686 Area CodeRichmond, VA
Area code 686 covers Richmond and 67 other cities in Virginia: 1,463,163 people in 27 counties, led by Chesterfield and Henrico, on Eastern Time (ET). It overlays 804.
Overview
- Major City
- Richmond
- State
- Virginia (VA)
- Timezone
- Eastern Time (ET)
- Current Time
- –:––
- Overlay
- Yes – shares area with 804
Where is area code 686?
Overview of the 686 Area Code
Geographic Coverage of the 686 Area Code
All 68 cities- 233,655
- 44,990
- 36,348
- 34,058
- 24,729
- 22,970
Richmond Area Codes Overview
- 686This page
- 804Same territory
What cities does area code 686 cover?
| City | State | Population | Population in 686 | % of listed-city population | % of City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | VA | 233,655 | 233,655 | 32.7% | 100.0% |
| Tuckahoe | VA | 44,990 | 44,990 | 6.3% | 100.0% |
| Mechanicsville | VA | 36,348 | 36,348 | 5.1% | 100.0% |
| Petersburg | VA | 34,058 | 34,058 | 4.8% | 100.0% |
| Short Pump | VA | 24,729 | 24,729 | 3.5% | 100.0% |
| Hopewell | VA | 22,970 | 22,970 | 3.2% | 100.0% |
| Chester | VA | 20,987 | 20,987 | 2.9% | 100.0% |
| Colonial Heights | VA | 18,674 | 18,674 | 2.6% | 100.0% |
| Meadowbrook | VA | 18,312 | 18,312 | 2.6% | 100.0% |
| Laurel | VA | 16,713 | 16,713 | 2.3% | 100.0% |
| Bon Air | VA | 16,366 | 16,366 | 2.3% | 100.0% |
| Highland Springs | VA | 15,711 | 15,711 | 2.2% | 100.0% |
| East Highland Park | VA | 14,796 | 14,796 | 2.1% | 100.0% |
| Glen Allen | VA | 14,774 | 14,774 | 2.1% | 100.0% |
| Brandermill | VA | 13,173 | 13,173 | 1.8% | 100.0% |
| Lakeside | VA | 11,849 | 11,849 | 1.6% | 100.0% |
| Manchester | VA | 10,804 | 10,804 | 1.5% | 100.0% |
| Wyndham | VA | 9,785 | 9,785 | 1.4% | 100.0% |
| Gloucester Point | VA | 9,402 | 9,402 | 1.3% | 100.0% |
| Rockwood | VA | 8,431 | 8,431 | 1.2% | 100.0% |
| Montrose | VA | 7,993 | 7,993 | 1.1% | 100.0% |
| Ashland | VA | 7,910 | 7,910 | 1.1% | 100.0% |
| Dumbarton | VA | 7,879 | 7,879 | 1.1% | 100.0% |
| Innsbrook | VA | 7,753 | 7,753 | 1.1% | 100.0% |
| Sandston | VA | 7,571 | 7,571 | 1.1% | 100.0% |
| Woodlake | VA | 7,319 | 7,319 | 1.0% | 100.0% |
| Ettrick | VA | 6,682 | 6,682 | 0.9% | 100.0% |
| Bellwood | VA | 6,352 | 6,352 | 0.9% | 100.0% |
| Bensley | VA | 5,819 | 5,819 | 0.8% | 100.0% |
| Chamberlayne | VA | 5,456 | 5,456 | 0.8% | 100.0% |
| Lake Land'Or | VA | 4,223 | 4,223 | 0.6% | 100.0% |
| Colonial Beach | VA | 4,038 | 4,038 | 0.6% | 100.0% |
| West Point | VA | 3,529 | 3,529 | 0.5% | 100.0% |
| Enon | VA | 3,466 | 3,466 | 0.5% | 100.0% |
| Fort Lee | VA | 3,393 | 3,393 | 0.5% | 100.0% |
| Gloucester Courthouse | VA | 2,951 | 2,951 | 0.4% | 100.0% |
| Matoaca | VA | 2,403 | 2,403 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| Lake Caroline | VA | 2,260 | 2,260 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| Tappahannock | VA | 2,199 | 2,199 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| Prince George | VA | 2,066 | 2,066 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| Waverly | VA | 1,934 | 1,934 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| Warsaw | VA | 1,683 | 1,683 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
| Kilmarnock | VA | 1,464 | 1,464 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
| Central Garage | VA | 1,318 | 1,318 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
| Bowling Green | VA | 1,252 | 1,252 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
| Deltaville | VA | 1,119 | 1,119 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
| Amelia Court House | VA | 1,099 | 1,099 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Goochland | VA | 861 | 861 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Saluda | VA | 769 | 769 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Gwynn | VA | 602 | 602 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Mathews | VA | 555 | 555 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Urbanna | VA | 515 | 515 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Irvington | VA | 479 | 479 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| McKenney | VA | 465 | 465 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Dillwyn | VA | 439 | 439 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Templeton | VA | 431 | 431 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Cumberland | VA | 393 | 393 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| White Stone | VA | 389 | 389 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Montross | VA | 346 | 346 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Hanover | VA | 252 | 252 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| King William | VA | 252 | 252 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| New Kent | VA | 239 | 239 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Port Royal | VA | 216 | 216 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Heathsville | VA | 142 | 142 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Charles City | VA | 133 | 133 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Buckingham Courthouse | VA | 133 | 133 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| King and Queen Court House | VA | 85 | 85 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Columbia | VA | 83 | 83 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
City population is shown in full; each city's share inside 686 is measured from Census tract centroids.
What counties does area code 686 cover?
| County | State | Population in 686 | % of area-code footprint | % of County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield County | VA | 364,548 | 25% | 100% |
| Henrico County | VA | 334,389 | 23% | 100% |
| Richmond city | VA | 226,610 | 15% | 100% |
| Hanover County | VA | 109,979 | 8% | 100% |
| Prince George County | VA | 43,010 | 3% | 100% |
| Gloucester County | VA | 38,711 | 3% | 100% |
| Petersburg city | VA | 33,458 | 2% | 100% |
| Caroline County | VA | 30,887 | 2% | 100% |
| Powhatan County | VA | 30,333 | 2% | 100% |
| Dinwiddie County | VA | 27,947 | 2% | 100% |
| Goochland County | VA | 24,727 | 2% | 100% |
| Hopewell city | VA | 23,033 | 2% | 100% |
| New Kent County | VA | 22,945 | 2% | 100% |
| Westmoreland County | VA | 18,477 | 1% | 100% |
| Colonial Heights city | VA | 18,170 | 1% | 100% |
| King William County | VA | 17,810 | 1% | 100% |
| Amelia County | VA | 13,265 | 1% | 100% |
| Northumberland County | VA | 11,839 | 1% | 100% |
| Lancaster County | VA | 10,919 | 1% | 100% |
| Middlesex County | VA | 10,625 | 1% | 100% |
| Essex County | VA | 10,599 | 1% | 100% |
| Richmond County | VA | 8,923 | 1% | 100% |
| Charles City County | VA | 6,773 | 0% | 100% |
| King and Queen County | VA | 6,608 | 0% | 100% |
| Sussex County | VA | 6,595 | 0% | 61% |
| Cumberland County | VA | 6,212 | 0% | 64% |
| Mathews County | VA | 5,771 | 0% | 68% |
- Census PEP Vintage 2024 (city populations)
- · 2020 Census tract centroids with NANP and TIGERweb boundaries (footprint, counties, city shares)
- · NANPA NPA report (dates)
- · Methodology
Has area code 686 been reported for unwanted calls?
Yes – 60 FTC complaints, Jun 1 – Oct 1, 2026.
- 43% robocalls
- ↑ 22% vs prior period
- FTC data, retrieved 2026-10-05
Most-reported subjects
- Other52%31
- Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends13%8
- Dropped call or no message10%6
Caller ID is easily spoofed, so these figures reflect the number shown on caller ID, not the caller's true location – an area code alone never identifies a caller. The FTC does not verify the facts in these complaints.
Frequently Asked Questions about the 686 Area Code
Who called me from a 686 number?
Its 68 cities are led by Richmond, Tuckahoe, and Mechanicsville.
Is 686 a scam area code?
No: it is an overlay of 804.
Why do I keep getting calls from the 686 area code?
Complaints rose 22% on the prior period.
Should I answer an unknown 686 number?
43% of its FTC complaints were robocalls. Its most-reported specific subject was "Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends", at 13%.
How do I block calls from the 686 area code?
Blocking 686 still lets 804 numbers through.
Where is area code 686?
686 covers 68 cities and 1,463,163 residents in 27 Virginia counties, led by Chesterfield County, Henrico County, and Richmond city.
When did area code 686 go into service?
686 went into service on February 1, 2024. It was added to overlay 804.
Is 686 a real area code?
Yes: 68 cities in Chesterfield County, Henrico County, Richmond city, and 24 other counties use it.
What timezone is the 686 area code in?
686 is on Eastern Time (ET).
How do I call a 686 number from abroad?
Dial +1 686, then the number.