360 Area Code: Olympia, Vancouver & Western Washington Guide (2026)

📅 November 2025 ⏱️ 15 min read ✍️ BubblyPhone Team

Complete guide to 360 area code covering Olympia (state capital), Vancouver WA, Bellingham, and western Washington. Mount St. Helens, birthplace of Nirvana, America's largest temperate rainforest, and Skagit Valley tulips.

Area code 360 serves western Washington state outside the Seattle metropolitan area, covering a vast territory from the Canadian border to the Oregon border. Created on January 15, 1995, by splitting from area code 206, it was one of the first two area codes in North American history to break the traditional numbering format — a milestone in telecommunications. The 360 area code is shared with overlay code 564 (since 2017).

This guide covers the 360 area code: which cities and counties it serves, its history, scam identification tips, and fascinating facts about a region that includes the state capital Olympia, the site of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, the birthplace of Nirvana, America's largest temperate rainforest, and the college that educated Matt Groening.

360 Area Code Quick Facts

Detail	Value
Created	January 15, 1995
Split from	206 (Washington's original code)
Overlay	564 (since August 28, 2017)
Time Zone	Pacific (UTC-8 / UTC-7 DST)
Largest City	Vancouver, WA (pop. 190,915)
State Capital	Olympia (pop. 55,605)
Counties	~19-20 in western Washington
Population	~2.6 million

Cities in the 360 Area Code

Area code 360 is geographically split into two non-contiguous sections — one of the few area codes in North America without a continuous land border. Major cities: Vancouver (190,915), Bellingham (~97,855), Olympia (~55,605), Lacey (~57,000), Longview (~40,000), Mount Vernon (~37,000), Aberdeen (~16,800), Port Angeles (~20,000), Anacortes (~18,000), and Sequim (~8,000).

A Historic Area Code: The End of the Old Format

Area code 360 was one of the first two area codes ever to have a middle digit other than 0 or 1. Since 1947, all area codes followed the N0X/N1X format. By the mid-1990s, these combinations were exhausted, and 360 (along with Alabama's 334) ushered in the modern era. The overlay code 564 was added on August 28, 2017.

Mount St. Helens: The Eruption That Changed the Landscape

On May 18, 1980, at 8:32 a.m., Mount St. Helens erupted — the most significant volcanic event in US history. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake triggered the largest landslide in recorded Earth history. The mountain dropped from 9,677 to 8,364 feet. The eruption killed 57 people, destroyed 200 homes, and ejected 520 million tons of ash.

Aberdeen: Birthplace of Grunge

Kurt Cobain was born on February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, WA. He co-founded Nirvana with Krist Novoselic in 1987. Aberdeen's city welcome sign reads "Come As You Are." The Evergreen State College in Olympia produced alumni including Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney), Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill), and Bruce Pavitt (co-founder of Sub Pop Records).

From Rainforest to Rain Shadow: 35 Miles of Extremes

The Hoh Rainforest — the largest temperate rainforest in the contiguous US — receives approximately 140 inches (360 cm) of rain annually. Just 35 miles away, Sequim receives only 16-18 inches — less than Los Angeles. The 360 area code contains a rainforest that gets 360 centimeters of rain per year.

The Pig War: When a Single Pig Nearly Caused a War

On June 15, 1859, American farmer Lyman Cutlar shot a pig on San Juan Island, triggering a 13-year military standoff between the US and Britain. Resolved by Kaiser Wilhelm I on October 21, 1872. Only casualty: the pig.

Olympia: The Simpsons, Geoducks, and the Capitol Dome

Matt Groening (The Simpsons) graduated from The Evergreen State College in 1977. Evergreen's mascot is the geoduck — the world's largest burrowing clam (15+ lbs, 140+ year lifespan). Olympia's Legislative Building has the tallest masonry dome in North America at 287 feet.