Area code 686: where it is and who calls from it
Area code 686 is in Virginia.
Virginia (the Richmond Metropolitan Area, including Petersburg and the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula)
| Where | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Time zone | Eastern Time ยท local time |
| In service since | 2024 |
| Overlay | Yes, with 804 |
| Prefixes assigned | 31 of 792 possible (4%) |
Overlay: 686 covers the same area as 804. Overlay areas use 10-digit dialing, so a seven-digit number alone won't connect, and neighbors can have different area codes.
Where 686 numbers started
Every prefix is assigned to a rate center, the local calling area it was set up in. These are the biggest in 686, with how many prefixes each has.
Who holds 686 numbers
- Mobile carrier 39%
- Local phone company 3%
- Internet / business phone carrier 45%
- Phone company 13%
| Carrier | Type | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onvoy | Internet / business phone carrier | 13 | 42% |
| AT&T Mobility | Mobile carrier | 9 | 29% |
| AT&T (local phone) | Local phone company | 1 | 3% |
| T-Mobile (including Sprint) | Mobile carrier | 1 | 3% |
| Verizon Wireless | Mobile carrier | 1 | 3% |
| Ringer Mobile | Mobile carrier | 1 | 3% |
| Wavenation | Phone company | 1 | 3% |
| Tpx Communications | Internet / business phone carrier | 1 | 3% |
| Exiant Communications | Phone company | 1 | 3% |
| Opentact | Phone company | 1 | 3% |
Most prefixes are pooled: the 10,000 numbers in each are handed out in blocks of 1,000 to different carriers, and people can also take their numbers to another carrier. So the carrier shown is where the prefix started, not a guarantee about any one number.
States served: Virginia.
Other area codes in Virginia
276 434 540 571 703 757 804 826 948
Got a call from 686?
An area code tells you where a number was first assigned, not where the caller is. People keep their numbers when they move, and scammers can fake any number. If you weren't expecting the call, let it go to voicemail.
If the call shows a 686 number that matches the first six digits of your own, that's often neighbor spoofing. Use the box above to check the full number.
Area code facts from the NANPA area code database (updated 10/06/2026); prefixes and carriers from NANPA's central office code records (updated 2026-10-10). Place description adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.