540 area code: location, overlays and numbers
In Washington, Virginia, area code 540 has served as a US telephone area code since 1995 and shares an overlay with 826.
- Location
- Washington, Virginia
- Service began
- 1995
- The time zone
- Time in the Eastern zone
- Overlay
- 826
- Calls in the area
- Full 10-digit dialling
- Rate centre list
- 117
- Exhaust projected
- 2053
- Code for the country
- +1 (United States)
Source: NANPA public reports, the area code report and the rate-centre report, with a file dated 11/01/2026; the exhaust year comes from the 2026-1 (April 2026) NANPA projections. We are not an official NANPA site.
Pick up a 540 number
There are two routes to a 540 number. Providers hand out a new number with their plan, picked at sign-up from the pool of numbers they hold in the code. Sellers put up numbers they already hold, often with a pattern, and charge a one-time price; you then move that number to a provider.
Providers ranked by first-year cost
| Provider | Cheapest plan | First year | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
 Free app | Basic (Just for me), free | $0 | Open Google Voice |
 Free app | Free plan, free | $0 | Open TextNow |
 Developer API | Pay-as-you-go local number, $1.15 a month | $13.80 | Open Twilio |
 Second-number app | Standard, $3.99 a month billed yearly | $47.99 | Open Burner |
 Toll-free specialist | Solo, $6.99 a month billed yearly | $84 | Open UniTel Voice |
 Second-number app | Deluxe (local number), $6.99 a month billed yearly | $102.88 | Open GoDaddy Conversations (formerly Smartline) |
Sellers listing local numbers
| Seller | What it sells | Listed price | Monthly fee | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Marketplace | Local numbers | From $9 one-time | None stated | Search at Exclusive Digits |
 Marketplace | Local and toll-free | From $9.95 one-time | $2.99 a month | Search at NumberBarn |
 Number broker | Local and toll-free | From $99 one-time | None stated | Search at RingBoost |
 Number broker | Local and toll-free | From $100 one-time | None stated | Search at PhoneNumberExpert |
| 212areacode.comNumber broker | Local numbers | From $150 one-time | None stated | Search at 212areacode.com |
Some sellers and providers may pay us a referral fee. The order always follows first-year cost. How we earn
Places in the 540 area code
For 540, NANPA lists 117 rate centres. Every one of them is a local calling area where numbers get assigned:
Some of the places are Ballard, Alum Ridge, Bedford, Basye, Bergton, Bent Mountain, Blacksburg, Berryville, Bluemont, Blue Grass, Boyce, Boones Mill, Broadway, Bridgewater, Brownsburg, Brokenburg, Buena Vista, Buchanan, Calverton, Burnt Chimney, Chancellor, Catoctin, Clifton Forge, Christiansburg, Craigsville, Covington, Crows Hematite, Criglersville, Dahlgren, Culpeper, Deerfield, Dayton, Eagle Rock, Dublin, Edom, Edinburg, Ferrum, Elkton, Floyd, Fincastle, Fredericksburg, Fort Valley, Gainesboro, Front Royal, Gordonsville, Glasgow, Greenwood, Gore, Harrisonburg, Grottoes, Hinton, Hartwood, Keezletown, Hot Springs, Lexington, King George, Louisa, Locust Grove, Madison, Luray, plus 57 other places.
Area codes related to this one
The same area and the same pool of numbers: 826. Any of these codes can supply a new number in this area, so ask for the one you want.
Virginia also uses these codes: 703, 804, 757, 571, 434, 276, 948 and 686.
540 area code questions
Where is the 540 area code?
Calls to 540 ring in Washington, Virginia, around metro Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Which country code does a 540 number use?
+1. 540 belongs to the North American Numbering Plan, so calling from abroad means dialing +1 540 and then the 7-digit number.
What time is it in the 540 area code?
In the 540 area, Eastern time applies.
Who uses a 540 number to call?
Homes, mobiles, local businesses and callers who fake a local number all use numbers in this code. What a 540 number on your screen shows is the place the number was assigned, not the identity of the caller.