686 Area Code — Virginia
686 is a North American Numbering Plan area code for Virginia, the United States. It covers about 976,498 people in 41 towns and 96 ZIP codes, including Richmond, Henrico and Glen Allen.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Area code | 686 |
| Country | United States (+1) |
| State / province | Virginia |
| Type | Shares its towns with 804 |
| Time zone | Eastern |
| Population covered | 976,498 |
| Towns covered | 41 |
| ZIP codes | 96 |
| Approx. centre | 37.560, -77.267 |
Where area code 686 is used
Area code 686 is assigned to Virginia, the United States, inside the North American Numbering Plan. Numbers in the code are written (686) NXX-XXXX at home and +1 686 NXX-XXXX when dialled from outside Canada and the United States. Since the NANP moved to 10-digit dialling you must always include the area code, even for a local call.
Other area codes in this footprint: 804. They serve towns in the same territory, so a single street can contain numbers from more than one code. That is normal in the NANP and does not change how you dial.
Towns and cities in area code 686
The 41 towns below are the largest in the 686 footprint, ranked by population. Every one of them links to its own page with the full list of area codes and ZIP codes for that town.
| Town | County | Population | ZIP codes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | Richmond city | 407,296 | 39 |
| Henrico | Henrico County | 196,955 | 11 |
| Glen Allen | Henrico County | 79,019 | 3 |
| Petersburg | Dinwiddie County | 63,420 | 3 |
| Chesterfield | Chesterfield County | 59,128 | 2 |
| Chester | Chesterfield County | 54,827 | 2 |
| Colonial Heights | Chesterfield County | 26,628 | 1 |
| Ashland | Hanover County | 19,987 | 1 |
| Fort Lee | Prince George County | 8,993 | 1 |
| Tappahannock | Essex County | 6,612 | 1 |
| Waverly | Sussex County | 5,616 | 2 |
| Heathsville | Northumberland County | 5,498 | 1 |
Counties covered
| County | ZIP codes |
|---|---|
| Richmond city | 29 |
| Henrico County | 17 |
| Chesterfield County | 10 |
| King and Queen County | 6 |
| Northumberland County | 5 |
| Essex County | 3 |
| Lancaster County | 3 |
| Westmoreland County | 3 |
| Middlesex County | 3 |
| Dinwiddie County | 3 |
| Hanover County | 2 |
| Charles City County | 2 |
Other area codes serving the same towns
Nearby area codes
How to dial area code 686
- Within North America: 686 + 7-digit number (686-NXX-XXXX). The leading 1 is optional on a mobile phone and required on most landlines for long-distance.
- From abroad: your country's international prefix, then 1, then 686, then the 7-digit number — for example 00 1 686 NXX-XXXX from most of Europe.
Frequently asked questions
What area code is 686?
686 is a North American Numbering Plan area code assigned to Virginia, the United States. It covers about 976,498 people in 41 towns.
Is 686 a US or Canadian area code?
686 is a United States area code. Canada and the United States share the +1 country code, so both are part of the same numbering plan.
What time zone is area code 686 in?
Area code 686 is in the Eastern time zone.
Do I have to dial 10 digits?
Yes. Every NANP call now requires the area code plus the seven-digit number, even for a local call.