An area code is more than just three numbers at the start of your phone number. It's part of your location, your identity, your culture. It's a
Ludacris song and a
Seinfeld episode. Even a
status symbol.
Phil Lapsley, author of the book "Exploding the Phone," wrote about area codes: "Long ago divested of its original role, the three-digit code now functions as a kind of shared social media handle, a collective identity. It's no longer something to be remembered, but is instead something to be talked about."
MaxPreps is using area codes to identify the best football regions in the country. Football players take pride in representing their school, their city and their state and they also take pride in representing their area code.
Here's a look at the top 10 football regions based on area codes. The rankings were based on the sum of the ratings of the top 10 teams in the MaxPreps computer rankings based on their area code. The area codes are listed with their sum total and state. Each of the 10 teams is listed for each area code with their ranking within their state and their computer ranking.
One disclaimer, some areas of the country have old area codes with a newer "overlay" area code added. MaxPreps used the website
whereig.com to maintain consistency when identifying the main area codes of certain cities on the list that had multiple area codes.
Senior quarterback Zion Brown and Atascocita lead a strong showing for The 281 in the Houston area this season. (Photo: Ricky Slaughter)
576.3 Texas - The 281
3.
Atascocita (Humble), 75.5
4.
North Shore (Houston), 74.4
10.
Summer Creek (Houston), 60.7
11.
Dickinson, 59.5
15.
Lamar (Houston), 57.3
22.
King (Houston), 53.1
25.
Klein Collins (Spring), 51.9
32.
Katy, 49
36.
Fulshear, 48.4
41.
The Woodlands, 46.5
556.5 Texas - The 214
1.
Duncanville, 87.2
2.
DeSoto, 77.5
12.
South Oak Cliff (Dallas), 58.8
14.
McKinney, 58.1
27.
Coppell, 51.4
28.
Allen, 50.2
44.
Highland Park (Dallas), 46.2
53.
McKinney North (McKinney), 44.9
67.
Emerson (McKinney), 41.7
77.
Lewisville (Lewisville), 40.5
542.1 Utah - The 801
1.
Corner Canyon (Draper), 71
2.
American Fork (American Fork), 66.3
3.
Skyridge (Lehi), 60.1
4.
Pleasant Grove, 56
5.
Lehi, 49.7
7.
Timpview (Provo), 49.5
8.
Mountain Ridge (Herriman), 48.5
9.
West (Salt Lake City), 47.8
10.
Lone Peak (Highland), 47.7
11.
Syracuse, 45.5
537.4 Georgia - The 678
1.
Buford, 76.6
5.
Newton (Covington), 65.7
7.
Carrollton, 61.2
10.
Douglas County (Douglasville), 57.8
11.
Parkview (Lilburn), 57.6
15.
Grayson (Loganville), 54.6
36.
Cartersville, 44.6
48.
Creekview (Canton), 40.3
51.
Central (Carrollton), 39.8
52.
Stockbridge, 39.2
525.2 Georgia - The 770
8.
Westlake (Atlanta), 60.5
9.
Gainesville, 60.1
14.
Langston Hughes (Fairburn), 54.9
16.
Marist (Atlanta), 54.6
18.
North Cobb (Kennesaw), 54.1
23.
Lambert (Suwanee), 51
25.
Roswell, 50.3
26.
Milton, 49.5
32.
Creekside (Fairburn), 45.6
37.
East Coweta (Sharpsburg), 44.6
501.6 Indiana - The 317
1.
Center Grove (Greenwood), 64.6
2.
Ben Davis (Indianapolis), 62.4
3.
Brownsburg, 61.1
5.
Westfield, 50.1
6.
Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, 47.6
7.
Cathedral (Indianapolis), 47.4
8.
Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers), 47.3
9.
Fishers, 44.1
12.
Indianapolis Lutheran, 38.6
13.
Lawrence North (Indianapolis), 38.4
498.7 California - The 714
1.
Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 103.5
4.
Centennial (Corona), 78.7
7.
Orange Lutheran (Orange), 61.8
12.
Rancho Cucamonga, 59
39.
Edison (Huntington Beach), 40.7
41.
Villa Park, 39.2
61.
Corona del Mar (Newport Beach), 34
77.
Tustin, 31.5
94.
Yorba Linda, 27
112.
Norco, 23.3
493.8 Texas - The 972
6.
Melissa, 64.8
16.
Rockwall, 55.8
17.
Prosper, 55.4
31.
Waxahachie, 49.1
34.
Midlothian Heritage (Midlothian), 48.7
40.
Forney, 47.3
48.
Red Oak, 45.8
54.
Cedar Hill, 44.9
69.
North Forney (Forney), 41.4
74.
Celina, 40.6
489.5 Georgia - The 706
2.
Mill Creek (Hoschton), 71.3
17.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Rabun Gap), 54.3
21.
Rome, 51.9
24.
Stephens County (Toccoa), 50.5
28.
Prince Avenue Christian (Athens), 48.1
29.
North Oconee (Bogart), 46.9
35.
Jefferson, 44.7
41.
Calhoun, 43.6
46.
Burke County (Waynesboro), 42.2
63.
Troup County (LaGrange), 36
486.5 Texas - The 817
5.
Southlake Carroll (Southlake), 66.6
7.
Aledo, 62.6
9.
North Crowley (Fort Worth), 61.3
21.
Byron Nelson (Trophy Club), 54.1
24.
Guyer (Denton), 52.5
66.
Crowley, 42.1
89.
Mansfield Timberview (Arlington), 38.2
90.
Trinity (Euless), 37.7
99.
Timber Creek (Fort Worth), 36.7
119.
Colleyville Heritage (Colleyville), 34.7
