Area code 320 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan for most of the central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The numbering plan area (NPA) excludes the Twin Cities metro region. The area code was created in 1996 in a split of area code 612.
History In 1995, US West advised the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) that substantial demand for telephone numbers in Minneapolis/St. Paul required dividing numbering plan area 612 with the introduction of a new area code, 320, outside of the metro area. The split became effective on March 17, 1996, with a period of permissive dialing of 612 or 320 ending on September 15 for calls to a 320 destination. The Twin Cities retained the existing area code. Some exchanges, in Red Wing, Wabasha, Goodhue, Lake City, and White Rock in the south-eastern corner of the area were migrated to area code 507 instead of receiving a new area code. This required changing central office predix and station number changes for customers in the 345, 380, and 388 exchange areas, to mitigate numbering conflicts in NPA 507.
320 was the fourth Minnesota area code, and the first new one in the state in 42 years.
In 1998, numbering plan area 612 was reduced to only Minneapolis and a few inner suburbs, when area code 651 was created. The 651 area borders Wisconsin, while area codes 763 and 952 were split from 612 in 2000. Area code 218 borders 320 to the north, and area code 507 covers southern Minnesota. 320 now borders every Minnesota area code except 612, the numbering plan area from which it first was created.
Service area
Albany Alexandria Annandale Appleton Askov Atwater Avon Benson Bird Island Biscay Boyd Braham Browns Valley Browerville Brownton Buffalo Lake Clara City Clarissa Clarkfield Clear Lake Clearwater Cokato Cold Spring Collegeville Danube Dassel Dawson Eden Valley Farwell Foley Garrison Glencoe Glenwood Granite Falls Hector Hinckley Holdingford Howard Lake Hutchinson Isle Kimball Lester Prairie Litchfield Little Falls Long Beach Long Prairie Lowry Madison Maple Lake Melrose Milaca Montevideo Mora Morris New London Ogilvie Olivia Onamia Ortonville Osakis Paynesville Pierz Pine City Randall Renville Rice Richmond Rock Creek Rockville Royalton Rush City Sacred Heart St. Augusta St. Cloud St. Joseph Sandstone Sartell Sauk Centre Sauk Rapids Spicer Starbuck Stewart Upsala Waite Park Watkins Wheaton Willmar Winsted
See also List of Minnesota area codes List of North American Numbering Plan area codes
References
External links