for a local phone number or address listing. The service is provided and priced by each individual local exchange carrier or its independent contractor; most US RBOCs charge roughly $1.25 per call. As an N11 code, the digits 411 are reserved from assignment as the leading digits of any regular telephone number.
- Purpose
- Local directory assistance
- Assignee
- Individual local exchange carriers — no national FCC assignment
- Dialed as
- 4-1-1
History
Creation: Unlike most N11 codes, 4-1-1 has never been formally assigned by the FCC; it grew up organically as the Bell System's directory-assistance number, in use in New York City, San Francisco and other large cities since at least 1930. A 1960s industry decision standardized 4-1-1 (alongside 6-1-1 for repair) nationwide, displacing older codes such as 113 that lingered in step-by-step exchanges into the 1980s. The FCC's later N11 proceedings left 411 in its traditional carrier-provided role.
Mnemonics: Prior to 1995, the middle digit of area codes was restricted to 0 or 1, which do not correspond to letters on a phone's dialing pad. Because 411 contains 0 or 1, it has no mnemonic letter equivalent.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directory_assistance, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N11_code.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is area code 411 used for?
411 is a special-use area code in the North American Numbering Plan. The 411 area code is reserved for directory assistance. It is an N11 code dialed as 4-1-1, not as the leading digits of a regular phone number.
Is 411 dialed as a full area code?
No. 411 is an N11 code, meaning callers dial only the three digits 4-1-1 – there is no ten-digit equivalent. The digits 411 are reserved and cannot start any regular phone number.
Who assigns 411 numbers?
Individual local exchange carriers — no national FCC assignment
When did area code 411 go into service?
Area code 411 was placed into service on Standardized in the 1960s (never formally assigned by the FCC).