🇺🇸 686 area code
Area code 686 covers Richmond, Midlothian, Chester and Mechanicsville and the surrounding area in Virginia. It shares that territory with 804, so the same neighbourhood can have numbers in any of them. Enter a 686 number below for a free check before you call back.
- Location: Richmond, Virginia
- Time zone: Eastern (UTC−5)
- In service since February 1, 2024
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Area code 686 at a glance
- Area code
- 686
- Location
- Virginia, United States
- Main cities
- Richmond, Midlothian, Chester, Mechanicsville, Petersburg, Ashland
- Time zone
- Eastern (UTC−5)
- Local time now
- —
- In service since
- February 1, 2024
- Created from
- 804
- Overlay codes
- 804
- Local calls
- Dial 10 digits
- Number format
- (686) 555-0123
- From abroad
- +1 686 555 0123
Cities in the 686 overlay area
- Richmond
- Midlothian
- Chester
- Mechanicsville
- Petersburg
- Ashland
- Colonial Heights
- Gloucester Courthouse
- Hopewell
- N Chesterfield
Is a 686 call a scam?
An area code tells you where a number was first assigned, not where the caller is. Mobile numbers keep their area code when people move, and internet (VoIP) numbers can be picked in any area code — so a 686 number can be calling from anywhere.
Robocallers exploit that with "neighbor spoofing": showing a 686 number to people in Virginia because a local-looking call is more likely to be answered. If a 686 call claims to be your bank, the IRS or a delivery company, hang up and call the official number yourself.
About area code 686
686 entered service on February 1, 2024, as an overlay on 804, which had run short of numbers.
It is part of the 686/804 overlay: the codes cover the same area, and a new line there can be given a number in any of them. Two neighbours — or two phones in one household — can have different area codes. That is also why local calls need the full ten digits.
Because 686 overlays the same ground, the cities listed are those of the codes it shares with.
Area codes
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Area code 686 questions
Sources: NANPA NPA database (11/04/2026) and Google libphonenumber. Area codes show where a number was assigned, not where its owner is today.
Where is area code 686?
Area code 686 is in Virginia, United States. It covers Richmond, Midlothian, Chester, Mechanicsville, Petersburg and Ashland.
What time zone is area code 686?
686 is in the Eastern (UTC−5) time zone, and observes daylight saving time.
What area codes overlay 686?
804 serves the same area as 686. Numbers in all of them are local to one another.
When did area code 686 start?
686 entered service on February 1, 2024, created from 804.
How do I find out who called me from 686?
Enter the full number in the lookup at the top of this page. The free check confirms whether the number is valid and shows its carrier, line type and region; a full report adds owner and public-web records where they are available.
Why am I getting calls from area code 686?
If you live in or near Virginia, they may be genuinely local — or robocalls spoofing a local-looking number. Unknown 686 callers who will not leave a message are best looked up before you call back.
Got a call from 686?
Run the free check first — validity, carrier, line type and region — and unlock the full report only if you need it.