RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The city of Richmond’s new 686 area code is now active as its longtime area code 804 runs out of numbers, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) confirmed on Wednesday.
The SCC approved the new area code in 2022 because area code 804 was running out of available phone numbers, which officials call “a sign of how the region has grown and how more people are getting more phones.” This area includes the central portion of Virginia, including Richmond, Ashland, Charles City, Chesterfield, Henrico, New Kent and Petersburg, as well as the Northern Neck.
Despite this massive change for most Richmonders, area codes 686 and 804 are both assigned to Richmond, though it’s important to note that this change does not affect existing 804 numbers…