Area code 540: Virginia
Area code 540 is a US state area code for Virginia, on Eastern Time. It has 786 prefixes in service across 117 rate centers, the largest being Roanoke, Fredericksburg and Harrisonburg. It shares its area with 826, so local numbers there can start with any of them. Local calls there take 10 digits.
Local time in area code 540
America/New_York
Prefixes in service
786 of 792 possible
117 rate centers
Area code 540 facts
| Location | Virginia, United States |
|---|---|
| Time zone | Eastern Time |
| Overlays | 826 |
| Split from | 703 |
| In service since | July 15, 1995 |
| Local calls | 10 digits; toll calls 1 + 10 digits |
| Carrier | Not shown. An area code is where a number was issued; numbers port between carriers. Check line type |
Which cities and towns use area code 540?
NANPA records each prefix against a rate center, the local billing area a number belongs to, usually named after its main town. These are the 540 rate centers with the most prefixes in service. 105 smaller ones aren't listed.
| Rate center | Prefixes |
|---|---|
| Roanoke | 105 |
| Fredericksburg | 63 |
| Harrisonburg | 43 |
| Winchester | 38 |
| Culpeper | 33 |
| Staunton | 29 |
| Blacksburg | 21 |
| Warrenton | 18 |
| Radford | 18 |
| Stafford | 18 |
| Christiansburg | 18 |
| Waynesboro | 17 |
Source: NANPA central office code assignments, file dated 10/17/2026. Each prefix holds up to 10,000 numbers.
How do I dial a 540 number?
NANPA's dialling plan for 540: local calls inside the code take 10 digits, toll calls 1 + 10 digits. From another area code, dial 1 first. From abroad, use +1. The examples use 555-0147, from a range reserved for fictional numbers.
| Local call inside 540 | 540-555-0147 |
|---|---|
| From another US or Canadian area code | 1-540-555-0147 |
| From outside North America | +1 540 555 0147 |
| E.164, for CRMs and SMS tools | +15405550147 |
When did area code 540 start?
Area code 540 went into service on July 15, 1995, split from 703. Today 540 and 826 cover the same area as an overlay, which is why 10-digit dialling is needed for local calls there.
Tools for 540 numbers
- Area code lookup
Look up any code or a whole list of numbers, or find the codes for a state or city.
- Area code time zone
Local time for a list of numbers, with a callable-now flag.
- NPA-NXX lookup
Rate center and state for one prefix, a level below the area code.
- TCPA calling hours checker
Whether it's inside the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. calling window there now.
Next step
A 540 number tells you where it was issued, not what it is now.
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Area code 540 questions
- What state is area code 540?
- Area code 540 is in Virginia, United States. Its largest rate centers by number of prefixes are Roanoke, Fredericksburg, Harrisonburg, Winchester and Culpeper.
- What time zone is area code 540 in?
- Eastern Time.
- What area codes overlay 540?
- 826. An overlay adds a new code to the same area instead of splitting it, so neighbours can have different area codes and local calls need 10 digits.
- When did area code 540 start?
- Area code 540 went into service on July 15, 1995, split from 703.
- Is a 540 number a cell phone or a landline?
- The area code can't tell you. In the US and Canada mobiles, landlines and VoIP lines share area codes and prefixes, and numbers move between carriers and line types. Only a live line-type lookup answers it for one number.
- How many phone numbers does area code 540 have?
- 786 of its 792 possible prefixes are in service, and each prefix holds up to 10,000 numbers. That counts prefixes assigned to carriers, not numbers in use.
Other area codes in Virginia
Sources
Location, overlays, in-service date and dialling plan: NANPA NPA database, file dated 10/16/2026. Prefixes and rate centers: NANPA central office code assignments, 10/17/2026. Time zones mapped to the IANA time zone database. By the SimpleVerifier Team; how we build these pages.