Area code 989 explained

Area code 989 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan for Central Michigan, the northeastern Lower Peninsula, and portions of the Thumb. It is the highest-numbered area code in use in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP),^[1] as well as the highest possible under the current system, in which a middle digit of 9 is forbidden.

History

The 989 region split off from area code 517 in 2001. Before then, 517 had served most of the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula (except the southeast) for 54 years and had been the only one of Michigan's three original area codes to have never been split.

Prior to October 2021, area code 989 had telephone numbers assigned for the central office code 988. In 2020, 988 was designated nationwide as a dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which created a conflict for exchanges that permit seven-digit dialing. This area code was therefore scheduled to transition to ten-digit dialing by October 24, 2021.^[2]

Service area

Major cities and towns in the numbering plan area are:

• Alma
• Alpena
• Bad Axe
• Bay City
• Caro
• Clare
• Gaylord
• Grayling
• Houghton Lake
• Midland
• Mt. Pleasant
• Owosso
• Saginaw
• St. Johns
• Tawas City
• West Branch
• Westphalia

See also

• List of Michigan area codes
• List of North American Numbering Plan area codes

External links

44.5°N -84°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Geographic NPAs In Service Sorted by Number. North American Numbering Plan Administrator. https://web.archive.org/web/20190525195358/https://www.nationalnanpa.com/enas/geoAreaCodeNumberReport.do. 2019-05-25. live. 2019-05-25.
2. Web site: Transition to 10-digit dialing (for 988 as 3-digit access to National Suicide Prevention Hotline). January 8, 2021. North American Numbering Plan Administrator . March 9, 2021.