List of telephone exchanges

This is a list of telephone exchanges, the numerals preceding the hyphen in local telephone numbers. These were originally known as "office numbers", referring to the actual telephone exchange offices which served each group of lines. In 1955 these office numbers were replaced under the Bell system's "North American Numbering Plan". The scheme initially used names whose first two letters were followed by a numeral to form a three-digit exchange, in the form of "NNX". The individual four-digit telephone number followed. Later, one digit was added to the exchange and one removed from the individual number, keeping the total number of digits dialed for local calls at seven.

Two-letter exchanges

• ALpine (25), College Hills, downtown Birmingham, East Lake, North Birmingham, Acipco
• HAmilton (42), Hueytown, Bessemer
• HEmlock (43), Gardendale
• FAirfax (32), downtown Birmingham, Norwood
• LYric (59), Woodlawn
• MIlton (64), Sumiton, Dora, Empire, Walker County
• MOntrose (66), Shelby County
• STate (78), Belview Heights, Bush Hills, Central Park, Midfield, Ensley, Fairfield, West End
• TRemont (87), formerly "2" and "29", Homewood, Mountain Brook, Shades Mountain
• VAlley (82), Bluff Park, Shades Mountain
• VErnon (83), formerly "84", East Lake, Roebuck
• VIctor (84), Inglenook, Tarrant
• WOrth (96), East Lake, Woodlawn

Three number exchanges

Exchange	Location
251	downtown Birmingham, formerly ALpine 1
252	downtown Birmingham, formerly ALpine 2
254	downtown Birmingham, formerly ALpine 4
321	downtown Birmingham, formerly FAirfax 1
322	downtown Birmingham, formerly FAirfax 2
323	downtown Birmingham, formerly FAirfax 3
324	downtown Birmingham, formerly FAirfax 4
325	downtown Birmingham, 1960s-
328	downtown Birmingham, 1970s-
332	Homewood, 1990s-
424	Bessemer, 1960s-
425	Bessemer, originally HAlifax 5
426	Bessemer, originally HAlifax 6
428	Bessemer, originally HAlifax 8
590	Kimberly
633	Pelham
647	Kimberly
648	Walker County
780	Western Birmingham, Fairfield, 1970s-
781	Western Birmingham, Fairfield, formerly STate 1
783	US Steel, formerly STate 3
785	Western Birmingham, Fairfield, formerly STate 5
786	Western Birmingham, Fairfield, formerly STate 6
787	Western Birmingham, Fairfield, formerly STate 7
788	Western Birmingham, Fairfield, formerly STate 8
Forestdale, 1970s-
Forestdale, 1960s-
822	Bluff Park, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, formerly VAlley 2
823	Vestavia Hills, formerly VAlley 4
824	Vestavia Hills, 1990s-
833	Roebuck
836	Roebuck
838	Roebuck
870	Homewood, 1960s-
871	Homewood, formerly TRemont 1
877	Homewood, 1970s-
879	Homewood, formerly TRemont 9
940	Homewood
942	Homewood
945	Homewood, 1970s-
979	Vestavia Hills, 1970s-
987	Vestavia Hills, 1970s-
988	Vestavia Hills, 1970s-

References

• "First long distance dial switchover set March 12" (January 1955) The Birmingham News - via Birmingham Rewound