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Before You Call Back

Area code 686

Area code 686 serves Virginia, including Richmond, Chester and Ashland (Eastern time). It has been in service since February 1, 2024 and shares its area with 804.

Numbers starting with 686 drew 46 reports to the FTC from Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026 and 11 complaints to the FCC since November 2023. The number on your screen can be faked, so a 686 number proves nothing about where a call came from.

Location
VirginiaRichmond, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area and Virginia Beach-Chesepeake-Norfolk, VA-NC Metropolitan Statistical Area
Time zone
Eastern
In service since
February 1, 2024Created from 804
Overlay
Same area as 804
Local calls
Dial 10 digitsArea code needed, even next door
Exchanges in use
31 of 792held by 11 carriers
Projected to run out
2Q 2060NANPA forecast 2026.2

Complaints about 686 numbers

Reports where the number on the consumer's caller ID (or, for the FCC, the number the caller asked them to call back) starts with 686. These are counts of what people reported; the agencies do not verify them.

FTC reports, Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026

46

FCC complaints since November 2023

11

Different 686 numbers reported

53

FCC complaints naming a 686 number, by month

November 2023 to October 2026. Source: FCC Consumer Complaints Data.

Show as a table
MonthComplaints
November 20230
December 20230
January 20240
February 20240
March 20240
April 20240
May 20240
June 20240
July 20240
August 20240
September 20240
October 20240
November 20240
December 20240
January 20250
February 20250
March 20250
April 20250
May 20250
June 20250
July 20250
August 20250
September 20250
October 20250
November 20251
December 20252
January 20264
February 20260
March 20260
April 20261
May 20260
June 20260
July 20260
August 20260
September 20261
October 20261

What people said 686 calls were about

Subjects picked in FTC reports, August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. 21 of 46 reports were robocalls.

Show as a table
SubjectReports
Other22
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends8
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)7
Energy, solar, and utilities4
Dropped call or no message2
Warranties and protection plans1

Places served by 686

NANPA lists 15 rate centers for 686. A rate center is the town or district a block of numbers is tied to for billing; sorted here by how many exchanges each holds.
  • Richmond16
  • Chester2
  • Ashland1
  • Bethia1
  • Cartersville1
  • Charles City1
  • Dawn1
  • Heathsville1
  • Irvington1
  • Kilmarnock1
  • King William1
  • Montross1
  • Petersburg1
  • Tappahannock1
  • Waverly1

Phone companies holding 686 exchanges

Each exchange (the three digits after the area code) is assigned to one carrier. 100% of these exchanges are pooled: their numbers are handed out in blocks of 1,000 to other carriers, so the holder below is not always the company serving a given number.

Exchanges held, top 8 of 11 carriers

NANPA central office code assignments, file of November 11, 2026.

Show as a table
Carrier (legal name)Exchanges
Onvoy, LLC - VA13
New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - DC9
AT&T - Local1
Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless - VA1
Exiant Communications LLC1
Omnipoint Communications Cap Operations, LLC1
Opentact Inc.1
Ringer Mobile, Inc.1

Check a 686 number

A check shows the carrier and rate center of the number's exchange and every FTC and FCC report about that exact number. Why the number on screen can be fake.

Other area codes in Virginia

NANPA area code database and central office code file of November 11, 2026; FCC complaints November 1, 2023 to November 11, 2026; FTC reports August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. How the data is used.

Official sources (7)Show