While it appears to be rural, more than 80 percent of its numbers are located in the far western portion around Reno and Carson City.
Prior to the creation of 775, area code 702 had served all of Nevada for 51 years.
However, the proliferation of cell phones, pagers, and fax machines, particularly in Las Vegas, Reno, and Carson City, hastened the need for the expansion of Nevada's number pool.
Under the most recent projections, northern Nevada will not need another area code until late 2045.
This area code was therefore scheduled to transition to ten-digit dialing by October 24, 2021.