Area Code 581

About Area Code 581

Area code 581 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Quebec City, Quebec. It operates in the Eastern time zone and was first introduced in 2008. Overlay for 418. Eastern Quebec.

Within Quebec, area code 581 operates alongside 11 other area codes. The province's 2023 population estimate is 9,029,933. Quebec's capital is Quebec City and its largest city is Montreal.

When you receive a call from a 581 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 581 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 581 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 581 area code located?

Area code 581 is assigned to Quebec City, Quebec, in the Eastern time zone. The state of Quebec uses 12 active area codes, and 581 is one of them. Calls placed from the 581 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 581 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 581 area code?

The 581 area code serves 9 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 581 territory is Quebec City (549,459 residents in Quebec City County).

• Quebec City, QC — 549,459 residents (16% of 581 numbers)
• Montreal, QC — 1,762,949 residents (51.4% of 581 numbers)
• Gatineau, QC — 291,041 residents (8.5% of 581 numbers)
• Sherbrooke, QC — 172,950 residents (5% of 581 numbers)
• Saguenay, QC — 144,723 residents (4.2% of 581 numbers)
• Lévis, QC — 149,683 residents (4.4% of 581 numbers)
• Trois-Rivières, QC — 139,163 residents (4.1% of 581 numbers)
• Terrebonne, QC — 119,944 residents (3.5% of 581 numbers)
• Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC — 98,736 residents (2.9% of 581 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 581

All phone numbers within area code 581 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(581) 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 + 581 + 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 581 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 581

Overlay for 418. Eastern Quebec.

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 581 area code safe to answer?

Area code 581 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 581 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.