When calling someone in Liverpool, don’t forget to put the 0151 area code into the number you dial. This code encompasses the counties of Merseyside and Cheshire, which contains Liverpool as well as 42 surrounding locations. Also, some companies outside the area can buy a Liverpool-located number for a number of reasons.
Using area codes may be confusing because of the difference in landline and mobile calls. Besides, you have to remember a lot of numerals when calling from another country. And let’s not forget that with the increase in population, some codes are changed to accommodate. Check out what you should know about the Liverpool area code.
Calling Anyone in Liverpool: Landline, Mobile, and Overseas Calls
You do need to include the dialing code if:
- You’re trying to reach someone who uses a landline in Liverpool and you’re calling from a mobile or a landline outside of the Liverpool dial area;
- You’re calling from overseas. In this case, you need:
- International prefix (00 for Europe, 011 for the US and Canada, 0011 for Australia);
- Country code (the UK’s code is 44);
- Area-specific code (151 for Liverpool (you don’t have to use the initial zero here);
- The 7-digit number of the person or company you’re trying to reach.
You do not need to include the dialing code if:
- You’re trying to reach someone’s mobile phone;
- You’re calling from within the Liverpool dialing area.
Brief History of the Liverpool Area Code
Initially, the Liverpool area had a shorter dialing code of 051 according to the All Figure Dialing. It’s a system widely accepted in the 1960s instead of alphabet and number combinations. Before that, the code for the area was L1, with “L” meaning “Liverpool”. On an old rotary dial, the letter “L” was under the number 5, so later it became 51 (051 with the trunk prefix).
With the increase of phone users and the general population of the area, the resource of the 051 dialing code was coming to an end in the 1990s. So, the Office of Communication decided to play with the numbers a bit and assign a pattern to each area in order to refill the resource. The Liverpool area got the “01×1” pattern, later evolving into the 0151 dialing code. It’s pretty similar to the previous one, so there wasn’t much to get used to.
The change occurred during the PhONEday that was held on April 16, 1995.
Interesting fact: The shorter area codes are assigned to the larger areas of the country. They are paired with longer 7-digit numbers to create more combinations. The smaller areas get larger dialing codes to specify the location and shorter numbers since they don’t need that many combinations.
At the moment, there’s still a sufficient supply of numbers to accommodate new phone users. It’s important, though, to remember the needed codes, not only of the area within the country but of the country itself.