Reported (218) XXX-XXXX phone numbers lookup

Area Code 218 History and Coverage

Area code 218 was introduced in 1947 together with code 612 to serve Minnesota under the initial plan that had two numbering plans. The two plans were such that code 218 served the north while 612 served the southeast of the state. Later in 1954, there was a geographical adjustment leading to the introduction of area code 507 to serve southern Minnesota with 612 moving to cover much of Minnesota's center and east parts leaving 218 to still serve northern parts of the state.

The area code is a representation of the varied geography of northern Minnesota and not necessarily any metropolitan area. Some of these areas served include Lake Superior shore, Arrowhead, Mesabi and Vermilion iron range, forested lake country, and areas around agricultural farming around the Red River Valley. Development has been done in these areas through various activities like shipping on Lake Superior, iron mining, logging, agriculture and cross-border trade near Canada.

The area code also covers areas near some of the natural attractions in the state such as the Boundary Water region and the headwaters of the Mississippi River. It extends towards the northwestern borders of Minnesota to North Dakota and follows Lake Superior shores and Canadian border.