989 is the area code for central Michigan, the northeastern Lower Peninsula, and portions of the Thumb. Major cities and towns in the 989 region include Alma, Alpena, Bad Axe, Bay City, Caro, Clare, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, Owosso, Saginaw and Vassar. The 989 region split off from area code 517 in 2001. Before then, 517 had served most of the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula (except the southeast) for 54 years, and had been the only one of Michigan's three original area codes to have never been split.