Area code 216 is the telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Cleveland, Ohio and some of its immediate surrounding suburbs in Cuyahoga County. It is one of the original 86 area codes established by AT&T in 1947. The number 216 was chosen to represent the area code for Cleveland because it is the city’s original telephone exchange code.
History of Area Code 216
Area code 216 was one of the original 86 area codes created by AT&T in 1947. It was originally assigned to northeastern Ohio, including Cleveland, Akron, and Canton. The area code was then split in 1996 when area code 330 was created for the Akron and Canton area. This left Cleveland and its immediate suburbs with area code 216.
Geographic Coverage
Area code 216 is exclusively used in the Cleveland metropolitan area and its immediate suburbs in Cuyahoga County, including the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Parma, and Rocky River. It also covers some outlying suburbs in Lorain and Medina counties.
How to Dial a Number in Area Code 216
To dial a number in the 216 area code, you must include the area code followed by the seven-digit telephone number. When calling from outside of the 216 area code, you must dial 1 plus the area code and the seven-digit telephone number.
Other Area Codes in Ohio
Ohio is currently served by nine area codes. In addition to area code 216, the other area codes are: 203, 220, 234, 260, 330, 419, 513, and 937.
Recent Area Code Changes in Ohio
In 2019, area code 234 was created as an overlay to area code 330. This means that customers in the 330 area code must dial 10 digits when making local calls. This was done to ensure that enough telephone numbers were available in the 330 area code as the number of telephone subscribers grows.