505 Area Code – Albuquerque, New Mexico: Location, Time Zone & History

New Mexico received a single area code, 505, in October 1947 as part of the original North American Numbering Plan, and it covered the whole state for six decades. Growth eventually forced a change: in 2006 the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission voted 3-2 to split rather than overlay the state, and on October 7, 2007, area code 575 was carved out for the remainder of the state, leaving 505 with the higher-population northwestern and central counties around Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Farmington, and Gallup.

Albuquerque and Santa Fe together anchor a regional identity often described as tricultural, blending Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo influences. The area also draws attention each October for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the largest hot air balloon festival in the world, and has become a major film and television production hub thanks to New Mexico's film incentive program, notably serving as the filming location for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

Government and research institutions play a substantial economic role, including Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory, alongside aerospace and defense, tourism, and healthcare and education. The numbering plan area also extends to Los Lunas, Rio Rancho, and Los Alamos.