The 847 area code is a telephone prefix that corresponds to the northeastern portion of Illinois State and many northern suburbs of Chicago, including Algonquin, Antioch, Bannockburn, Barrington, and Barrington Hills.
This numbering plan area is located in the Central Daylight time zone and disposes of just one overlay, the 224 area code, which serves the same region.
The major city in the coverage radius of the 847 area code is Elgin. Illinois State contains 102 official counties, four of them surrounded by the 847. This involves the northern side of Cook and Kane County, most of Lake county, and some municipalities in McHenry County.
1. History
By 1947, with the establishment of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), the telecommunication service of Illinois State consisted of four dialing numbers. The 217 area code served Central Illinois, the prefix 618 the southern region, the 815 code northern Illinois except for Chicago and Quad cities, and the number 312 the Chicago metropolitan area.
On November 11, 1989, the 312 area code was split off to create the prefix 708, which received the municipalities of Cicero, Berwyn, and Orland Park, among other locations in Cook and Will County; reducing the 312 codification to Chicago.
7 years later, on January 20, 1996, the 847 area code arrived at the system from a division of the prefix 708. The introduction of this new codification would resolve the telephone number shortages that concern the network.
However, at the end of the decade, the saturation troubles in the network increased due to the expansion of the telecommunication service. For that reason, on January 5, 2002, the 224 area code began running in the northeastern section of the state, overlapping the prefix 847.
2. Location
Illinois State lies in the Midwestern region of the country, covering a total area of 57,915 square miles. Being the 25th largest land area of the nation, this state is bordered by Iowa, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Lake Michigan.
Along with Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin; Illinois is one of the eight U.S. states that form part of the Canadian-American region of Great Lakes, which also includes Ontario and Quebec provinces.
The northern portion of the state is by far the most populated of Illinois encompassing over 9.7 million people, which represent nearly 75% of the total state population. This region integrates the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Rockford, and Quad cities that support the economic activity of Illinois.
For its part, the 847 area code possesses 116 non-unique postal area zip codes and surrounds 1114.70 square miles.
Adjacent codes
At the moment, the Illinois telephone network is served by 13 area codes. The newest prefix included in the region is the numbering plan area 872 (2009), which is the only overlay of the number 312, belonging to Chicago.
On the other hand, the most populous area code is the prefix 815 that serves around 1.8 million users. This number is located in Cook County, which owns 10 area codes including the dialing numbers 217, 224, 312, 630, 331, 708, 773, 872, and 847.
Another significant codification is the 309 area code that serves 20 counties. Installed in 1957, it remains as only telephone prefix functioning in its region.
This prefix is as relevant as the 415 area code for San Francisco or the 508 in Massachusetts.
3. Most Important Locations in the 847 Area Code
Elgin
Established in the northern part of Illinois, Elgin city forms part of Cook and Kane counties. This city lies on the Fox River about 40 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. Covering a total area of 38.09 square miles, it is the 9th largest municipality of the state.
Founded in 1835 and incorporated as a city by 1854, Elgin used to be home to several Native American tribes like Potawatomi Indians. Today, this municipality is the 8th largest city of Illinois in terms of population; enclosing around 110k inhabitants.
Currently, this city is home to several Hispanic residents. Latin American community symbolizes nearly 30%of the total Elgin population, contributing to the cultural diversity of the state.
Elgin Postal service is constituted for 4 non-unique ZIP codes: 60120, 60121, 60123, and 60120.
Waukegan
Lying high bluff above Lake Michigan, about 40 miles north of Chicago, this municipality is the largest city and the county seat of Lake County, covering a total area of 24.50 square miles.
Settled in 1829 and officially incorporated on February 23, 1859, Waukegan is home to over 86k inhabitants, becoming the 10th most populous city of the state and the second-most populated in the 847 service area.
Classified as an industrial suburb of Chicago, Waukegan owns 3 non-unique ZIP codes: 60079, 60085, and 60087.
4. Other Important Districts and ZIP Codes of the 847 Area Code
The 847 area code and its overlay (224) cover 4 counties situated in northeastern Illinois:
- Cook County: incorporated on January 15, 1831, Cook is the most populous county of Illinois and the second-most populous of the U.S. whit around 1 million inhabitants. Its largest city and county seat is the famous city of Chicago that encloses almost half of the population. Currently, Cook County possesses 215 ZIP codes.
- Lake County: Named like this for Lake Michigan one of the five Great Lakes in North America, this county is located in the northeastern corner of the U.S. Also, it surrounds a total area of 1,368 square miles and owns 33 ZIP codes.
- Kane County: Encompassing over 533k inhabitants, Kane is the 5th largest county of Illinois in terms of population. Founded on January 16, 1836, this county covers 524 square miles. Its county seat is Geneva and disposes of 27 ZIP codes.
Main Postal and Shipping Services
- United States Postal Service, Schaumburg, IL, - +1 847-885-6501
- U.S. Post Office, Schaumburg, IL, - +1 847-605-9610
- US Post Office - CPU, Algonquin, IL, - +1 847-960-7809
5. FAQs
What is the oldest area code installed in Illinois?
Illinois was divided into 4 area codes in 1947, the prefixes 217, 618, 312, and 815.
How many area codes are there in Cook County?
Cook County is the largest county of Illinois and encloses 10 area codes.