Area code 256 serves northern and east-central Alabama, encompassing cities like Huntsville, Decatur, Florence–Muscle Shoals, Gadsden, and Anniston . It was introduced on March 23, 1998, as a split from the 205 area code, which originally covered all of Alabama’s northern half. The creation of 256 provided relief to the fast-growing Huntsville region (now Alabama’s most populous city) and surrounding communities. By 2010, the 256 region was nearing number exhaustion, leading to the introduction of area code 938 as an overlay for the same territory. Since July 2010, customers in the 256/938 area must use ten-digit dialing, reflecting how the Huntsville–Decatur corridor’s expansion drove the need for Alabama’s first overlay code . Despite the overlay, locals often still refer to the region collectively as “the 256,” given its long-established identity in North Alabama.