In the United States, area codes follow very specific rules.
While most of the numbers in the North American Numbering plan are tied to a specific geographic region, such as area code 603 for New Hampshire, others are reserved for toll-free numbers and some of them are reserved for personal communications.
In this article, we are going to find out what area code 588 is all about.
Now, without further ado, let’s get straight into it!
What area code is 588?
Area code 588 is an area code of the North American Numbering plan that is reserved for non geographic services. It is not tied to any geographic region in the US. The area code 588 is assigned to businesses or services and is used for personal communications.
Area Codes with “X88” — Do They Exist?
In fact, there are no real area codes that follow the formula “X88” as part of the North American Numbering plan.
Wit that said, the following numbers are no “real” area codes in the US:
- Area code 288
- Area code 388
- Area code 488
- Area code 588
- Area code 688
- Area code 788
- Area code 888
None of these area codes is actually tied to a geographic region in the US. Yet, all of these codes are part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANPA).
Area codes with double digits for the second and third number such as 211, 233, 355, etc., are generally known as “Easily Recognizable Codes”, aka ERCs.
Unlike other area codes in the North American Numbering Plan, ERCs are generally designated for special services and are NOT tied to geographic regions in the US.
With that said, area codes with double eight’s for the second and third number of the area code do exist but they are reserved for special purposes.
Verizon and Area Code 588 Text Messages
Verizon users that are using the Message+ app sometimes come across group text messages where users have the area code 588. This seems to confuse a lot of people.
Apparently, Verizon does sometimes assign the Area Code 588 to Verizon users who do not actually use the Message+ app.
As 588 is not a traditional area code in that is used for a specific geographic area, this could indeed be the case because after all, the code 588 can be used by businesses for all sorts of services.
However, I was not able to find any proof on that on Verizon’s official website.
With that said, this could indeed be true but is not confirmed by Verizon itself (at least not according to my research. Please correct me if I am wrong).
Area Code 588 in Canada
As an area code that is part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANPA), area code 588 is also in use in Canada.
Same as in the US, area code 588 in Canada is also a toll-free number.
This simply means that a customer can call a phone number with area code 588 free of charge while being either in Canada or the United States (and other territories that are part of the NANPA, such as some territories in the Carribbean) as long as he is in the same country as the business itself.
On a side note, there are also phone numbers that are in some cases free-to-call internationally no matter where you are calling from.
These phone numbers are called ITFNs. There are different types of ITFNs and different terms apply depending on what type of ITFN you are using.
Frequently asked questions about Area Code 588
Is Area Code 588 part of the North American Numbering Plan?
The area code 588 is indeed part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANPA). However, it is not assigned to any specific geographical region in the US. In fact, since 2021, the code 588 has been in use for non-geographic services only.
What is the area code 588 used for?
The area code 588 is used for personal communication services. It is also used as a personal “500” number, same as 521, 522 and a few others. While it is part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANPA), it is not assigned to any specific geographic region in the US.
Which US state does the area code 588 belong to?
Area Code 588 does not belong to any US state, as it is an “area code” for non-geographic services according to the North American Numbering Plan (NANPA).
Is there a country code +588?
There is no country using the code +588 as a country code. You might mistake the area code of Venezuela, which is +58, for the area code +588.