Area Code 276

About Area Code 276

Area code 276 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Bristol, Virginia. It operates in the Eastern time zone and was first introduced in 2001. Split from 540. Southwestern Virginia.

Within Virginia, area code 276 shares numbering capacity with 6 other area codes. The state's 8,715,698-person population (2023 Census Bureau estimate) is served by a combined 7 active codes, with 276 primarily responsible for the Bristol region. Virginia's state capital is Richmond, and its largest city is Virginia Beach.

When you receive a call from a 276 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 276 area code — but be aware that Local Number Portability (in effect since 2003) means the caller could be physically located anywhere in the US or Canada. Area code 276 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 276 area code located?

Area code 276 is assigned to Bristol, Virginia, in the Eastern time zone. The state of Virginia uses 7 active area codes, and 276 is one of them. Calls placed from the 276 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 276 prefix appears on Caller ID for both landline and wireless calls placed from this region.

The Eastern time zone observes Daylight Saving Time, shifting from UTC-5 to UTC-4 in summer. The local time shown above is always current, so you can quickly check whether it's a reasonable hour to call back.

What cities and counties use the 276 area code?

The 276 area code serves 9 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 276 territory is Virginia Beach (455,618 residents in Unknown County).

• Virginia Beach, VA — 455,618 residents (24.7% of 276 numbers)
• Norfolk, VA — 238,005 residents (12.9% of 276 numbers)
• Chesapeake, VA — 247,811 residents (13.4% of 276 numbers)
• Richmond, VA — 230,436 residents (12.5% of 276 numbers)
• Newport News, VA — 179,225 residents (9.7% of 276 numbers)
• Alexandria, VA — 159,200 residents (8.6% of 276 numbers)
• Hampton, VA — 137,148 residents (7.4% of 276 numbers)
• Roanoke, VA — 99,143 residents (5.4% of 276 numbers)
• Portsmouth, VA — 97,475 residents (5.3% of 276 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 276

All phone numbers within area code 276 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(276) NXX-XXXX. The NXX is the central office prefix (also called an "exchange") and XXXX is the subscriber line number. For long-distance calls within the NANP, dial 1 + 276 + NXX + XXXX. From outside North America, dial your country's international access code, then 1 (the NANP country code), then the 10-digit number.

If you need to verify whether a specific 276 number is wireless, landline, or VoIP, you can use our reverse phone lookup tool. Be aware that number portability means the area code no longer guarantees the caller's physical location — only where the number was first assigned.

History of area code 276

Split from 540. Southwestern Virginia.

The original 86 area codes were assigned by AT&T and Bell Labs in 1947 as part of the North American Numbering Plan. At the time, rotary-dial phones meant codes with lower digits (like 212 for NYC, 213 for LA, 312 for Chicago) were given to the largest cities because they took less time to dial. Today's area code assignments still reflect those early choices, even though touch-tone and cell phones made the original reason obsolete.

Is the 276 area code safe to answer?

Area code 276 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 276 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.