Boost Your Business with the 686 Area Code Virtual Number in VA!

Are you looking to establish or expand your business in Virginia, specifically in the Richmond metropolitan area? Dialaxy offers virtual phone numbers with the 686 area code, helping you connect with customers in this thriving region. With a 686 area code number, you can tap into Richmond’s growing business landscape while enhancing your local presence and communication.

Sign up Request a Demo

Endorsed by top industry leaders

Trusted by industry experts for excellence and innovation.

What is the 686 Area Code?

The 686 area code serves parts of central Virginia, covering key cities like Richmond, Petersburg, Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hopewell. It was introduced as an overlay for the 804 area code in 2024 to accommodate increasing demand for phone numbers.

Richmond, the state’s capital, is a major financial, healthcare, and technology hub, attracting businesses and professionals from diverse industries. The 686 area code allows companies to establish a presence in this vibrant economic region without needing a physical location.

Country	USA
State	Virginia
Major Cities	Richmond, Petersburg, Chesterfield, Henrico, Hopewell
Time Zone	Eastern Time Zone
Telephone Number Format	+1 686-XXX-XXXX
Example Number	+1 686-209-9876

A Brief History of the 686 Area Code

The 686 area code was introduced as an overlay to the existing 804 area code, ensuring a steady supply of phone numbers for businesses and residents in central Virginia. Unlike traditional area code splits, overlays allow customers to keep their current numbers while new numbers are assigned under the additional area code.

The 804 area code had served the region since 1973, but with Richmond’s expanding economy and population growth, demand for phone numbers surged. To address this, Virginia introduced the 686 overlay on February 1, 2024. Now, both 804 and 686 serve the same geographic area, requiring 10-digit dialing for local calls.

Since its implementation, the 686 area code has supported Richmond’s growing business environment, ensuring seamless communication for industries like finance, healthcare, technology, and logistics.

The Geography and Key Cities of the 686 Area Code

The 686 area code covers central Virginia, including major cities and economic hubs such as:

Richmond: The capital city, known for its financial sector, healthcare institutions, and corporate headquarters.
Petersburg: A city with a rich historical background and a growing business environment.
Chesterfield: A fast-growing suburban area offering a mix of residential and commercial developments.
Henrico: A key part of the Richmond metro area with strong retail and industrial sectors.
Hopewell: An industrial hub with a strong presence in manufacturing and logistics.

686 Area Code: Key Economic and Income Statistics

The statistics for the 686 area code come from ZIP Atlas, which collects data from government and public sources. These numbers, like population, income, and housing costs, show general trends in the region. However, for the most accurate and updated details, it’s best to check official sources like the U.S. Census Bureau or local government reports.

Statistic	Details
Population	Richmond metro area has over 1.2 million people, driving regional growth.
Median Household Income	Around $71,000, higher than Virginia’s state average.
Unemployment Rate	Approximately 3.2%, reflecting a strong job market.
Labor Force Participation Rate	About 64%, indicating active workforce engagement.
Median Home Price	Roughly $320,000, showing rising demand in housing.
Average Rent	A 1-bedroom apartment in Richmond averages $1,400 per month.
Key Industries	Finance, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and technology.
Poverty Rate	Around 12%, lower than the national average.
Per Capita Income	Approximately $42,000, showing steady income growth.
Median Age	37 years, reflecting a balanced workforce demographic.

How Does a 686 Area Code Business Phone Number Work?

Here are the steps on how it works:

Dialing the Number: A caller dials the full phone number, including the 686 area code.
Identifying the Area Code: The telecommunication network detects the 686 area code to route the call.
Routing the Call The network directs the call to the correct geographic location in central Virginia.
Identifying the Local Exchange Carrier: The network identifies the local service provider responsible for handling the call.
Connecting the Call: The call is handed off to the recipient, ensuring a smooth and clear connection.

Dialing a 686 Number:

Country Code (1): Represents the United States.
Area Code (686): Directs the call to central Virginia.
Local Exchange (e.g., 209): A three-digit local exchange code (For Richmond, etc.).
Subscriber Number (e.g., 9876): A unique four-digit line number assigned to the recipient.

With Dialaxy’s services, your 686 area code number comes with call forwarding, voicemail-to-email, and intelligent call routing, ensuring seamless communication with customers and clients.

Who’s Doing Business in Area Code 686?

The 686 area code region is home to various high-profile businesses across multiple industries:

Finance

Richmond houses headquarters for major banks like Capital One and Bank of America.

Healthcare

Institutions like VCU Health and Bon Secours Health System drive the medical sector.

Technology

Startups and tech firms are growing rapidly, boosting the innovation economy.

Logistics & Transportation

Companies like UPS, Amazon, and FedEx operate major hubs in the region.

Why Choose a 686 Area Code Virtual Phone Number for Your Business?

Build Local Trust in Richmond

A 686 area code establishes your business presence in Richmond, Petersburg, and central Virginia, making customers feel more comfortable reaching out. A local number enhances trust and strengthens relationships within the community.

Expand Your Market Reach

With a 686 number, you’re not limited to one location. You can connect with customers across central Virginia, improving brand visibility and making it easier for potential clients to contact you.

Stay Accessible Anywhere

Dialaxy’s VoIP technology lets you use your 686 phone number from anywhere—whether you're in another state or country. This ensures your business remains reachable at all times.

Enhance Business Credibility

A local 686 area code gives your business a professional and established image, reassuring customers that they’re working with a reliable company in their region.

Scale Easily as You Grow

With Dialaxy’s flexible VoIP services, you can add multiple 686 numbers for different departments or locations. This ensures seamless communication as your business expands.

Leverage Advanced Communication Features

With a 686 area code number, you gain access to Dialaxy’s powerful communication tools, including call routing, voicemail-to-email, and call forwarding. These features streamline operations, ensuring you can manage calls efficiently and enhance customer experience.

Enjoy 100+ Dialaxy’s features with local phone number

Call, SMS, & Contact in one easy to use app.

Phone Numbers

Expand your reach with Virtual Phone Numbers

International Numbers: Establish a local presence of your business with our international phone numbers .

Toll Free Numbers: Elevate your sales strategy and drive business growth with Toll Free Numbers.

Multiple Phone Numbers: Use multiple phone numbers in one single dashboard.

Global Calling

Connect globally with effortless calls

Extended Reach: Enables businesses to expand their market by reaching international customers.

Flexibility: Allows employees to make international calls from anywhere.

Seamless Communication: Ensures clear and reliable communication with international contacts.

SMS

Enhance communication with SMS capabilities

A2P 10DLC: Register your number in A2P 10DLC to send sms within US and Canada.

Schedule SMS: Schedule SMS as per your customer timezone so they don’t miss an update.

Personalised Messaging: Personalise SMS depending upon your user and its behaviour.

Voicemail

Easily manage messages with Voicemail

Voicemail Recording: Personalized voicemail greetings for different departments

Message Management: Messages are stored in the cloud, allowing for easy access.

Access and Playback: Listen to voicemails from any internet-connected device.

Number Sharing

Enhance collaboration with effortless Number Sharing

Unified communication: With number sharing, multiple devices can use the same phone number.

Convenience: Seamlessly switch between devices without missing calls or texts.

Cost Efficiency: Reduce costs by eliminating the need for multiple phone plans.

Contacts

Effortlessly manage your contacts

Add and delete contact: Add and delete new contacts as the business grows.

Centralized Information: Stores all relevant contact details in one place, making it easy to access and manage.

Improved Organization: Helps organize contacts into groups or categories, enabling better management.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 686 area code?

The 686 area code is an overlay for the 804 area code, serving central Virginia, including major cities like Richmond, Petersburg, and surrounding areas. It ensures a continuous supply of phone numbers for businesses and residents.

Why was the 686 area code introduced?

With the increasing demand for new phone numbers in the 804 area code region, the 686 overlay was introduced in 2024. This prevents number shortages while allowing businesses and individuals to keep their existing 804 numbers.

Can I use a 686 area code number outside of Richmond?

Absolutely! With Dialaxy’s VoIP services, you can use a 686 phone number from anywhere, whether you’re in Virginia, another state, or even internationally. This provides flexibility and mobility for businesses and professionals.

What features come with a 686 area code business phone number?

Dialaxy’s 686 area code virtual phone numbers come with advanced communication features, including:

Voicemail-to-email for efficient message retrieval
Call forwarding to stay connected on any device
Call recording for quality assurance and compliance
Smart call routing to direct calls to the right team members

Can I add multiple 686 area code numbers for my business?

Yes! With Dialaxy’s scalable VoIP solutions, you can easily add multiple 686 area code numbers to organize communication across different teams, departments, or locations—helping your business stay professional and efficient.

Is a contract required to get a 686 area code number?

No! Dialaxy offers flexible, no-contract VoIP services, allowing you to get a 686 area code number without long-term commitments. This makes it easy to scale your business communications as needed.

Phone System Features

Call Features

Message Features

Productivity

Notification Feature

Integrations

International Numbers

Toll-free Numbers

Vanity Phone Number

Multiple Phone Numbers

Business Hours

Voicemail Greetings

Text to Speech

Call Routing

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Outbound Calling

Inbound Calling

Global Calling

Call History

Concurrent Calls

Voicemail

Call recording

Call Flow Designer

Call Forwarding

SMS

Frictionless SMS

SMS Filters

MMS (coming soon)

Mute Conversation

SMS Campaigns (coming soon)

Schedule SMS (coming soon)

Schedule MMS (coming soon)

Web Application

Android App

Desktop Agent

Chrome Extension

Number Sharing

Advanced Filtering

Agent Addition

Agent Groups

Unlimited Contacts

Desktop Notification

Mobile Notification

Email Notification

Extension Notification

One-click Setup

CRM Integration

Contact Synchronization

2 way- data Sync.

Other Integrations

Let’s catch up

Integration

Startup

Healthcare

E-Commerce

Travel and Tourism

Sales

Hotels

Franchise

Professional Services

Insurance

Recruiting

Education

Let’s catch up

Integration

Blogs

Knowledge Hub

Compare

Local Phone Number

Virtual Phone Number

About Us

Testimonials

Download Apps

Help Center

Let’s catch up

Integration

Phone Number Checker

Phone Number Validator

Phone Carrier Lookup

Reverse Phone Lookup