The 804 area code is Richmond, Virginia and the surrounding east-central region of the state — and since February 1, 2024 it shares that territory with a new overlay, area code 686. If a 686 number just appeared in your life, it is not a typo and not a scam prefix: it is the same Richmond-area numbering pool, extended because 804 ran out of room.
This guide covers both codes: where they reach, why the overlay happened, and what the digits do — and don’t — tell you about a caller.
What region the 804 area code covers
804 is anchored by Richmond, Virginia’s capital, and spreads across the metro and beyond:
- Richmond metro: Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover and Mechanicsville, Ashland, Midlothian, Powhatan
- The Tri-Cities: Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell
- East of the metro: Charles City and New Kent counties, out through the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, including Gloucester and Mathews
Everything in that footprint is Eastern Time, and every local call is dialed with the full ten digits.
The 686 overlay: why Richmond has two area codes now
Area codes hold a finite pool of prefixes, and 804’s was projected to deplete. Virginia’s State Corporation Commission approved relief in 2022, and the fix was an overlay: a second code, 686, layered over the exact same territory, in service February 1, 2024.
Three things worth knowing about how that works in practice:
- Nobody’s number changed. Existing 804 numbers stayed put. 686 only appears on new assignments, and only as 804 prefix stock runs out.
- 686 is exactly as local as 804. Same rate centers, same calling areas, same geography — a Richmond business with a 686 number is not one inch less Richmond.
- Ten-digit dialing is mandatory. With two codes over one territory, seven digits no longer identify a line.
If your instinct on seeing an unfamiliar code is suspicion, that is a healthy instinct pointed at the wrong layer — the area code guide explains why overlays keep appearing across the country.
A short history: the mother of Virginia’s codes
804 has been carved down twice since it arrived on June 24, 1973 as a split from Virginia’s original 703:
- 1996: the 757 area code split off, taking Hampton Roads — Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and the coast.
- 2001: 434 split off, taking Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Danville.
So a reference to “804” in something older than 2001 may describe a footprint far larger than today’s Richmond-anchored region — worth remembering when an old record and a current number disagree.
Who calls from 804 and 686 numbers
Richmond’s caller mix reflects what the region hosts. The capital’s government offices, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals sit downtown; the metro’s large employers — Capital One’s Goochland campus, Dominion Energy, VCU and VCU Health, and a cluster of Fortune 500 headquarters including Altria, CarMax, Performance Food Group, and Markel — generate the usual gravity of service, billing, HR, and healthcare calls.
The verification rule is the same as anywhere: the displayed code proves nothing by itself. Numbers travel with their owners, VoIP places 804 calls from anywhere, and caller ID spoofing — including “neighbor spoofing” that deliberately mimics your own area code — fakes the display outright. Verify an unexpected caller by hanging up and dialing the organization’s published number yourself.
804 numbers for business
A Richmond-area number is a local-presence signal for any business serving central Virginia — and with the overlay live, availability is a non-issue: if 804 stock in a rate center is thin, 686 numbers are the same local pool with fresh inventory.
SIPNEX provisions local DIDs across Virginia rate centers and the rest of the US, delivers them over dialer-grade SIP trunking, and signs every outbound call at A-level STIR/SHAKEN attestation — the carrier-side trust signal that separates legitimate local calling from the spoofing it superficially resembles.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the 804 area code located?
East-central Virginia: Richmond and its metro (Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover, Ashland), the Tri-Cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell, and east through the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. Since February 2024 the same territory is also served by the 686 overlay.
Is area code 686 legitimate?
Yes. 686 is the official overlay of the 804 region, approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission and in service since February 1, 2024. It serves exactly the same territory as 804 and appears on newly assigned numbers as 804 inventory depletes. A 686 number is a normal, current Richmond-area assignment — not a scam marker.
Do Richmond calls require ten-digit dialing?
Yes. With 804 and 686 covering the same ground, local calls must be dialed with the area code included. Mobile phones handle this automatically; office phone systems and fax machines with stored seven-digit numbers need their dial plans and contact lists updated.
Can I get an 804 number if my business isn’t in Richmond?
Yes. Carriers provision numbers by rate center, not by your street address, so a business anywhere can hold a Richmond-area number for local presence. Depending on current inventory in the rate center you want, the assignment may come from 804 or the 686 overlay — both are equally local to callers.
SIPNEX is an FCC-licensed carrier providing local DID numbers across Virginia and every US market, toll-free numbers as a registered RespOrg, and high-volume SIP trunking signed with our own STIR/SHAKEN certificate. Talk to an operator or see rates.
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