The area code 785 is located in Abilene, Kansas.
Area code 785 serves Abilene, Kansas and a wide stretch of northern and western Kansas outside the Kansas City metro. Abilene sits along I-70 in Dickinson County, bridging the Flint Hills to the open Great Plains. This local area code links small towns, farm communities, and regional hubs, making it easy to spot Kansas phone numbers from this part of the state. It’s the primary area code for Abilene and neighboring communities.
Major cities and landmarks covered by area code 785 include:
History and setup: Area code 785 was created in a split from 913 to meet growing demand, leaving 913 for the Kansas City metro and assigning 785 to the rest of northern Kansas. The code covers a broad, mostly rural region anchored by university towns and the state capital. It does not have an overlay.
Established: July 20, 1997 (North American Numbering Plan Administration)
Abilene adds rich history to the 785 region. It’s the boyhood home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and hosts his presidential library and museum, a major landmark for visitors and researchers. The 785 map follows the I-70 corridor and key routes across northern Kansas, connecting state offices in Topeka with college campuses in Lawrence and Manhattan. Most of area code 785 observes Central Time, while a few far western communities near the Colorado line observe Mountain Time. If a call or text shows a 785 prefix, it typically traces to northern Kansas—and often to places with deep ties to Kansas history and higher education.