I am trying to understand how long distance charges work/apply within
an area code. For instance, let's take the area code I live in: 704,
Charlotte, North Carolina. Do calls from inside Charlotte to Shelby,
NC require a 1, i.e. long distance charges, even though they're still
in the 704 region? What about calls to Monroe, NC, also in the 704
area code, but far enough away that I'm not certain.

Seems like a simple question that I could answer myself - simply by
picking up a phone and dialing to test. However, I only have a cell
phone so I never have to dial 1, just the area code + number. Short of
storming into a stranger's house and asking to borrow their phone, I
haven't figured out how to tell when LD charges will apply within an
area code.

I am trying to find this out because I want to purchase a Vonage VoIP
phone plan as a home phone - getting a 704 area code, but the only 704
numbers they offer are out in places like Shelby, Statesville and
Monroe, NC. I want to make sure that if I go with one of the 704
extensions in those areas, that people in the metro Charlotte area can
contact me without dialing a 1.

Thanks!

It depends on the prefix (3 digits between area code and last four).

Plug the area code and exchange in here and look at the "rate center":
http://www.telcodata.us/telcodata/telco?npa=&exchange=
(Not my website.  There are others like it but I can't think of them. 
For some reason this one tends to crash on large queries and you have
to go back and repeat it.)

You can also enter just an area code to get a list of prefixes in the
area code and see which ones have the ratecenter you want listed.  Or
you can use the ratecenter lookup.

The carrier shows up, but keep in mind that with number portability it
might not actually be the carrier that person pays money to.

Hi, great site. Thanks for leading me to it.

When I look at ratecenter for #'s in Shelby and Monroe they just say
"SHELBY" or "MONROE" under ratecenter. When I click on detailed switch
information it has a section that's, "List of served ratecenters". Is
that what would tell me whether or not LD charges would apply? (i.e.
must Shelby or Monroe show up in the Charlotte ratecenter lists as a
"served" ratecenter in order to not be LD?)

Thanks again for your help. :)

I don't really know.  I might guess it means that a single switch
could serve more than one ratecenter (ie, calls between ratecenters
not charged long distance) but I don't know of any that list more than
one served ratecenter to find out.  I have looked at switches in both
dense and sparse populations, and they only ever list one.

In the cities where I have lived, the exchanges that are considered
local are always listed on one of the beginning pages of the phone
book. You can also call the major bell in your area and just ask them
(in your area is this BellSouth? or Verizon?)  There are also more
categories of "long distance" than you might realize - local calls,
regional toll (too far to be local, but too close to be long
distance), in state long distance, and out of state long distance.
I face a similar issue as you. My cel phone company only has exchanges
available to me from a nearby city, so if I call my cel from my home
phone, it is a regional toll call at $.08 / minute.  Sometimes there
is no way to avoid this problem if you want to use a service that only
has exchanges that are just outside of your local calling area.

This case is different in different states. Sometimes the same area
code with always be free to call even though it may be miles away.
Sometimes It is free to call another area code close by but you have
to dial the area code and number without the "1" There are companies
that offer free long distance to any intralata and long distance
number. Intralata is your call in your state. Take a look at my
website www.utiltyopt.citymax.com to see if you can call your friends
and family for FREE. Then you won't have to worry about the bill!