Area Code 319
Iowa
Area code 319 serves Iowa, primarily Cedar Rapids, in the Central Time (CT) time zone. It has served the region since 01-Jan-1947.
Area Code Splits
Parts of this area code’s original geographic region were later assigned new area codes through splits. When a split occurs, some customers in the original area code region are assigned the new area code.
Split into: area code 563 (Davenport).
Demographics & Economics
- Total Population
- 1,180,911
- Population Density
- 63 people/sq mibelow U.S. average (U.S.: 93 people/sq mi)
- Median Household Income
- $74,721near U.S. median (U.S.: $75,144)
- Poverty Rate
- 11.8%near U.S. average (U.S.: 11.5%)
- Unemployment Rate
- 3.5%near U.S. average (U.S.: 3.6%)
- Education Attainment
- Bachelor's Degree+32.9%near U.S. average (U.S.: 33.7%)High School or Lower31.1%
Statistics are population-weighted aggregations from Census ACS 5-year estimates. Population figures are approximate — see Sources & Methodology for details on how area code populations are derived.
See how this area code compares to all US area codes in the income ranking and density ranking.
Time Zone
- Central Time (CT)
NANPA Relief Status
According to the latest NANPA analysis (July 2026), this area code is not currently listed as exhausting within the next 36 months. No relief planning is in progress for this NPA.
Source: NANPA NPA Relief Planning Reports · See all relief planning statuses
Current Time
Prefix Utilization
Geographic Coverage
State
IA
Major Cities
- Cedar Rapids
- Iowa City
- Waterloo
- Marion
- Cedar Falls
- Burlington
- Coralville
- North Liberty
- Waverly
- Fort Madison
- Keokuk
- Mount Pleasant
- Washington
- Hiawatha
- Independence
- Oelwein
- Anamosa
- Tiffin
- Vinton
- Mount Vernon
- Evansdale
- Monticello
- West Liberty
- Robins
and 163 more cities
Historical Timeline of Area Code 319
Area code 319 was created in 1947 as one of the original 86 area codes in the North American Numbering Plan, assigned to eastern Iowa along the Wisconsin and Illinois borders. Iowa unusually received three original area codes (712, 515, and 319) due to its relatively high 1947 population of approximately 2.5 million, which was substantial for a Midwestern state at that time. The code served Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Waterloo, and the Quad Cities region. Source: LincMad 1947 List.
Key milestones:
- 1947: Created as one of the original 86 NPAs, assigned to eastern third of Iowa. Source: LincMad 1947 List
- 1951: Direct long-distance dialing using area codes began implementation in eastern Iowa, with Cedar Rapids and Iowa City incorporating the new format.
- 1999: Iowa Utilities Board petitioned FCC for delegated authority to implement number conservation methods for area codes 515 and 319. Source: FCC DA-99-2770
- 2000: FCC conditionally granted Iowa Commission authority for thousands-block number pooling in the 515 NPA but denied it for the 319 NPA, citing insufficient urgency. Source: FCC
- 2000: Iowa Utilities Board voted 2-1 on October 27 to split the 319 area code. Western portion (Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Burlington) retained 319; eastern portion (Davenport, Clinton, Dubuque) received new code. Source: Radio Iowa
- 2001: Area code 563 created from the 319 split. Permissive dialing began March 25, 2001; mandatory dialing December 2, 2001. Source: Wikipedia
- 2021: Transition to mandatory 10-digit dialing effective October 24, 2021, due to FCC rule requiring 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline compatibility. Source: Wikipedia
The 2001 split resolved number exhaustion concerns projected for the end of 2001, with NANPA forecasting the 319 NPA would run out of available numbers without relief. The boundary followed the I-380/US-218 corridor from Waterloo through Cedar Rapids to Keokuk. Source: Mississippi Valley Publishing.
Regulatory History
Area code 319 has undergone three significant regulatory events over 25 years, involving FCC petitions, pooling authority decisions, and ultimately a geographic split to address number exhaustion. The regulatory arc began with Iowa's 1999 petition for delegated authority and culminated in the 2001 denial of thousands-block pooling for the 319 NPA. Source: FCC
| Year | Event | Docket | Regulatory Action and Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | IUB Petition | NSD File No. L-99-96, DA-99-2770 | Iowa Utilities Board petitioned FCC for delegated authority to implement number conservation methods for area codes 515 and 319. FCC established pleading cycle with comments due January 10, 2000. Source: FCC |
| 2000 | Conditional Pooling Grant | CC Docket No. 99-200, DA-00-1616 | FCC conditionally granted Iowa Commission authority for thousands-block number pooling in the 515 NPA but denied it for the 319 NPA, citing insufficient urgency and exclusion from top 100 MSAs. Source: FCC |
| 2001 | Pooling Denial for 319 | CC Docket No. 99-200, DA-01-2479 | FCC denied Iowa's request to implement thousands-block number pooling specifically for the 319 NPA. The area code was subsequently split, creating area code 563. Source: NANPA |
County Coverage
Population-weighted county share based on aggregated ZCTA population (100% = total mapped population for area code 319).
| County | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Linn, IA | 255,713 | 21.7% |
| Johnson, IA | 228,484 | 19.3% |
| Black Hawk, IA | 146,073 | 12.4% |
| Butler, IA | 68,341 | 5.8% |
| Grundy, IA | 60,584 | 5.1% |
| Benton, IA | 47,868 | 4.1% |
| Des Moines, IA | 44,384 | 3.8% |
| Washington, IA | 43,194 | 3.7% |
| Lee, IA | 35,045 | 3.0% |
| Buchanan, IA | 32,855 | 2.8% |
| Bremer, IA | 27,055 | 2.3% |
| Iowa, IA | 26,963 | 2.3% |
| Henry, IA | 25,951 | 2.2% |
| Cedar, IA | 20,054 | 1.7% |
| Jones, IA | 19,935 | 1.7% |
| Jefferson, IA | 19,287 | 1.6% |
| Louisa, IA | 18,978 | 1.6% |
| Tama, IA | 14,298 | 1.2% |
| Fayette, IA | 9,524 | 0.8% |
| Muscatine, IA | 8,089 | 0.7% |
| Delaware, IA | 8,084 | 0.7% |
| Keokuk, IA | 7,216 | 0.6% |
| Van Buren, IA | 6,011 | 0.5% |
| Poweshiek, IA | 4,935 | 0.4% |
| Clark, MO | 1,306 | 0.1% |
| Scotland, MO | 684 | 0.1% |
Area Code 319 Family Tree
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Area code 319 was originally assigned in 01-Jan-1947 to serve IA. Over the years, it has generated 1 descendant area code through a combination of geographic splits and overlays as demand for telephone numbers grew.
Call Context
This area code spans a mix of urban centers and rural communities across IA, with Cedar Rapids as a primary city.
Nearby Area Codes
Area codes geographically closest to 319.
Other Area Codes in Iowa
Area codes that also serve Iowa, linked for easy comparison.