Area Code 819

About Area Code 819

Area code 819 is a geographic telephone area code assigned to Gatineau, Quebec. It operates in the Eastern time zone and was first introduced in 1957. Split from 514. Western Quebec. Overlays 873, 354, 356, 367 added.

Within Quebec, area code 819 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 819 number on your Caller ID, the call originated from a phone number assigned to the 819 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 819 only confirms where the number was originally assigned.

Where is the 819 area code located?

Area code 819 is assigned to Gatineau, Quebec, in the Eastern time zone. The state of Quebec uses 12 active area codes, and 819 is one of them. Calls placed from the 819 area code originate from numbers assigned by NANPA — the North American Numbering Plan Administrator — and the 819 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 819 area code?

The 819 area code serves 10 notable cities, listed below in order of population. The largest city in the 819 territory is Gatineau (291,041 residents in Gatineau County).

• Gatineau, QC — 291,041 residents (8.3% of 819 numbers)
• Montreal, QC — 1,762,949 residents (50.2% of 819 numbers)
• Quebec City, QC — 549,459 residents (15.6% of 819 numbers)
• Sherbrooke, QC — 172,950 residents (4.9% of 819 numbers)
• Saguenay, QC — 144,723 residents (4.1% of 819 numbers)
• Lévis, QC — 149,683 residents (4.3% of 819 numbers)
• Trois-Rivières, QC — 139,163 residents (4% of 819 numbers)
• Terrebonne, QC — 119,944 residents (3.4% of 819 numbers)
• Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC — 98,736 residents (2.8% of 819 numbers)
• Repentigny, QC — 85,494 residents (2.4% of 819 numbers)

Phone number format in area code 819

All phone numbers within area code 819 follow the standard North American 10-digit format:(819) 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 + 819 + 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 819 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 819

Split from 514. Western Quebec. Overlays 873, 354, 356, 367 added.

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 819 area code safe to answer?

Area code 819 itself is a normal geographic code with no elevated spam risk. That said, scammers can spoof any area code — including 819 — so if you don't recognize the full number, let it go to voicemail and verify the caller's identity before calling back.