The area code 712 is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Area code 712 serves Council Bluffs, Iowa, and much of western Iowa along the Missouri River. Council Bluffs sits across from Omaha, Nebraska, at the crossroads of I-29 and I-80, making it a key gateway between the Great Plains and Iowa’s farm country. The 712 region follows the scenic Loess Hills, a rare landform that stretches along the river bluffs, and it operates in the Central Time Zone (CT). Established in 1947 as part of the original North American Numbering Plan, 712 has long connected communities across this corner of the state.
1947 — Year area code 712 was established (Source: North American Numbering Plan Administrator)
Beyond Council Bluffs, area code 712 covers a wide mix of cities and small towns across western Iowa, tying together regional hubs, river communities, and college towns. Notable places in 712 include:
These communities share strong ties to agriculture, rail and river history, and outdoor recreation, from the Loess Hills Scenic Byway to parks along the Missouri River.
In Council Bluffs, landmarks like the Union Pacific Railroad Museum and the Lewis and Clark Monument highlight the area’s role in westward travel and rail history. Up north, Sioux City anchors a tri-state area where Iowa meets Nebraska and South Dakota, while the Iowa Great Lakes draw visitors year-round to lakeside towns in the far northwest. Area code 712 remains a single, standalone code for western Iowa, covering both urban centers and wide rural counties without an overlay. For anyone seeing a 712 phone number, it usually points to the western side of Iowa, from the Missouri River bluffs to the lakes and prairies beyond.