Area Code 804

About Area Code 804

Area code 804 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Richmond, Virginia. It operates in the Eastern time zone and was first introduced in 1947. Original NANP code. Central Virginia. Overlay 686 (2024).

Within Virginia, area code 804 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 804 primarily responsible for the Richmond region. Virginia's state capital is Richmond, and its largest city is Virginia Beach.

When you receive a call from a 804 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 804 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 804 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 804 area code located?

Area code 804 is assigned to Richmond, Virginia, in the Eastern time zone. The state of Virginia uses 7 active area codes, and 804 is one of them. Calls placed from the 804 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 804 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 804 area code?

The 804 area code serves 10 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 804 territory is Richmond (230,436 residents in Unknown County).

• Richmond, VA — 230,436 residents (11.9% of 804 numbers)
• Virginia Beach, VA — 455,618 residents (23.5% of 804 numbers)
• Norfolk, VA — 238,005 residents (12.3% of 804 numbers)
• Chesapeake, VA — 247,811 residents (12.8% of 804 numbers)
• Newport News, VA — 179,225 residents (9.2% of 804 numbers)
• Alexandria, VA — 159,200 residents (8.2% of 804 numbers)
• Hampton, VA — 137,148 residents (7.1% of 804 numbers)
• Roanoke, VA — 99,143 residents (5.1% of 804 numbers)
• Portsmouth, VA — 97,475 residents (5% of 804 numbers)
• Suffolk, VA — 94,324 residents (4.9% of 804 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 804

All phone numbers within area code 804 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(804) 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 + 804 + 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 804 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 804

Original NANP code. Central Virginia. Overlay 686 (2024).

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 804 area code safe to answer?

Area code 804 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 804 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.