Area Code 540

About Area Code 540

Area code 540 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Fredericksburg, Virginia. It operates in the Eastern time zone and was first introduced in 1995. Split from 703. Northern Virginia. Overlay 826 TBD.

Within Virginia, area code 540 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 540 primarily responsible for the Fredericksburg region. Virginia's state capital is Richmond, and its largest city is Virginia Beach.

When you receive a call from a 540 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 540 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 540 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 540 area code located?

Area code 540 is assigned to Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern time zone. The state of Virginia uses 7 active area codes, and 540 is one of them. Calls placed from the 540 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 540 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 540 area code?

The 540 area code serves 12 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 540 territory is Virginia Beach (455,618 residents in Unknown County).

• Virginia Beach, VA — 455,618 residents (21.9% of 540 numbers)
• Norfolk, VA — 238,005 residents (11.5% of 540 numbers)
• Chesapeake, VA — 247,811 residents (11.9% of 540 numbers)
• Richmond, VA — 230,436 residents (11.1% of 540 numbers)
• Newport News, VA — 179,225 residents (8.6% of 540 numbers)
• Alexandria, VA — 159,200 residents (7.7% of 540 numbers)
• Hampton, VA — 137,148 residents (6.6% of 540 numbers)
• Roanoke, VA — 99,143 residents (4.8% of 540 numbers)
• Portsmouth, VA — 97,475 residents (4.7% of 540 numbers)
• Suffolk, VA — 94,324 residents (4.5% of 540 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 540

All phone numbers within area code 540 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(540) 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 + 540 + 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 540 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 540

Split from 703. Northern Virginia. Overlay 826 TBD.

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 540 area code safe to answer?

Area code 540 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 540 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.