612 originally covered all of Minnesota. The 1996 split created 320 for greater Minnesota outside the Twin Cities. Continued growth led to two further splits: 1999's 651 for St. Paul and the East Metro, and 2000's 763 for the northern and western Minneapolis suburbs, with 952 carved out for the southern and western suburbs the same year. The result: 612 was reduced to just the city of Minneapolis itself. Unlike most major-metro 1947 codes, 612 has not been overlaid — making it one of the few preserved single-code city centers. Prince famously named his label NPG Records '612' as a love letter to the city, and the code remains tightly identified with Minneapolis culture.