The ICONIC 614 Area code is one of the earliest area codes designated for the state of Ohio in the year 1947. During that year, 614 area code was allocated to the South-Eastern part of the state, extending from Columbus to the River Ohio.
The first nationwide telephone numbering plan of 1947 divided telecommunication services in Ohio into four numbering plan areas (NPAs), one for each quadrant of the state. Area code 614 was assigned to the southeastern quadrant, from Columbus to the Ohio River along the West Virgina border, stretching as far north as Steubenville.
Despite central Ohio's growth in the second half of the 20th century, this configuration remained in place for 51 years. In 1998, nearly all of the southern portion of the old 614 territory was split into the new area code 740. Ameritech, at that time the predominant incumbent local exchange carrier, had proposed a split of 614 which generally would have seen Franklin, Delaware and Marion counties–the inner ring of the Columbus area–retaining 614, with the rest of the Columbus suburbs following the rural portion of the old 614 into the new 740.
With 614 reduced to be all but synonymous with Columbus, it appears on some T-shirt designs that use 614 as an abbreviation or short form to identify the city.
In 2001, it was planned to overlay area code 614 with area code 380, in anticipation of exhaustion. However, the anticipated growth did not materialize and number pooling replaced the proposal. On January 14, 2015 the PUCO instructed the telecommunications industry to finally implement the new area code on February 27, 2016. Ten-digit local dialing has been required since January 30, 2016.
