Area codes 604 and 778
Encyclopedia
Telephone area code 604 serves southwestern British Columbia
: the Lower Mainland
, Sunshine Coast
, Howe Sound
/Sea to Sky Corridor, Fraser Valley
and lower Fraser Canyon
regions, including the city of Vancouver
. Initially, 604 was the area code for the entire province until a geographic split was implemented in 1997, creating the new area code 250
for the remainder of the province. 604 is one of the original 86 area codes assigned in 1947 in the contiguous United States and the then nine provinces of Canada.
Until 1988, area 604 also included Point Roberts, Washington
, an exclave of the United States
; it was transferred in that year to 206
(and is now served by area code 360
).
On November 3, 2001, a portion of the region served by code 604 had an additional area code, 778
, implemented as a concentrated overlay, which was announced in NANP planning letter PL-246. From that date until 2007, area code 778
served Metro Vancouver as well as the Fraser Valley Regional District
(the Abbotsford and Mission exchanges). The remainder of the region was served only by code 604. The addition of area code 778 required the implementation of Ten-digit dialing within both the 604/778 concentrated overlay and the remainder of the 604 region.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced on June 7, 2007, that area 778 would expand to cover the entire province effective July 4, 2007, because of exhaustion of phone numbers in area 250. Effective June 23, 2008, 10-digit dialing
became mandatory in BC and a recording was played to remind of the new rule. After September 12, 2008, 7-digit dialing was no longer functional.
The incumbent local exchange carrier
in 604 and 778 is Telus
.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
: the Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
, Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast, British Columbia
The Sunshine Coast is a region of the southern mainland coast of British Columbia, on the eastern shore of the Strait of Georgia, and just northwest of Greater Vancouver...
, Howe Sound
Howe Sound
Howe Sound is a roughly triangular sound, actually a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver.-Geography:Howe Sound's mouth at the Strait of Georgia is situated between West Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast. The sound is triangular shaped, open on its southeast towards the...
/Sea to Sky Corridor, Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley
The Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage of the term refers to the stretch of the...
and lower Fraser Canyon
Fraser Canyon
The Fraser Canyon is an 84 km landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley...
regions, including the city of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. Initially, 604 was the area code for the entire province until a geographic split was implemented in 1997, creating the new area code 250
Area code 250
Area code 250 is an area code for most of the Canadian province of British Columbia, including Vancouver Island. It was created on October 19, 1996 as a split of area code 604.The area code also serves the United States city of Hyder, Alaska....
for the remainder of the province. 604 is one of the original 86 area codes assigned in 1947 in the contiguous United States and the then nine provinces of Canada.
Until 1988, area 604 also included Point Roberts, Washington
Point Roberts, Washington
Point Roberts is an unincorporated community in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It has a post office, with the ZIP code of 98281, whose ZIP Code Tabulation Area had a population of 1,314 at the 2010 census.A geopolitical oddity, Point Roberts is a part of the United States that is not...
, an exclave of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; it was transferred in that year to 206
Area code 206
206 is the North American telephone area code in the U.S. state of Washington for Seattle, the islands of Mercer, Bainbridge and Vashon, and portions of metropolitan Seattle from Des Moines to Woodway....
(and is now served by area code 360
Area code 360
Area code 360 is the area code for western Washington state outside of metropolitan Seattle. It began service on January 15, 1995. The area, which encompasses all of western Washington outside of urban King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties and Bainbridge Island, was previously part of area code 206...
).
On November 3, 2001, a portion of the region served by code 604 had an additional area code, 778
Area code 778
Area code 778 is an overlay area code for the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was created on November 3, 2001 as a concentrated overlay of area code 604...
, implemented as a concentrated overlay, which was announced in NANP planning letter PL-246. From that date until 2007, area code 778
Area code 778
Area code 778 is an overlay area code for the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was created on November 3, 2001 as a concentrated overlay of area code 604...
served Metro Vancouver as well as the Fraser Valley Regional District
Fraser Valley Regional District
The Fraser Valley Regional District is a regional district in British Columbia, Canada. The FVRD covers an area of 13,361.74 km²...
(the Abbotsford and Mission exchanges). The remainder of the region was served only by code 604. The addition of area code 778 required the implementation of Ten-digit dialing within both the 604/778 concentrated overlay and the remainder of the 604 region.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced on June 7, 2007, that area 778 would expand to cover the entire province effective July 4, 2007, because of exhaustion of phone numbers in area 250. Effective June 23, 2008, 10-digit dialing
10-digit dialing
In the United States and Canada, 10-digit dialing is a popular term used to refer to the practice of including the area code of a phone number when dialing...
became mandatory in BC and a recording was played to remind of the new rule. After September 12, 2008, 7-digit dialing was no longer functional.
The incumbent local exchange carrier
Local exchange carrier
Local Exchange Carrier is a regulatory term in telecommunications for the local telephone company.In the United States, wireline telephone companies are divided into two large categories: long distance and local...
in 604 and 778 is Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
.
Communities included
- AbbotsfordAbbotsford, British ColumbiaAbbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
217 226 302 504 556 557 615 621 743 744 746 751 752 755 756 768 832 850 851 852 853 854 855 859 864 870
- AgassizAgassiz, British ColumbiaAgassiz is a small community located in British Columbia's Fraser Valley. The only town within the jurisdiction of the District Municipality of Kent, it contains the majority of Kent's population.-References:...
-KentKent, British ColumbiaThe District of Kent is a district municipality located east of Vancouver, British Columbia. Part of the Fraser Valley Regional District, Kent consists of several communities, the largest and most well-known being Agassiz, the only town in the municipality, Harrison Mills, Kilby, Mount Woodside,...
-Harrison Hot Springs 796
- AldergroveAldergrove, British ColumbiaAldergrove is a small town within the jurisdiction of the The Township of Langley, a municipality within Greater Vancouver. Located at the southeastern edge of both Langley and Greater Vancouver, and nearby to the metropolitan area of Abbotsford, British Columbia just east, Aldergrove has a...
308 309 607 613 614 624 625 626 627 807 825 835 856 857 866 897 996
- Anmore 461 469
- Boston BarBoston Bar, British ColumbiaBoston Bar is an unincorporated town in the Fraser Canyon of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was not named for an organization of Massachusetts lawyers but dates from the time of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush...
867
- Bowen IslandBowen IslandBowen Island, British Columbia, is an island municipality in Howe Sound, is part of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, and is an island included within the jurisdiction of the Islands Trust . Approximately 6 km wide by 12 km long, the island at its closest point is about 2 km...
947
- Burnaby 250 290 291 292 293 294 296 297 298 299 311 312 327 328 341 412 419 420 421 422 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 444 450 451 453 454 456 473 570 571 610 611 612 619 803 880
- ChehalisChehalis, British ColumbiaChehalis, British Columbia is a small forestry, agricultural and First Nations community in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia located on Highway 7 on the west bank of the Harrison River between the town of Mission and the resort community of Harrison Hot Springs.Chehalis is the site of...
796
- ChilliwackChilliwack, British ColumbiaChilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
316 378 391 392 393 407 490 701 702 703 784 791 792 793 794 795 798 799 819 823 824 843 845 846 847 858 991 997
- CloverdaleCloverdale, British ColumbiaCloverdale is an historic town and designated town centre of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, located near Langley, which is east of Vancouver. The town was founded initially as a small farm community in 1870 for its fertile land and temperate climate, and has since become enveloped by suburban...
574 575 576 577 579
- Coquitlam 931 936 939
- DeltaDelta, British ColumbiaDelta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. Located south of Richmond, it is bordered by the Fraser River to the north, the United States to the south and the city of Surrey to the east...
940 943 946 948 952 963
- GibsonsGibsons, British ColumbiaGibsons is a coastal community of 4,200 located in southwestern British Columbia, Canada on the Strait of Georgia. It is the main marine gateway to the Sunshine Coast....
840 865 885 886 887
- HopeHope, British ColumbiaHope is a district municipality located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon...
201 206 712 749 750 860 869
- Langley (city)Langley, British Columbia (city)The City of Langley is a municipality in Metro Vancouver. It lies directly east of the City of Surrey, adjacent to Cloverdale, and surrounded on the north, east and south by Township of Langley.-History:...
and (district municipality)Langley, British Columbia (district municipality)The Township of Langley is a district municipality immediately east of the City of Surrey in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It extends south from the Fraser River to the U.S. border, and west of the City of Abbotsford...
455 508 509 513 514 530 532 533 534 539 546 757 881 882 888 994
- Maple RidgeMaple Ridge, British ColumbiaMaple Ridge is a District Municipality in British Columbia, located in the northeastern section of Metro Vancouver. Maple Ridge has a population of approximately 68,949.-History:...
460 462 463 465 466 467
- MissionMission, British ColumbiaMission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
286 287 289 814 820 826
- New Westminster 200 202 209 237 239 245 306 351 357 374 375 376 377 395 512 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 537 540 545 551 553 616 617 636 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 777 787 788 805 808 813 818 822 828 833 838 862 868 878 889 908 920
- North Vancouver (city)North Vancouver, British Columbia (city)The City of North Vancouver is a waterfront municipality on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, directly across from Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the smallest of the three North Shore municipalities, and the most urbanized as well...
and (district municipality)North Vancouver, British Columbia (district municipality)The District of North Vancouver is a district municipality in British Columbia and is part of the GVRD. It surrounds the City of North Vancouver on three sides.-Geography:The District of North Vancouver is separated from Vancouver by Burrard Inlet...
210 243 770 903 904 914 924 929 960 973 980 981 982 983 984 985 986 987 988 990 995 998
- Pender HarbourPender Harbour, British Columbia“”Pender Harbour is a large, multi-inleted bay on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast, on the east side of Malaspina Strait. Once a steamer stop, a fishing village and an important logging and medical waypoint, it is now an unincorporated community within the Sunshine Coast Regional District .Pender...
883
- Pitt Meadows 458 460 465
- Port Coquitlam 464 468 471 472 474 552 554 927 941 942 944 945
- Port Moody 461 469 492 917 931 933 934 936 937 939 949
- Powell RiverPowell River, British ColumbiaPowell River is a city on the northern Sunshine Coast of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Most of its population lives near the eastern shores of Malaspina Strait, that part of the larger Georgia Strait between Texada Island and the Mainland...
208 223 344 413 414 483 485 486 487 489 578
- RichmondRichmond, British ColumbiaRichmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
204 207 214 227 231 232 233 234 241 242 244 246 247 248 249 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 284 285 288 295 303 304 330 370 448 821
- Roberts Creek See Gibsons
- SecheltSechelt, British ColumbiaThe District Municipality of Sechelt is on the lower Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Approximately 50 km northwest of Vancouver, Sechelt is accessible to the mainland of British Columbia via a 40 minute ferry trip between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale, and a 25 minute drive from Langdale...
740 741 747 989 885
- SquamishSquamish, British ColumbiaSquamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
213 389 405 567 815 848 849 890 892 898 919
- SurreySurrey, British ColumbiaSurrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
is divided into the following local rate centres:
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- Newton 501 502 503 507 543 547 561 562 572 573 590 591 592 594 595 596 597 598 599 635
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- Whalley 495 496 497 498 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 634 930 951 953 954 955 957
-
- White RockWhite Rock, British ColumbiaWhite Rock is a city in British Columbia, Canada, that lies within the Metro Vancouver regional district. It borders Semiahmoo Bay and is surrounded on three sides by the City of Surrey, British Columbia. To the south lies the Semiahmoo First Nation, which is within the city limits of Surrey...
305 385 531 535 536 538 541 542 548
- White Rock
- VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
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- West Vancouver 229 670 758 912 913 920 921 922 923 925 926
- WhistlerWhistler, British ColumbiaWhistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
203 388 400 402 698 902 905 906 907 932 935 938 962 964 965 966 967 972
- YaleYale, British ColumbiaYale is an unincorporated town in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was founded in 1848 by the Hudson's Bay Company as Fort Yale by Ovid Allard, the appointed manager of the new post, who named it after his superior, James Murray Yale, then Chief Factor of the Columbia District...
863