Area codes 702 and 725


Area codes 702 and 725 are the North American Numbering Plan telephone area codes serving Clark County, Nevada, including Las Vegas.
Area code 702 was originally assigned to the entire state of Nevada, as one of the original numbering plan areas established in October 1947. On December 12, 1998, most of Nevada, including Reno and Carson City, was split off as area code 775. Nevada's explosive growth in the second half of the 20th century, and the corresponding expansion of telephone service, would have made a second area code a must in any case. However, the split was hastened by the proliferation of cell phones and pagers, particularly in Las Vegas, Reno and Carson City.
The split followed rumors that area code 777, corresponding to the winning number combination for slot machines, was considered for Las Vegas. However, the telecommunications industry ruled out assigning the triple-seven area code to southern Nevada because it was so "easily recognizable" that it needed to be reserved in the event it was needed nationally. This was the same reason why the 555 area code has not been assigned.
Since May 3, 2014, area code 702 has been overlaid with area code 725. Ten-digit dialing is required for all calls, with exceptions for landline-based callers calling long distance within the county, for which "1" must be dialed first.
Despite Las Vegas' continued rapid growth, 702/725 is nowhere near exhaustion. Projections in 2017 suggested that the Las Vegas area would not need another area code until late 2045 at the earliest. However, the most recent projections, in October 2019, did not include an exhaust date for 702/725, meaning that the exhaust date is at least 30 years in the future.