Find any 861- phone number in Illinois
The 861 area code is an area code that is part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). It serves the state of Illinois and is located in the Central Standard Time Zone. The 861 area code was created in 1996 when it was split off from the original area code for Illinois, which was 312. This split was done as part of the NANP system - an effort by the Federal Communications Commission to create additional area codes and make sure that each state had its own unique code.
Under the North American Numbering Plan, Illinois is one of 49 states that have one or more three-digit codes. Every area code in Illinois has a set number of digits, which is determined by its population density. The 861 area code was created because the 312 area code was becoming overcrowded and running out of phone numbers. By assigning a new area code, the number of phone numbers available was increased and relieved the strain on the existing phone system. The 861 area code is just one of many area codes that have been created as part of the NANP system.