What Is Area Code 804?
Area code 804 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) serving central and eastern Virginia, with Richmond as its primary population center. The region includes Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, Mechanicsville, Ashland, Chester, Midlothian, and communities across the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. Area code 686 now operates as an overlay across the same geographic region.
Area code 804 was established in 1973, when it was split from Virginia's original 703 area code. Its geographic footprint became smaller through subsequent splits as telephone demand increased across Virginia.
- State: Virginia
- Primary City: Richmond
- Major Cities: Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, Mechanicsville
- Time Zone: Eastern Time (ET)
- Established: 1973
- Overlay Area Code: 686
- Region: Central and eastern Virginia, including the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula
- Primary Uses: Residential phone service, mobile numbers, business phone numbers, healthcare, government, finance, education, logistics, retail, and professional services
What Time Zone Is Area Code 804 In?
Area code 804 is entirely within the Eastern Time Zone (ET).
- Eastern Standard Time (EST): UTC−5
- Eastern Daylight Time (EDT): UTC−4 during daylight saving time
The same time zone applies to Richmond, Petersburg, Mechanicsville, Colonial Heights, the Northern Neck, and the Middle Peninsula.
Population & Demographics of Area Code 804
Because telephone area-code boundaries do not correspond exactly to Census county boundaries, there is no single official Census population figure for the entire 804 service area. Current area-code data estimates the broader 804/686 region at approximately 1.4 million residents.
- Estimated Population: Approximately 1.4 million residents
- Region: Central and eastern Virginia, including Richmond and surrounding communities
- Average Household Size: Approximately 2.4 people
- Gender Distribution: Approximately 51.60% female and 48.40% male
- Population Density: Highest in Richmond and the surrounding Henrico and Chesterfield County suburbs
- Largest Population Centers: Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico, Petersburg, Mechanicsville, and Colonial Heights
- Age Distribution: Richmond City has 17.2% of residents under 18 and 14.5% aged 65 or older. Chesterfield County has 23.0% under 18 and 17.9% aged 65 or older.
- Major Industries: Government, healthcare, finance, insurance, technology, logistics, education, manufacturing, retail, professional services, and transportation
County and City Covered by Area Code 804
The 804/686 numbering region covers Richmond and surrounding parts of central and eastern Virginia, including communities in the Richmond metropolitan area, Northern Neck, and Middle Peninsula.
Here are the major counties and communities covered by Area Code 804:
History & Background of Area Code 804
Area code 804 was introduced in 1973 as a split from Virginia's original statewide area code 703. It initially covered much of eastern Virginia, including Richmond, Charlottesville, the Tidewater region, and the Eastern Shore.
- 1973: Area code 804 was introduced on June 24, 1973, as a split from area code 703. It initially covered the eastern two-thirds of Virginia, including Richmond, Charlottesville, Danville, the Tidewater region, and the Eastern Shore.
- 1996: Area code 757 was created through a geographic split, taking over Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore and significantly reducing the 804 service area.
- 2001: Another split created area code 434, removing Charlottesville and other central and western Virginia communities from the 804 region.
- Current Coverage: Area code 804 is now centered on Richmond and surrounding communities, including Henrico, Chesterfield, Midlothian, Petersburg, the Northern Neck, and the Middle Peninsula.
- 2024: Area code 686 was introduced as an overlay to 804 on February 1, 2024, providing additional telephone numbers within the same geographic region as demand for new numbers continued to grow.
Why Local Numbers Build Trust
A recognizable 804 number gives customers geographic context when a business calls from Richmond, Petersburg, Chesterfield, Henrico, or surrounding communities. Goodcall also notes that local business numbers can help businesses establish a recognizable local presence.
- Higher Call Pickup Rates: A recognizable 804 caller ID can make an incoming business call appear relevant to customers in the Richmond market. It can influence familiarity, but an area code alone does not guarantee that a customer will answer.
- Build Local Credibility: An 804 number can reinforce a business's connection to Richmond and central Virginia, particularly when customers are concentrated in the Richmond metropolitan area.
- Support Consistent Local Search Information: Using the same business phone number across a website, business profiles, directories, and other listings keeps contact information consistent. The area code itself should not be presented as a guaranteed local SEO ranking factor.
- Establish Familiarity Before the Call: An 804 caller ID provides geographic context before the customer answers. Pairing it with an identifiable business name makes legitimate calls easier to recognize.
Benefits of Using GoodCall for 804 Area Code Businesses
Businesses serving Richmond and central Virginia handle calls for appointments, estimates, customer questions, sales inquiries, reservations, and service requests. GoodCall combines a local business number with an AI phone agent that can answer calls, capture information, schedule appointments, and route calls when human assistance is required.
- 24/7 AI Call Answering With a Voice Agent: A voice agent can answer incoming calls when employees are unavailable or outside normal business hours. Goodcall's AI answering service can handle routine customer conversations using business-specific information and instructions.
- Intelligent Lead Capture & Qualification: An AI phone agent can collect caller information, identify the reason for the call, qualify inquiries, and pass relevant information into configured workflows.
- Automated Appointment Booking: An AI answering service can handle appointment requests according to the business's configured scheduling workflow, reducing the number of routine scheduling calls staff needs to handle manually.
- CRM & Calendar Integration: GoodCall supports integrations and workflows that connect phone interactions with business systems, reducing manual entry after inbound calls.
- Full Call Recording & Analytics: GoodCall provides call recordings and caller analysis, allowing businesses to review conversations, understand customer requests, and evaluate inbound call activity.
How to Get an 804 Area Code Phone Number With GoodCall
Businesses serving Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico, Petersburg, and surrounding communities can combine a local 804 number with GoodCall's AI phone agent.
- Create Your Account: Enter your business information to begin setup.
- Choose Your Plan: Select a plan based on your expected call volume and automation requirements.
- Complete KYC: Provide the required business and identity verification information.
- Pick an 804 Number: Browse available 804 numbers and select an available number.
- Configure Your AI Agent: Add your greeting, FAQs, business information, routing rules, and escalation instructions.
- Connect Business Tools: Configure supported calendar, CRM, and workflow integrations.
- Go Live: Test the call flow and activate the number.
Nearby Area Codes to 804
Area code 804 primarily serves Richmond and surrounding communities in central and eastern Virginia. Here are the nearby regions and their area codes:
