Area Code 703

About Area Code 703

Area code 703 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Arlington, Virginia. It operates in the Eastern time zone and was first introduced in 1947. Original NANP code. Northern Virginia. Overlay 571 (2005).

Within Virginia, area code 703 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 703 primarily responsible for the Arlington region. Virginia's state capital is Richmond, and its largest city is Virginia Beach.

When you receive a call from a 703 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 703 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 703 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 703 area code located?

Area code 703 is assigned to Arlington, Virginia, in the Eastern time zone. The state of Virginia uses 7 active area codes, and 703 is one of them. Calls placed from the 703 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 703 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 703 area code?

The 703 area code serves 12 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 703 territory is Virginia Beach (455,618 residents in Unknown County).

• Virginia Beach, VA — 455,618 residents (21.9% of 703 numbers)
• Norfolk, VA — 238,005 residents (11.5% of 703 numbers)
• Chesapeake, VA — 247,811 residents (11.9% of 703 numbers)
• Richmond, VA — 230,436 residents (11.1% of 703 numbers)
• Newport News, VA — 179,225 residents (8.6% of 703 numbers)
• Alexandria, VA — 159,200 residents (7.7% of 703 numbers)
• Hampton, VA — 137,148 residents (6.6% of 703 numbers)
• Roanoke, VA — 99,143 residents (4.8% of 703 numbers)
• Portsmouth, VA — 97,475 residents (4.7% of 703 numbers)
• Suffolk, VA — 94,324 residents (4.5% of 703 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 703

All phone numbers within area code 703 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(703) 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 + 703 + 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 703 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 703

Original NANP code. Northern Virginia. Overlay 571 (2005).

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 703 area code safe to answer?

Area code 703 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 703 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.