We didn't need an area code for much of the time I was growing up in the 90s in the Atlanta area. It was a huge media thing when we got a new code and finally had to start thinking about it. We had an area code (404) but nobody used it until that pesky 770 (1995) complicated life for some, and 678 (1998) later messed it up for everyone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Georgia_area_codes

Of course, they're increasingly meaningless now that everyone has cell phones and gets to pick an area code.