Data Layout#
Introduction#
FONE*Data is an area code/prefix database in fixed-length (ASCII) format that contains all of the area codes and telephone number prefixes within the United States and Canada.
You can use the information in FONE*Data to verify phone numbers in your mailing list. These databases also contain ZIP Codes, LATA Codes, latitude and longitude coordinates, marketing/population data, and county statistics. The databases included are:
County Name Database
Historical Database
LATA Database
MSA Database
Telephone Database
List of Files#
Layout and Definitions#
County Name Database (CNTY.DAT)#
Column Name |
Type |
Definition |
|---|---|---|
FIPS Code |
char(5) |
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) is a 5-digit number assigned to each county in the U.S. by the Census Bureau. The first two digits are the state code and the last three digits are the county number |
County Name |
char(25) |
The name of the county, borough or parish |
State |
char(2) |
The standard 2-letter abbreviation for the state or province |
Time Zone |
char(2) |
The number representing the hours past UTC Time Standard. All Melissa Data products express time zones in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) |
County Type |
char(1) |
The letter code assigned to the county by population size |
County Seat |
char(28) |
The town or city in a county where the government offices and buildings are located |
County Name Type |
char(1) |
The letter code assigned for the name of the county |
Elevation |
char(5) |
The elevation of the county seat in feet above sea level |
Persons Per Household |
char(4) |
The average number of persons per household |
Population |
char(8) |
Estimate of the county population |
Area |
char(6) |
The county area in square miles |
Households |
char(8) |
The number of households within the county |
White |
char(8) |
The estimated White population within the county |
Black |
char(8) |
The estimated Black population within the county |
Hispanic |
char(8) |
The estimated Hispanic population within the county |
Average Income |
char(8) |
The average household income earned within the county |
Average Household Value |
char(8) |
The average value of a home within the county |
CR + LF |
char(2) |
The carriage return and line feed codes |
Historical Database (HIST.DAT)#
Column Name |
Type |
Definition |
|---|---|---|
Area Code |
char(3) |
The old area code |
Prefix |
char(3) |
The 3-digit phone number prefix |
New Area Code |
char(3) |
The new area code |
City |
char(28) |
The city name |
State |
char(2) |
The state name |
Start Date |
char(10) |
Date the new area code became valid |
Stop Date |
char(10) |
Date the old area code became invalid (new area code is required) |
CR + LF |
char(2) |
The carriage return and line feed codes |
Lata Database (LATA.DAT)#
Column Name |
Type |
Definition |
|---|---|---|
Lata Code |
char(3) |
The Local Access Transport Area code |
State |
char(2) |
The standard 2-letter state or province abbreviation |
Region |
char(40) |
The country or geographic area |
CR + LF |
char(2) |
The carriage return and line feed codes |
Metropolitan Statistical Area Database (MSA.DAT)#
Column Name |
Type |
Definition |
|---|---|---|
MSA Code |
char(4) |
The 4-digit code assigned by the Office of Management and Budget to the MSA or PMSA code |
Type |
char(4) |
Indicates whether the code is an MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area), PMSA (Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area), or CMSA (Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area) |
Name |
char(60) |
The official name of the MSA, PMSA or CMSA |
CMSA |
char(2) |
The 2-digit code used to identify the CMSA |
Population |
char(8) |
The estimated population of the MSA, PMSA or CMSA |
CR + LF |
char(2) |
The carriage return and line feed codes |
Telephone Database (FONE.DAT)#
Column Name |
Type |
Definition |
|---|---|---|
Area Code (NPA) |
char(3) |
The 3-digit area code or NPA, as referred to by telephone companies |
Prefix (NXX) |
char(3) |
The 3-digit prefix or NXX, as referred to by telephone companies |
City |
char(28) |
The official city name by which an area code/prefix is known |
State |
char(2) |
The standard 2-letter state or province abbreviation |
Latitude |
char(7) |
The geographic coordinate of the NPA/NXX wire center, measured in degrees north or south of the equator |
Longitude |
char(8) |
The geographic coordinate of a point measured in degrees east or west of the Greenwich meridian |
ZipCode #1 |
char(5) |
The ZIP Code associated with the wire center of the telephone area code. Applies to US records only |
ZipCode #2 |
char(5) |
The ZIP Code most commonly associated with the telephone area code and prefix. Applies to US records only |
ZipCode #3 |
char(5) |
The second ZIP Code most commonly associated with the telephone area code and prefix. Applies to US records only |
County FIPS |
char(5) |
The FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) number assigned to each county in the U.S. by the Census Bureau. The first two digits are the state number, and the last three digits are the county number |
New Area Code |
char(3) |
If a new area code has been added to FONE*Data, an entry in this field indicates the new area code to be used with the prefix. This field is very useful for updating telephone number lists. |
Country |
char(1) |
The letter code is U for USA or C for Canada |
MSA |
char(4) |
The Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) code assigned by the Office of Management and Budget. Use this code as an index key in the MSA file |
PMSA |
char(4) |
The Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) code assigned by the Office of Management and Budget. Use this code as an index key in the MSA file |
LATA |
char(3) |
A predefined boundary for local toll calls (see LATAs) |
Cell |
char(1) |
The code which indicates the type of area code/prefix combination |
Overlay |
char(1) |
This field contains an L when the given area code “overlays” one or more additional area codes. Such overlays are typically used for mobile beepers and cellular phones |
CR + LF |
char(2) |
The carriage return and line feed codes |
Code and Definitions#
Telephone Database (FONE.DAT)#
Column Name |
Code |
Definition |
|---|---|---|
Cell |
0 |
Standard |
1 |
Cellular |
Country Name Database (CNTY.DAT)#
Column Name |
Code |
Definition |
|---|---|---|
Time Zone |
4 |
Atlantic |
5 |
Eastern |
|
6 |
Central |
|
7 |
Mountain |
|
8 |
Pacific |
|
9 |
Alaska |
|
10 |
Hawaii-Aleutian |
|
11 |
Samoa |
|
14 |
Guam |
|
Country Name Type |
A |
Census Area |
B |
Borough |
|
C |
County |
|
D |
District |
|
M |
Municipio |
|
P |
Parish |