What the area code does
In Canada, a phone number has ten digits: a three-digit area code, then a seven-digit number. The area code stands for a geographic zone. Canadian numbers are part of the North American Numbering Plan, shared with the United States and several Caribbean countries. In Canada, area codes are managed by the Canadian Numbering Administrator under the authority of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which approves new area codes when a region runs short of numbers.
Québec area codes, region by region
The exact boundaries follow telephone exchange borders that don't always match city limits. When in doubt, the Canadian Numbering Administrator publishes the official area code maps.
- Island of Montréal: 514, 438 and 263.
- The North and South Shores around Montréal, including Laval, Longueuil and part of the Laurentides: 450, 579 and 354.
- Eastern Québec, including Québec City, Lévis, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie: 418, 581 and 367.
- Western, central and northern Québec, including Gatineau and the Outaouais, the Eastern Townships, Mauricie, Centre-du-Québec and Abitibi-Témiscamingue: 819, 873 and 468.
Why one region has several area codes
When a region runs short of numbers, a new "overlay" area code is added over the same zone: existing numbers don't change, and new numbers may get the new code. That is why, in Montréal, a 263 number is just as local as a 514 number. Since these overlays, all local calls in Québec are dialled with ten digits. A newer area code is therefore neither less local nor less reliable; it is simply newer.
Choosing for your use
- For personal use, choose the area code where most of your family and friends live: it is the one they will recognize.
- For a local business, choose your customers' area code. A Sherbrooke shop inspires trust with an 819; a South Shore business, with a 450.
- For a business serving several regions, one number per region, all forwarded to the same system, lets customers call a local number.
- For a listing or a one-off project, the area code matters less: take the one where the item or service is.
- If you move, you can usually keep your number, even if its area code no longer matches your new region.
What the area code changes for your contacts
With a typical Canadian mobile plan, calling a number in another region of Canada often costs nothing extra. But some customers, especially those calling from a business landline or a basic plan, may still pay long-distance charges to call a distant area code. A local number avoids the question, and it is more likely to be taken seriously by someone who hesitates to answer an unknown number.
A number from another province
Nothing stops someone living in Québec from having a number from another province, and vice versa. It helps a business that wants a local presence in Toronto or Ottawa, or someone who keeps ties with another region. Ottawa and Gatineau are a good example: two neighbouring cities, two provinces, and different area codes (613 and 343 on one side, 819, 873 and 468 on the other). If your customers are on both sides of the river, two local numbers can ring in the same place.
Changing area code later
You can't change the area code of an existing number: changing the area code means changing the number. So think ahead before choosing. If you plan to move or to expand your business to another region, a second local number, added later, is often simpler than changing the number your customers already know. And if you really must change numbers, keep the old one active for a few months, with a message announcing the new one.
Toll-free numbers
Toll-free numbers (800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888) are not tied to any region: the call is free for the caller, and the business pays for it. They suit a business that serves all of Canada. For a local business, a number with the region's area code often gives a closer image, and usually costs less.
A number that is easy to remember
Beyond the area code, some numbers are easier to remember: repeated digits, sequences, ending in 00. They help on a sign or in a radio ad. Just check that the number doesn't carry an awkward history: a recently reassigned number may still get calls meant for the previous subscriber for a while. Serious providers keep released numbers in quarantine before reassigning them, to limit this problem.
With MIMT
MIMT's number picker searches live for free numbers in every region of Québec and Canada, and tells you clearly when an area code is sold out. The number you pick is held for 10 minutes while you create your account. See our Montréal, Québec City, Laval and Gatineau pages. Numbers released at MIMT spend 90 days in quarantine before they are reassigned.