Area Code for Richmond, VA

Richmond, Virginia uses two area codes: 804 and 686. Code 804 has anchored central Virginia since 1973. Code 686 joined as an overlay on February 1, 2024, when 804 approached exhaustion.

If you are searching for Richmond, California, that city uses 510 and 341. This guide covers Richmond, VA — Virginia’s state capital and home to a dense cluster of Fortune 500 headquarters.

Other Virginia codes for context: 703/571 serve Northern Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax); 757 serves Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Virginia Beach); 540 covers western Virginia (Roanoke, Fredericksburg).

What’s the area code for Richmond?

Both 804 and 686 are active simultaneously. They cover identical geography — no code is limited to a specific part of the city or metro. All calls within or between the two codes require ten-digit dialing.

Code	Established	Type	Coverage
804	June 24, 1973	Split from 703	Richmond metro, central VA, Northern Neck
686	February 1, 2024	Overlay on 804	Same as 804

Ten-digit dialing is mandatory for all local calls in this region. Even calling across the street requires dialing the full area code plus 7-digit number.

Richmond metro area codes by region

Every district in Richmond and its surrounding counties carries 804 or 686. Here is how the codes map across the most recognizable areas:

Downtown Richmond — Virginia’s state capital core. State government offices, the Virginia Capitol building, federal courts, and financial institutions all use 804 numbers.

The Fan District — Tree-lined streets west of downtown, fan-shaped street grid, VCU student and faculty population. One of Richmond’s most photographed neighborhoods.

Carytown — Independent shopping corridor along Cary Street. High density of local restaurants, boutiques, and the Byrd Theatre.

Church Hill — Richmond’s oldest neighborhood, overlooking the James River. Patrick Henry’s famous speech site. Now a mix of restored historic homes and local businesses.

Scott’s Addition — Former industrial district turned dining, brewery, and creative office hub. One of Richmond’s fastest-growing commercial areas.

Henrico County — Surrounds Richmond city on three sides. Home to Altria Group, the Richmond International Airport, and major retail corridors along Broad Street. All Henrico numbers: 804/686.

Chesterfield County — South and west of Richmond city. Large suburban county with Midlothian Town Center, major healthcare campuses, and manufacturing. Area code: 804/686.

Mechanicsville — Hanover County community northeast of Richmond. Suburban residential and commercial strip. Area code: 804.

Midlothian — Chesterfield County suburb southwest of Richmond. One of the fastest-growing residential areas in the metro. Area code: 804/686.

Glen Allen — Henrico County suburb north of Richmond. Major office parks and Capital One’s large Richmond campus. Area code: 804.

Petersburg — Independent city south of Richmond. Historic Civil War site and growing arts community. Area code: 804.

History of Richmond area codes

Understanding how Richmond ended up with 804 and 686 requires going back to the original North American Numbering Plan.

1947 — 703 established. AT&T’s inaugural numbering plan assigned a single area code, 703, to the entire Commonwealth of Virginia. For 26 years, one code handled every telephone in the state. Source: NANPA.

1973 — 804 split. Virginia’s population growth — particularly in the Richmond metro and the Eastern Shore — pushed 703 toward capacity. On June 24, 1973, the state was split: northern and western Virginia kept 703, while east-central Virginia (Richmond and everything east and south) received the new area code 804. Permissive dialing ended January 1, 1974.

1995 — 540 split. Growing demand in western Virginia (Roanoke, the Shenandoah Valley, Fredericksburg) prompted a further geographic split. Area code 540 was carved from the western portion of 703 on June 19, 1995, leaving 703 covering only Northern Virginia.

1996 — 757 split. Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News) had grown rapidly. On July 1, 1996, the southeastern portion of 804 was split off to become area code 757, covering Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore.

2000 — 571 overlay on 703. Northern Virginia’s explosive growth drove 703 to exhaustion. Area code 571 was deployed as an overlay on March 1, 2000, assigning new numbers in Northern Virginia the 571 prefix.

2001 — 434 split. South-central Virginia (Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Danville) was split from 804 on June 1, 2001, forming area code 434. This was the last geographic split for 804.

2024 — 686 overlay. By 2022, approximately 94% of 804’s available prefixes were assigned. The Virginia SCC approved the 686 overlay on November 22, 2022. Area code 686 went live February 1, 2024. No existing 804 customer had to change their number. Source: Virginia SCC.

Richmond retained the 804 designation through every split specifically to spare Virginia state agencies the expense and disruption of changing numbers — a reflection of how heavily the state capital concentrates government operations in the metro.

804 as Richmond’s identity

Area code 804 carries cultural and institutional weight that 686, as a 2024 arrival, has not yet accumulated. For businesses, a 804 number signals deep roots in Virginia’s capital region.

Virginia state government. The Capitol Complex, General Assembly, Governor’s office, and hundreds of state agencies all operate on 804. For contractors, vendors, and lobbyists, a 804 number is the natural calling card in this market.

Monument Avenue. Richmond’s divided history is nowhere more visible than Monument Avenue. The Confederate monuments — Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Davis — were removed between 2020 and 2021 after years of public debate that intensified following national protests. The street retains its historic architecture; the monuments are gone. The 804 area code witnessed all of it.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). With over 27,000 students, VCU is one of Virginia’s largest universities and a top-ranked medical research institution. VCU Health — the academic medical center — is among the region’s largest employers. All campus and medical center numbers: 804.

University of Richmond. Private liberal arts university on the city’s west side. Ranked among the top national liberal arts universities. Area code: 804.

James River. Richmond sits at the fall line of the James River, the geographic reason the city exists. Class IV rapids run through the city’s urban core — a rare feature for a state capital. The river defines Richmond’s geography and outdoor identity.

Tobacco and Philip Morris legacy. Richmond was the global capital of tobacco manufacturing for much of the 20th century. Altria Group (formerly Philip Morris Companies) still has its headquarters in Henrico County (804), though production has shifted.

Capital One. While Capital One’s official headquarters is in McLean (703), the company employs over 20,000 people in the Richmond metro, primarily in Henrico County. Its Innsbrook campus in Glen Allen is one of the largest private employers in the region: 804.

Richmond area code spam and scams

The 804 and 686 area codes are spoofed by scammers targeting central Virginia residents. Knowing the local patterns reduces risk.

Dominion Energy shutoff threats. The most commonly reported 804 scam. Callers impersonating Dominion Energy claim your power will be shut off within hours unless you pay immediately by gift card or wire transfer.

Dominion Energy will never demand instant payment over the phone. Verify by calling Dominion’s official number: (866) 366-4357.

IRS and Social Security impersonation. Callers claiming your SSN has been “compromised” or that you have a federal arrest warrant. The IRS contacts taxpayers by mail first — not cold calls.

Fake Capital One fraud alerts. Scammers spoof Capital One call-center numbers, claiming your account has been compromised and requesting card details. Capital One will never ask you to read back your full card number on an inbound call.

Fake government employment. Virginia state government and federal agency impersonation, offering fake jobs requiring upfront fee payments or personal data.

STIR/SHAKEN protection. The FCC’s STIR/SHAKEN framework assigns attestation levels to outbound calls. A-attestation verifies the caller is authorized to use that number. For more on how STIR/SHAKEN works, see our STIR/SHAKEN glossary entry.

Report suspicious 804 or 686 calls to: Richmond PD at (804) 646-5100 or the Virginia Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 552-9963.

How to get a Richmond business phone number

A local 804 or 686 number establishes presence in Virginia’s government and finance capital without requiring a physical office. VoIP provisioning takes minutes.

Step 1 — Choose your area code. Both 804 and 686 cover the same Richmond territory. If brand recognition in the Virginia market matters, 804 is the code prospects and clients will recognize. If number availability is the priority, 686 has the largest pool of unassigned numbers.

Step 2 — Select a plan. DialPhone’s business phone plans include local number provisioning. The free trial lets you test a Richmond number before committing.

Step 3 — Configure your number. Route your Richmond number to your existing mobile, a softphone app, or an auto-attendant. DialPhone’s AI receptionist answers Richmond calls 24/7 and routes to the right team member.

Step 4 — Port your existing number. Already have a Richmond 804 number with another carrier? Number porting transfers it to DialPhone without changing the digits. See the number porting guide for timelines and process.

Step 5 — Verify STIR/SHAKEN attestation. DialPhone provisions 804 and 686 numbers with A-attestation by default. Your Richmond calls reach Virginia government agencies, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations as verified — not flagged as potential spam.

For the full setup overview, see the business phone product page.

Famous companies in Richmond area codes

Richmond’s economy spans government services, financial services, energy, and consumer brands — a dense Fortune 500 cluster for a mid-size city.

Dominion Energy — One of the largest electric and gas utilities in the US. Headquarters at 600 East Canal Street, Richmond: 804.

Altria Group — The tobacco-to-consumer goods conglomerate. Headquarters in Henrico County (Richmond metro): 804. Altria’s Philip Morris legacy made Richmond a global industry capital.

CarMax — The US’s largest used car retailer, founded in Richmond in 1993. Headquarters in Goochland County: 804.

Markel Corporation — Specialty insurance holding company, a Warren Buffett comparison favorite. Headquarters in Glen Allen (Henrico): 804.

Genworth Financial — Insurance and mortgage finance company. Headquarters in Richmond: 804.

Capital One — Financial services giant, McLean HQ (703) but 20,000+ Richmond employees on the Innsbrook/Glen Allen campus: 804. One of the region’s largest private employers.

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond — The Fifth Federal Reserve District’s central bank, covering Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and most of West Virginia. HQ on East Byrd Street: 804.

Owens & Minor — Healthcare supply chain distributor, Fortune 500. Headquarters in Mechanicsville (Hanover County): 804.

Performance Food Group (PFG) — Fortune 500 foodservice distributor, Headquartered in Richmond: 804.

This concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters, federal banking, and government operations makes 804 one of the most institutionally significant area codes in the mid-Atlantic.

Richmond area code FAQ

Richmond area code FAQ

What is the area code for Richmond, VA? +

Richmond, Virginia uses two area codes: 804 and 686. Both cover the same geographic region — Richmond city, Henrico County, Chesterfield County, and surrounding central Virginia.

Area code 804 has served the Richmond metro since 1973. Area code 686 was added as an overlay on February 1, 2024, to address number exhaustion. Existing 804 customers kept their numbers; 686 is assigned to new lines.

When did the 686 area code start in Richmond? +

Area code 686 went live in the Richmond region on February 1, 2024. The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) approved it on November 22, 2022, after the 804 area code approached exhaustion with approximately 94% of its prefixes assigned.

The 686 overlay does not require existing 804 customers to change their numbers. Both codes now serve the identical geography.

Is Richmond CA the same area code as Richmond VA? +

No. Richmond, California uses area codes 510 and 341 (Alameda and Contra Costa counties, Bay Area). Richmond, Virginia uses 804 and 686.

If you are searching for the area code for Richmond in relation to Virginia's state capital, the answer is 804 or 686. If your question is about the Bay Area city, see the 510 area code page.

What cities are in the 804 area code? +

The 804 area code covers Richmond (city proper), Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Ashland, plus the counties of Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover, Goochland, Powhatan, New Kent, and Charles City.

The Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula — including counties such as Northumberland, Lancaster, King George, Westmoreland, and Essex — also fall within the 804/686 region.

Why do Richmond VA calls need 10 digits? +

Ten-digit dialing (area code + 7-digit number) became mandatory in the 804 region when the 686 overlay was implemented in 2024. With two area codes serving the same geography, the phone network requires all 10 digits to route calls correctly.

You cannot dial a 7-digit local number anymore — even calling a neighbor requires the full 804 or 686 prefix.

Is 804 a scam area code? +

No — 804 and 686 are legitimate Richmond-area codes. However, scammers spoof these numbers to appear local and increase answer rates.

Common Richmond-specific scams include fake Dominion Energy utility shutoff calls, IRS impersonation threats, and fake Capital One fraud alerts. Dominion Energy will never demand immediate gift card or wire payment. Report suspicious calls to the Virginia Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 552-9963.

Can I get a Richmond 804 area code number for my business? +

Yes. VoIP providers including DialPhone can provision new 804 or 686 numbers instantly. You do not need a physical Richmond office.

Numbers provisioned through DialPhone carry STIR/SHAKEN A-attestation, meaning carriers verify your calls as legitimate. This matters especially when reaching Virginia government agencies, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations in the 804 region. See our pricing page for available plans.

What is STIR/SHAKEN and why does it matter for 804 numbers? +

STIR/SHAKEN is an FCC-mandated caller ID authentication framework. It assigns an attestation level (A, B, or C) to outbound calls — A-attestation means the carrier has confirmed the calling party is authorized to use that number.

For businesses calling into Richmond's government, finance, and healthcare sectors, A-attestation reduces the chance of calls being flagged as spam. DialPhone provisions 804 and 686 numbers with A-attestation by default.

Get a Richmond business number

A verified 804 or 686 number positions your business inside Virginia’s seat of government, finance, and healthcare — a market where local presence and verified caller ID directly affect answer rates.

Start a free trial — activate a Richmond number in minutes, no hardware required.

View business phone plans — includes AI receptionist, call routing, and STIR/SHAKEN A-attestation for all Richmond area codes.

Already have a Richmond number with another carrier? The number porting guide covers the full transfer process. For area code context across Virginia, see the Virginia area codes page and the individual 804 area code reference.