540 area code
Roanoke area, Eastern Time.Area code 540 covers Roanoke, Fredericksburg, Harrisonburg and 114 more places in Virginia, on Eastern Time. 826 covers the same area.
Right now in Roanoke
Eastern Time (EST, UTC-5; EDT, UTC-4 in summer)
Calling hours: Every day, 8 AM to 9 PM (the federal rule)
Small talk
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Where 540 numbers come from
Numbers are issued by rate center, a billing area named for its main town. 540 has 117. Each one's share is how many 540 numbers start there. Its biggest metro area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
- Roanoke13%
- Fredericksburg8%
- Harrisonburg5%
- Winchester5%
- Culpeper4%
- Staunton4%
- Blacksburg3%
- Christiansburg2%
- Stafford2%
- Warrenton2%
- Radford2%
- Waynesboro2%
Also: Rocky Mount, Front Royal, Chancellor, Edinburg, Salem, Lexington, Bedford, Luray, Dahlgren, Covington, Pearisburg, Orange + 93 more
Share of exchanges (blocks of 10,000 numbers). Source: NANPA rate center and exchange reports, November 10, 2026
When can you call a 540 number?
Sales calls to homes and cell phones have legal hours, set by the federal rule. Hold every 540 number to them, since you can't tell a work line from a personal cell.
What applies to 540Every day, 8 AM to 9 PM
- Federal (TCPA and FTC rule)Every day, 8 AM to 9 PMCalls to residential and mobile numbers. Most calls to businesses are exempt from the FTC's rule.47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1); 16 CFR 310.4(c) (opens in a new tab)
Local time comes from the area code, not from where the person is today. Mobiles keep their number when they move. Calling hours here are a guide, not legal advice. Every state's calling hours, with sources
540 and 826
540 went into service on July 15, 1995, split off from 703, and 276 was later split off from it. 540 and 826 cover the same area, so new numbers can get either code and neighbors can have different area codes. 540 holds 87% of the area's exchanges; 826 holds the rest. Local calls take all 10 digits.
- 1995540 starts
- 2001276 split off
- 2022826 overlay
Source: NANPA area code database
Calling a list of 540 numbers?
Paste it into the free phone number validator. It checks every number, finds each one's time zone and sorts the list by who you can call right now.
540 area code FAQ
What area code is 540?
540 is a Virginia area code for Roanoke, Fredericksburg, Harrisonburg, Winchester and 113 more places.
What time zone is the 540 area code in?
Eastern Time (EST, UTC-5; EDT, UTC-4 in summer).
Is 826 the same as 540?
Same area, different code. 540 and 826 cover the same area (an overlay), so new numbers can get any of them and local calls take all 10 digits.
What are the calling hours for 540 numbers?
Every day, 8 AM to 9 PM, local time, under the federal rule.
When did the 540 area code start?
On July 15, 1995. It was split from 703.
Calling 540 numbers? Reach more of them.
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