Area code 908

Area code 201, originally the only area code for New Jersey when the North American Numbering Plan was created in 1947, had been the area code for all of northern and central New Jersey since 1958.

In June 1989, New Jersey Bell announced a split of numbering plan area 201 to create a new area code, 908, in North Jersey. The area code became functional in January 1990, which started a permissive dialing period for the 314 central offices during which existing telephone numbers in the service area could be dialed with 201 or 908 area codes.[1] The permissive dialing period ended on June 8, 1991, making the split fully effective.[2] Customers in the remaining 201 area had to prefix existing and new numbers in 908 with 1-908. At the time of the split, 1.5 million access lines were served by the new area code.

On January 1, 1997, 908 was reduced to its western portion, forming area code 732 in the central eastern region of New Jersey.[3] It was the penultimate area code added in the X0X format when 909 was added a year later in California.

Middlesex County is largely 908 in South Plainfield and parts of Edison (particularly Inman Avenue and north of Oak Tree Road) and Piscataway (particularly the New Market area near Plainfield). 908 and the Delaware Valley's 856 are the only area codes in the state that have yet to be overlaid and still use seven-digit dialing.

• Central Jersey

• NANPA area code map of New Jersey
• List of exchanges from AreaCodeDownload.com, 908 Area Code