North American Numbers Source-cited · ownership disclosed
Area code
826
In service
United States · since 2022

Roanoke / Shenandoah Valley (overlay)

Area code 826 is a 2022 all-services overlay of 540 serving northwestern and central Virginia, including the Shenandoah Valley and Roanoke. It was added to relieve exhaustion of the 540 numbering pool.

The essentials Numbering data · NumberResearch · as of 2026-09-18
Place
Roanoke / Shenandoah Valley (overlay)
Type
geographic
Status
in service
In service since
2022
Projected exhaust
2053 Q1

Status, dates and counts are read from NumberResearch (NANPA / CNAC / FCC records). Assignment records show initial assignees, not the carrier serving a number today.

A · Where it is

Where 826 is

Northwestern and central Virginia including the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains region..

Communities served wholly or partly by 826:

RoanokeFredericksburgWinchesterHarrisonburgSalemStaunton

Coextensive with 540.

B · Relationships

How it relates to other codes

The codes 826 was split from, spawned, or shares its area with. A split divides the map and changes some numbers; an overlay shares the same ground and changes none — what's the difference?

Overlay · 2022 540 Roanoke / Shenandoah Valley 826 is the overlay added over the existing 540 territory; both serve identical geography.
What's changing. Overlay of 540 (in service since 2022). 10-digit dialing mandatory.
C · History

How 826 got here

2020-06
Virginia SCC approved plan to add area code 826 as an overlay of 540; the 540 pool was projected to exhaust in 2022.
Source: Wikipedia
2022-05-14
Mandatory 10-digit dialing began across the 540/826 service area.
Source: Citizens Coop / WSLS
2022-06-14
New lines could begin receiving 826 numbers.
Source: Citizens Coop
D · Capacity

How full it is

Prefixes assigned
139
Prefixes available
661
Thousands-blocks assigned
700

Prefix-assignment counts describe allocation to carriers, not how many individual numbers are in use. Full technical records: NumberResearch ↗.

Compare 826 with another code →
Sources
Wikipedia ↗
Area codes 540 and 826
NumberResearch.org ↗
Live status, dates, assignment counts and exhaust forecast — data as of 2026-09-18 (CC BY 4.0).

Place, relationships and history above are compiled by North American Numbers from the sources listed and last checked 2026-09-18. A check date is not an expert review — see how this is made. Flag an error.