Virginia Area Codes
10 active area codes · Virginia Beach · Population around 8,819,642
Virginia has 10 active area codes, serving cities like Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Richmond. Of those, 8 are overlays covering ground another code already covers, which is why local calls there use all ten digits. The newest, 686, has been in service since February 1, 2024. Each code below links to its cities, carriers, timezone, and coverage map.
Virginia Area Code Map
What area codes does Virginia have?
- 276BristolEastern Time (ET) · 82 cities · 453,018
- 434LynchburgEastern Time (ET) · 85 cities · 717,671
- 540OverlayRoanokeEastern Time (ET) · 164 cities · 1,738,165
- 571OverlayArlingtonEastern Time (ET) · 112 cities · 2,503,335
- 686OverlayRichmondEastern Time (ET) · 68 cities · 1,463,163
- 703OverlayArlingtonEastern Time (ET) · 112 cities · 2,503,335
- 757OverlayVirginia BeachEastern Time (ET) · 83 cities · 1,739,079
- 804OverlayRichmondEastern Time (ET) · 68 cities · 1,463,163
- 826OverlayRoanokeEastern Time (ET) · 164 cities · 1,738,165
- 948OverlayVirginia BeachEastern Time (ET) · 83 cities · 1,739,079
More than one of these codes covers 95 of the 133 counties in Virginia, and one county is covered by 5 of them. Each card counts the people inside that code's own boundary at the 2020 census. Adding all 10 gives 16,058,173, against the 8,631,393 the same census counts in those counties, because 7,426,780 residents fall inside more than one code.
Which cities are the largest in Virginia?
How many phone prefixes does Virginia use?
The area codes in Virginia hold 4,464 assigned prefixes between them, listed under 91 distinct carrier names. A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a single carrier. One of the 10 codes here — 686 — is newer than the NANPA extract behind these numbers, so its prefixes are not counted above.
Sources: City populations – U.S. Census Bureau PEP, Vintage 2024 (SUB-IP-EST2024-POP). State populations – the same program, Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025-ALLDATA). Area-code footprint and county populations – 2020 Census Centers of Population, mapped against NANP area code boundaries. The share of each city inside a code is measured the same way, against Census place boundaries from the Census Bureau's TIGERweb service. Area code assignments – NANPA CO Code data. See our data methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many area codes does Virginia have?
Virginia has 10 active area codes: 276, 434, 540, 571, 686, 703, 757, 804, 826, 948.
What is the main area code for Virginia?
Of the 10 area codes in Virginia, 757 is the oldest one still serving Virginia Beach, its largest city. 757 has been in service since July 1, 1996.
What are the largest cities in Virginia?
The largest cities in Virginia include Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Richmond, Norfolk, Arlington.
What is the total population of Virginia?
Virginia has an estimated total population of 8,819,642 based on US Census PEP 2024 data.
Do I have to dial ten digits in Virginia?
In the parts of Virginia covered by an overlay, yes. 8 of the 10 area codes here cover ground another code already covers, and where two codes share an area, local calls need the area code as well as the seven-digit number.
Why does Virginia have 10 area codes?
They arrived one at a time rather than all at once: 757 has been in service since July 1, 1996. 8 of the 10 are overlays, laid over a code that already covered the same ground instead of splitting its map in two. The most recent is 686, in service since February 1, 2024.
What is the newest area code in Virginia?
686, in service since February 1, 2024.
Is my county covered by more than one area code in Virginia?
It may be: more than one area code covers 95 of the 133 counties in Virginia, and one county there is covered by 5 of them. The table above shows which codes reach each of the largest cities.