511 Area Code
Traveler and traffic information
The 511 area code is reserved for traveler and traffic information. It is an N11 code dialed as 5-1-1, not as the leading digits of a regular phone number.
How 511 is used
Drivers dial 5-1-1 (three digits, not a full ten-digit number) for real-time road conditions, transit information, construction updates and weather-related closures from their state department of transportation. Calls are free and routed locally based on the caller's location. As an N11 code, the digits 511 are reserved from assignment as the leading digits of any regular telephone number.
- Purpose
- Traveler and traffic information
- Assignee
- FCC (United States); operated by state and local transportation agencies
- Dialed as
- 5-1-1
History
Creation: On July 21, 2000 the Federal Communications Commission designated 5-1-1 as the single national traffic-information telephone number, leaving implementation timelines to individual states and local jurisdictions. Virginia stood up the first 511 system that same year, with Tennessee following in 2006 and Pennsylvania in 2009. The number replaced a patchwork of state-specific traveler-information hotlines that had grown up in the 1990s.
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 511 contains 0 or 1, it has no mnemonic letter equivalent.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-1-1, www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/nationally-assigned-3-digit-numbers-n11.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is area code 511 used for?
511 is a special-use area code in the North American Numbering Plan. The 511 area code is reserved for traveler and traffic information. It is an N11 code dialed as 5-1-1, not as the leading digits of a regular phone number.
Is 511 dialed as a full area code?
No. 511 is an N11 code, meaning callers dial only the three digits 5-1-1 – there is no ten-digit equivalent. The digits 511 are reserved and cannot start any regular phone number.
Who assigns 511 numbers?
FCC (United States); operated by state and local transportation agencies
When did area code 511 go into service?
Area code 511 was placed into service on July 21, 2000.