Area codes · Virginia
540 area code: where it is and what time it is
The 540 area code serves northern and western Virginia outside the D.C. suburbs: the Shenandoah Valley, Roanoke, the New River Valley and Fredericksburg. It shares that area with 826, so a number in any of those codes can belong to the same neighborhood. It runs on Eastern Time (ET), and local calls inside 540 are dialed with 10 digits.
| State | Virginia |
| Main cities | Roanoke, Fredericksburg, Winchester, Harrisonburg, Blacksburg, Staunton, Salem, Radford, Waynesboro, Warrenton |
| Time zone | Eastern Time (ET) |
| In service since | July 15, 1995 |
| Split from | 703 |
| Overlay codes | 826 |
| Local dialing | 10 digits |
Where is the 540 area code?
The 540 area code serves northern and western Virginia outside the D.C. suburbs: the Shenandoah Valley, Roanoke, the New River Valley and Fredericksburg. It shares that area with 826, so a number in any of those codes can belong to the same neighborhood.
An overlay means two or more area codes share the same map. New numbers can be issued in any of them, which is why neighbors, or even two lines at one business, can have different area codes.
What time zone is the 540 area code in?
The 540 area code is on Eastern Time (ET).
The clock above shows the current local time and accounts for daylight saving time automatically. If you are scheduling a call, that is the time the person who answers will see.
Which cities use the 540 area code?
Places in the 540 area code include Roanoke, Fredericksburg, Winchester, Harrisonburg, Blacksburg, Staunton, Salem, Radford, Waynesboro and Warrenton.
History of the 540 area code
- 540 was created on July 15, 1995, when 703 was divided and 703 kept the inner Northern Virginia suburbs.
- Far western Virginia moved to 276 on September 1, 2001.
- 826 was added as an all-services overlay with an in-service date of May 14, 2022, making 10-digit dialing mandatory.
Is a call from the 540 area code a scam?
Not because of the area code. 540 is an ordinary Virginia area code used by homes, businesses and cellphones. Scammers can fake any caller ID, including 540 numbers, so judge the call by what the caller asks for, not by the number.
- Spoofing. Robocallers often fake a local-looking number. A 540 caller ID does not prove the call came from Virginia.
- Look-alike codes. Some three-digit codes that look domestic, such as 876 (Jamaica) and 809 (Dominican Republic), are international. Calling back a missed call from one can cost money. 540 is not one of them.
- What to do. Don't share codes, passwords or payment details with an unexpected caller. Report scam calls at reportfraud.ftc.gov and register your number at donotcall.gov.
Get a 540 number for your AI agent
Yes, if one is available. Every KaiCalls plan, from $10/mo, includes one phone number, and you can choose or swap its area code. From inside your agent, CallMCP's search_available_numbers tool checks live carrier inventory with area_code "540", and an extra line ($15/mo) is bought through a buy_number request that the account owner approves. Inventory changes, so a search for 540 can come back empty.
{
"name": "search_available_numbers",
"arguments": { "area_code": "540", "country": "US", "limit": 5 }
}The purchase step, buy_number, only files a request. A human on the account approves it before anything is bought, and then attach_number routes the number to your agent. The phone-number guide walks through every call. Owning a 540 number does not give your agent permission to call people there; read outbound call safety and consent first.
Other area codes
Also in Virginia: 757.
917 NY · 214 TX · 646 NY · 502 KY · 281 TX · 407 FL · 505 NM · 850 FL · 216 OH · 346 TX · 856 NJ · 817 TX · 724 PA · 603 NH · 765 IN · 239 FL · 607 NY · 616 MI
Sources
Facts checked against the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) on 2026-10-30. If NANPA says something different, NANPA wins.