West Virginia Area Codes
2 active area codes · Charleston · Population around 1,767,402
West Virginia has 2 active area codes, serving cities like Charleston, Huntington, and Morgantown. Of those, 2 are overlays covering ground another code already covers, which is why local calls there use all ten digits. The newest, 681, has been in service since March 28, 2009. Each code below links to its cities, carriers, timezone, and coverage map.
West Virginia Area Code Map
What area codes does West Virginia have?
- 304OverlayCharlestonEastern Time (ET) · 403 cities · 1,782,827
- 681OverlayCharlestonEastern Time (ET) · 403 cities · 1,782,827
More than one of these codes covers 55 of the 55 counties in West Virginia, and one county is covered by 2 of them. Each card counts the people inside that code's own boundary at the 2020 census. Adding all 2 gives 3,565,654, against the 1,793,716 the same census counts in those counties, because 1,771,938 residents fall inside more than one code.
Which cities are the largest in West Virginia?
How many phone prefixes does West Virginia use?
The area codes in West Virginia hold 1,163 assigned prefixes between them, listed under 63 distinct carrier names. A prefix is the three digits after the area code, and NANPA assigns each one to a single carrier.
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 West Virginia have?
West Virginia has 2 active area codes: 304, 681.
What is the main area code for West Virginia?
Of the 2 area codes in West Virginia, 304 is the oldest one still serving Charleston, its largest city. 304 has been in service since 1947.
What are the largest cities in West Virginia?
The largest cities in West Virginia include Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Parkersburg, Wheeling.
What is the total population of West Virginia?
West Virginia has an estimated total population of 1,767,402 based on US Census PEP 2024 data.
Do I have to dial ten digits in West Virginia?
In the parts of West Virginia covered by an overlay, yes. 2 of the 2 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 West Virginia have 2 area codes?
They arrived one at a time rather than all at once: 304 has been in service since 1947. 2 of the 2 are overlays, laid over a code that already covered the same ground instead of splitting its map in two. The most recent is 681, in service since March 28, 2009.
What is the newest area code in West Virginia?
681, in service since March 28, 2009.
Is my county covered by more than one area code in West Virginia?
It may be: more than one area code covers 55 of the 55 counties in West Virginia, and one county there is covered by 2 of them. The table above shows which codes reach each of the largest cities.