At one time, the prefix ( the first part of the number) was tied to a specific geographical area. That is, you could say that number 123-XXXX was located on the west side of town, between Main St. and Easy St. That is no longer the case.
With mechanical switching replaced by electronics, that number can be located almost anywhere the phone company goes.
Don't expect the folks at customer service to admit this, though. I finally got a decent answer after talking to the repair folks.
