319 Area Code – Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Location, Time Zone & History

Cedar Rapids and Iowa City anchor a stretch of east-central Iowa where area code 319 has covered local calling since 1947, when it was assigned as one of the original area codes rolled out across North America. Its territory used to reach much farther, taking in the entire eastern third of the state along the Wisconsin and Illinois borders, until the northeastern cities of Davenport, Bettendorf, Clinton, Dubuque, Decorah and Eldridge moved to the new area code 563 in 2001.

What remained is a region with a distinct cultural profile. Cedar Rapids' Quaker Oats plant has milled cereal along the Cedar River since 1873 and is recognized as the largest cereal mill in the world, while Iowa City, home to the University of Iowa, was named a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008 -- a rare distinction tied to the city's long literary tradition. The area's economy reflects that same mix of industry and institution, spanning food processing, higher education and research, insurance and financial services, advanced manufacturing and agriculture, and reaching communities such as Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Burlington and Fort Madison.