Area Code 778

About Area Code 778

Area code 778 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Vancouver, British Columbia. It operates in the Pacific time zone and was first introduced in 2001. Overlay for 604. British Columbia. Also 236, 257, 672.

Within British Columbia, area code 778 operates alongside 5 other area codes. The province's 2023 population estimate is 5,649,205. British Columbia's capital is Victoria and its largest city is Vancouver.

When you receive a call from a 778 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 778 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 778 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 778 area code located?

Area code 778 is assigned to Vancouver, British Columbia, in the Pacific time zone. The state of British Columbia uses 6 active area codes, and 778 is one of them. Calls placed from the 778 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 778 prefix appears on Caller ID for both landline and wireless calls placed from this region.

The Pacific time zone observes Daylight Saving Time, shifting from UTC-8 to UTC-7 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 778 area code?

The 778 area code serves 9 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 778 territory is Vancouver (662,248 residents in Vancouver County).

• Vancouver, BC — 662,248 residents (28.3% of 778 numbers)
• Surrey, BC — 568,322 residents (24.3% of 778 numbers)
• Burnaby, BC — 249,125 residents (10.7% of 778 numbers)
• Richmond, BC — 209,937 residents (9% of 778 numbers)
• Abbotsford, BC — 141,397 residents (6% of 778 numbers)
• Coquitlam, BC — 139,284 residents (6% of 778 numbers)
• Kelowna, BC — 137,148 residents (5.9% of 778 numbers)
• Saanich, BC — 114,415 residents (4.9% of 778 numbers)
• Langley Township, BC — 117,285 residents (5% of 778 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 778

All phone numbers within area code 778 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(778) 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 + 778 + 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 778 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 778

Overlay for 604. British Columbia. Also 236, 257, 672.

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 778 area code safe to answer?

Area code 778 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 778 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.