Editing Area code 651

{{short description|Area code for Saint Paul, Minnesota and eastern suburbs}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}}
[[Image:MN Area Codes Metro.png|thumb|right|350px|Metropolitan area codes with 651 in dark green.]]
[[Image:MN Area Codes 2024.svg|thumb|right|350px|A map of Minnesota area codes.]]
'''Area code 651''' is the [[telephone numbering plan]] code for [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]], and the eastern suburbs of the [[Minneapolis-St. Paul|Twin Cities]].  A dogleg portion also extends to the southeast along the [[Mississippi River]] to include cities such as [[Hastings, Minnesota|Hastings]].  The region was the fifth area code created in the state in 1998, when it was carved out of [[area code 612]]. 

From 1954 to 1996, 612 covered all of central Minnesota, stretching from border-to-border from [[Wisconsin]] to [[South Dakota]]. In 1996, nearly all of the 612 territory outside the Twin Cities became [[area code 320]]. This was intended as a long-term solution, but within a year, the proliferation of cell phones and pagers brought 612 back to the brink of exhaustion. It soon became apparent that the Twin Cities were growing far too quickly to stay in a single area code, forcing the creation of 651.

The dividing line between 612 and 651 largely follows the Mississippi River; generally, all of the metropolitan area east of the river transferred to 651, while the western half stayed in 612. An exception is the eastern half of the [[University of Minnesota|University of Minnesota, Twin Cities]]' campus, located in [[Falcon Heights, Minnesota|Falcon Heights]]. Due to an integrated telephone system serving both the Falcon Heights campus and the main campus in [[Minneapolis]], the entire U of M remained in 612 after the 1998 split. 

The area code splits in the Twin Cities are unusual because they split along municipal, rather than central office, boundaries. This led to a sizable number of exchanges being divided between two area codes, and a few being divided among three. 

Even with the Twin Cities' continued growth, 651 is one of the few urbanized area codes without an overlay, making St. Paul one of the few large cities where seven-digit dialing would still be possible. Under current projections, it will stay that way for the foreseeable future; the latest NANPA projections do not include an exhaust date for 651.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nationalnanpa.com/reports/2019-2_NPA_Exhaust_Projections_Final.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=January 29, 2020 |archive-date=February 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221214515/https://nationalnanpa.com/reports/2019-2_NPA_Exhaust_Projections_Final.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Even with the split into four area codes (612, 651, [[area code 763|763]] and [[area code 952|952]]), most of the Twin Cities region is still a single rate center.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalnanpa.com/pdf/newsletters/NANPA_3Q10.pdf|title=Did you know?|work=NANPA News|page=2|date=September 2010|access-date=July 20, 2022|archive-date=July 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220721002926/https://www.nationalnanpa.com/pdf/newsletters/NANPA_3Q10.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The four Twin Cities area codes comprise one of the largest local calling areas in the United States; with a few exceptions, no long-distance charges are applied from one part of the Twin Cities to another. Portions of area codes 320 and 507/924 are local calls from the Twin Cities as well.


==Cities and communities==
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
*[[Afton, Minnesota|Afton]]
*[[Apple Valley, Minnesota|Apple Valley]]
*[[Arden Hills, Minnesota|Arden Hills]]
*[[Bayport, Minnesota|Bayport]]
*[[Birchwood Village, Minnesota|Birchwood Village]]
*[[Center City, Minnesota|Center City]]
*[[Chisago City, Minnesota|Chisago City]]
*[[Coates, Minnesota|Coates]]
*[[Columbus, Minnesota|Columbus]]
*[[Cottage Grove, Minnesota|Cottage Grove]]
*[[Dellwood, Minnesota|Dellwood]]
*[[Eagan, Minnesota|Eagan]]
*[[Falcon Heights, Minnesota|Falcon Heights]]
*[[Farmington, Minnesota|Farmington]]
*[[Forest Lake, Minnesota|Forest Lake]]
*[[Gem Lake, Minnesota|Gem Lake]]
*[[Goodhue, Minnesota|Goodhue]]
*[[Grant, Minnesota|Grant]]
*[[Harris, Minnesota|Harris]]
*[[Hastings, Minnesota|Hastings]]
*[[Hugo, Minnesota|Hugo]]
*[[Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota|Inver Grove Heights]]
*[[Lake City, Minnesota|Lake City]]
*[[Lake Elmo, Minnesota|Lake Elmo]]
*[[Lakeland, Minnesota|Lakeland]]
*[[Lakeland Shores, Minnesota|Lakeland Shores]]
*[[Lake St. Croix Beach, Minnesota|Lake St. Croix Beach]]
*[[Landfall, Minnesota|Landfall]]
*[[Lindstrom, Minnesota|Lindstrom]]
*[[Lino Lakes, Minnesota|Lino Lakes]]
*[[Little Canada, Minnesota|Little Canada]]
*[[Mahtomedi, Minnesota|Mahtomedi]]
*[[Maplewood, Minnesota|Maplewood]]
*[[Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota|Marine on St. Croix]]
*[[Mendota Heights, Minnesota|Mendota Heights]]
*[[Miesville, Minnesota|Miesville]]
*[[New Brighton, Minnesota|New Brighton]]
*[[New Trier, Minnesota|New Trier]]
*[[Newport, Minnesota|Newport]]
*[[North Branch, Minnesota|North Branch]]
*[[North Oaks, Minnesota|North Oaks]]
*[[North St. Paul, Minnesota|North St. Paul]]
*[[Oak Park Heights, Minnesota|Oak Park Heights]]
*[[Oakdale, Minnesota|Oakdale]]
*[[Pine Springs, Minnesota|Pine Springs]]
*[[St. Marys Point, Minnesota|St. Marys Point]]
*[[Saint Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul]]
*[[St. Paul Park, Minnesota|St. Paul Park]]
*[[Scandia, Minnesota|Scandia]]
*[[Shoreview, Minnesota|Shoreview]]
*[[South St. Paul, Minnesota|South St. Paul]]
*[[Stacy, Minnesota|Stacy]]
*[[Stillwater, Minnesota|Stillwater]]
*[[Taylors Falls, Minnesota|Taylors Falls]]
*[[Red Wing, Minnesota|Red Wing]]
*[[Rosemount, Minnesota|Rosemount]]
*[[Roseville, Minnesota|Roseville]]
*[[Vadnais Heights, Minnesota|Vadnais Heights]]
*[[Vermillion, Minnesota|Vermillion]]
*[[Wabasha, Minnesota|Wabasha]]
*[[Welch, Minnesota|Welch]]
*[[West Lakeland Township, Washington County, Minnesota|West Lakeland]]
*[[West St. Paul, Minnesota|West St. Paul]]
*[[White Bear Lake, Minnesota|White Bear Lake]]
*[[Willernie, Minnesota|Willernie]]
*[[Withrow, Minnesota|Withrow]]
*[[Woodbury, Minnesota|Woodbury]]
*[[Wyoming, Minnesota|Wyoming]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[List of Minnesota area codes]]
* [[List of North American Numbering Plan area codes]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Area_code_footer|Map=MN}}

{{Area code box|State=MN
| This=651
| N=[[Area code 320|320]], [[Area codes 715 and 534|715/534]]
| S=[[Area codes 507 and 924|507/924]]
| E=[[Area codes 715 and 534|715/534]], [[area codes 608 and 353|608/353]]
| W=[[Area code 612|612]], [[Area code 763|763]], [[Area code 952|952]]
| S1=WI}}

{{coord|44|57|N|93|0|W|region:US-MN_type:adm3rd|display=title}}

[[Category:Area codes in the United States|651]]
[[Category:Area codes in Minnesota|651]]
[[Category:Telecommunications-related introductions in 1998]]