Phone Codes

There are three telephone area codes for the province of British Columbia. Dialing in BC required 10-digit phone numbers, so ensure you include the correct area code in front of the local number you are dialing.

604, 778, 250

• Greater Vancouver (including two outer communities - Abbotsford and Mission) use 604 and 778. The 604 area code has been around for decades and most local numbers will start with this. New numbers issued after November 2001 start with 778.
• The urbanized area north of Greater Vancouver to Whistler uses only the 604 area code.
• The rest of BC, including Victoria, uses the 250 area code.
  

Local vs. Long Distance

• Almost all phone numbers in the Greater Vancouver area are local calls. A recorded message will play if you have dialed a long distance number and will provide redialing instructions.
• Phone calls to Whistler are long distance, but most businesses in the resort community have either toll-free or local-call numbers.
• Victoria is long distance from Vancouver (and vice versa.)
  

Direct Dial

If you're calling from within Canada or the United States, direct dialing is: 1.areacode.phone.number (e.g. 1.604.555.1212)

If you're calling from outside North America, you can dial directly to BC numbers. Simply use the international access code 00 if you're calling from most countries in Europe and 0011 if you're calling from Australia. Then dial our country code 1, the area code and the number.

Directories

You can find the phone numbers of most residents and businesses (as well as see a map of their location) in Greater Vancouver and BC by using the following sites:

www.superpages.ca  
www.canada411.com