2-1-1 facts for kids

2-1-1 is a special telephone number in the United States and Canada. It was made to be easy to remember. Calling the number lets people get information quickly about health organizations. It can also be called in an emergency.

History

New York Telephone (now part of Verizon) used the 2-1-1 number for many years. It was an automatic, meaning it worked by itself, number for phone numbers that were dialed wrongly. 2-1-1 was used this way from the 1970s through the early 2000s.

The city of Atlanta started a new way of using 2-1-1 in 1997. This new way of using it was similar to how it is used now. After Atlanta, many other cities and states started to use it as a special number to call in an emergency. 5-1-1 is also used for this.

• Canada
  • • • • • • • • • • • • United States