Area code 718 serves the outer boroughs of New York City—Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. It was created in 1984 from a split of area code 212 to manage the booming population outside of Manhattan. 718 has become a cultural icon, especially in hip-hop and urban branding, symbolizing the identity and grit of NYC’s boroughs. It was later overlaid by 347, 929, and 917 to accommodate continued growth, with ten-digit dialing becoming the standard. Despite the overlays, 718 remains a deeply rooted and recognized area code in New York’s social and cultural landscape.