284 Area Code
British Virgin Islands · Road Town
The 284 area code serves British Virgin Islands. It is part of the North American Numbering Plan, so the country shares the same +1 prefix as the United States and Canada, but British Virgin Islands is a sovereign jurisdiction with its own telecom regulator and carriers.
About British Virgin Islands
- Country
- 🇻🇬British Virgin Islands (VG)
- Capital
- Road Town
- Population
- 39,402 (2023)
- Area
- 151 km²
- Currency
- United States dollar (USD)
- Languages
- English
- Timezone
- America/Tortola (UTC−4, no DST)
- Internet TLD
- .vg
- Drives on
- Left
History
Creation: Area code 284 was assigned to the British Virgin Islands on October 1, 1997, as the 218th area code in the NANP, splitting BVI numbers off the shared Caribbean code 809. The digits 2-8-4 spell ‘BVI’ on the alphanumeric keypad, a mnemonic for the territory. A permissive dialing period allowing continued use of 809 ended on September 30, 1998. Within BVI, calls are dialed using only the 7-digit local number.
Predecessor: Before 284, numbers in British Virgin Islands used 809.
Mnemonics: The digits 284 map to letter combinations on the standard telephone keypad, yielding 27 possible three-letter mnemonics. Telecom regulators sometimes pick one of these as a marketing handle (e.g. ‘BHA’ for The Bahamas, ‘TNT’ for Trinidad and Tobago).
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_code_284, CIA World Factbook — British Virgin Islands.
How to call British Virgin Islands
No 011 prefix needed — British Virgin Islands is part of the NANP, so calls dial like a domestic North American number. Long-distance and roaming charges still apply.
Use your country's international access code (00 in most of Europe, 0011 in Australia), then 1, the 284 area code, and the local number.
Domestic calls use seven digits — no area code prefix needed.
Major cities in British Virgin Islands
Settlements served by the 284 area code, ranked by population. Smaller territories may have a single major settlement plus surrounding villages.
| City | Population | % of country |
|---|---|---|
| Road Town | 9,400 | 23.9% |
| East End/Long Look | 4,000 | 10.2% |
| Spanish Town (Virgin Gorda) | 3,500 | 8.9% |
| West End | 1,500 | 3.8% |
| The Settlement (Anegada) | 250 | 0.6% |
| Listed total | 18,650 | 47.3% |
Telecom operators
Numbers in the 284 area code are assigned by British Virgin Islands's telecom regulator to the following landline and mobile operators.
- Flow (Cable & Wireless)
- Digicel
- CCT Global Communications
Frequently Asked Questions
284 is the area code for British Virgin Islands. It is part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), which is why British Virgin Islands shares the same +1 country prefix as the United States and Canada — but the country itself is sovereign.