What year did area codes start in California?

Answer 1

Area codes began in the US and Canada in 1947.

California originally had only three area codes: 213, 415, and 916. It now has 30, with the 31st already on its way.

Answer 2

The area code system for North America (USA, Canada, and a bunch of islands) started in 1947. Originally, the 702 area code was all of Nevada; area code 775 (everything except the Las Vegas metro area, which is still 702) didn't start until 1998-12-12 (Dec. 12, 1998).

The related links are a map and a list of the original area codes from 1947.

Although the area codes were assigned in 1947, for many years they were used only by the operators. To place a long-distance call, you had to dial the operator and tell her (Almost all operators were women.) where you were calling; for example, "Operator, I'd like New York City, KLondike 5-0127." Gradually, customers were encouraged to know the area code, especially for calls to small towns, but they would still have to ask the operator to place a call to "area code 315, 555-0108." By the 1970's, most people in the US were able to dial directly without an operator, although there were a few remote ranches in Nevada that were among the last places to convert their equipment. A long-distance call was also far more expensive, and doubly so if you adjust for inflation. Even in the 1980's, a daytime cross-country call was over 60¢/minute, about the price of a 12-ounce [355ml] can of soda from a vending machine, but in the 1940's and 1950's, long-distance calls could be dollars per minute.