Quick answer: Canadian phone numbers use the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) — the same system as the United States. The format is
+1 NPA NXX XXXX: a +1 country code, a 3-digit area code (NPA, mapped to a province or metro), a 3-digit central office exchange (NXX), and a 4-digit subscriber line (XXXX). Canada has 40+ active area codes across all 13 provinces and territories, and 10-digit dialing is now the standard everywhere in the country.
What is the Canadian phone number format?
A Canadian phone number looks identical to a US phone number — because the two countries share the same numbering plan.
Every Canadian number consists of 10 digits in the format NPA-NXX-XXXX, with a +1 country code prepended for international calls. The full E.164 international format — the one you should store in CRMs, dialers, and contact databases — is:
+1 416 555 0142
This guide comes from My Country Mobile (MCM), a virtual phone provider that issues local numbers across the US and Canada.
The anatomy of a Canadian phone number
Each segment of a Canadian number does a specific job:
Segment 1: +1 — the country code
Canada shares the +1 country code with the United States and 23 other Caribbean and North Atlantic destinations under the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). There is no separate Canadian country code.
This means that from a phone perspective, calling Toronto from New York works the same way as calling Los Angeles from New York — just dial the leading 1 and the 10-digit number.
Segment 2: NPA — the area code (3 digits)
The NPA (Numbering Plan Area) is the 3-digit prefix that maps to a geographic region:
- Toronto + GTA: 416, 647, 437
- Vancouver: 604, 778, 236
- Montréal: 514, 438
- Calgary: 403, 587, 825
- Ottawa: 613, 343
Each major Canadian metro typically has multiple overlay codes layered on top of one region — the same way US metros like Atlanta or Charlotte stack codes.
Segment 3: NXX — the central office exchange (3 digits)
The NXX (sometimes called the exchange or prefix) is the next 3 digits. Originally these mapped to physical telephone exchanges within a city. Today, they're used by carriers to route calls and aren't tied to a specific neighborhood.
A common convention is that 555 is reserved for fictitious or directory-assistance numbers — that's why every TV show uses 555-XXXX.
Segment 4: XXXX — the subscriber line (4 digits)
The final 4 digits identify the unique line — the actual phone you're calling.
Canadian area codes by province
Canada's 40+ area codes group naturally by region. A summary of the major codes:
British Columbia
604 · 778 · 236 · 250 · 672 — Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, and the entire Pacific coast. 604 is the original BC code (1947); 778 is the Lower Mainland overlay; 236 and 672 are newer overlays added as numbers ran low.
Alberta + Prairie provinces
- Alberta: 403, 587, 780, 825 — Calgary (403/587/825), Edmonton (780/587/825).
- Saskatchewan: 306, 639 — Regina, Saskatoon.
- Manitoba: 204, 431 — Winnipeg.
Ontario
The most populous province, with the most codes:
- Toronto + GTA: 416, 647, 437 (all three overlay the same region)
- Greater Toronto Area suburbs (905 belt): 905, 289, 365
- Ottawa + eastern Ontario: 613, 343
- Southwestern Ontario: 519, 226, 548
- Northern Ontario: 705, 249, 807
Québec
- Montréal: 514, 438 (overlay)
- Québec City + eastern QC: 418, 581, 367
- Greater Montréal suburbs: 450, 579, 354
- Northern Québec / Outaouais: 819, 873
Atlantic Canada
- Nova Scotia + PEI: 902, 782
- New Brunswick: 506
- Newfoundland and Labrador: 709, 879
Northern Canada
A single area code — 867 — covers all three territories: Yukon (Whitehorse), Northwest Territories (Yellowknife), and Nunavut (Iqaluit).
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How to dial a Canadian phone number
The exact digits you dial depend on where you're calling from:
From within Canada
416 555 0142
10-digit dialing is now mandatory across every Canadian region. You always dial the area code, even for a "local" call to the same neighborhood. You can optionally lead with a 1 (1-416-555-0142) — that's the long-distance prefix, and it's still accepted everywhere.
From the United States
1 416 555 0142
Same as calling any other US long-distance number. Canada and the US share the +1 country code under the NANP — there's no separate international prefix and no 011.
From outside North America
+1 416 555 0142
This is the E.164 international format — use this everywhere you can. On mobile, the leading + automatically translates to your country's exit code. From a landline in the EU you might need to dial 00 1 416 555 0142 instead.
Standard formatting conventions
When writing Canadian phone numbers on websites, business cards, or in databases, the common formats are:
| Format | Example | Where it's used |
|---|---|---|
| E.164 (international) | +14165550142 | CRMs, dialers, mobile-friendly |
| With separators | +1 416 555 0142 | Print, websites, displays |
| Parenthesized area code | (416) 555-0142 | Business cards, official docs |
| Dashed | 416-555-0142 | Casual / North American style |
| Dotted | 416.555.0142 | Older style, less common |
For storing numbers in a contact database or CRM, always use the E.164 format (+14165550142) — it's unambiguous, internationally portable, and the standard expected by every modern dialer, SMS API, and CRM.
What's NOT in a Canadian phone number
A few things that often confuse people:
- No "0" trunk prefix. Unlike many European countries (
07for UK mobile,0before the city code in France), Canadian numbers don't use a leading 0. - No separate Canada country code. Some online forms list Canada with a fake code like
+1-CA— it's still just+1. - No special mobile prefix. Canadian mobile numbers look identical to landlines — same area codes, same format. You can't tell from the number whether it's a mobile or fixed line.
- No regional sub-prefix. A 416 number doesn't tell you if it's downtown Toronto or North York — area codes only map to broad geographic regions, not neighborhoods.
Toll-free numbers in Canada
Canada uses the same toll-free area codes as the United States:
| Toll-free area code | Format |
|---|---|
| 800 | 1-800-XXX-XXXX |
| 833 | 1-833-XXX-XXXX |
| 844 | 1-844-XXX-XXXX |
| 855 | 1-855-XXX-XXXX |
| 866 | 1-866-XXX-XXXX |
| 877 | 1-877-XXX-XXXX |
| 888 | 1-888-XXX-XXXX |
These work identically across Canada and the US — a single toll-free number can serve customers in both countries with no extra setup.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the country code for Canada?
Canada uses +1, the same country code as the United States. Both countries are part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP).
How many digits is a Canadian phone number?
10 digits for the national number, 11 digits including the leading 1, or 12 digits including the +1 country prefix and the + sign in E.164 format.
Do I dial 011 to call Canada from the US?
No. Canada is part of the NANP, so you dial it the same way as a US long-distance call — just 1 + area code + 7-digit number.
Why does Canada use +1 like the US?
Both countries joined the NANP when it launched in 1947. The shared numbering plan was originally designed for AT&T's long-distance network and now covers 20+ North American and Caribbean nations.
What's the difference between an NPA, NXX, and the subscriber number?
- NPA = Numbering Plan Area = the 3-digit area code (e.g.
416) - NXX = the 3-digit central office exchange (e.g.
555) - XXXX = the 4-digit subscriber line (e.g.
0142)
Is 10-digit dialing required everywhere in Canada?
Yes — every Canadian area now requires 10-digit dialing because most metros have overlay codes. Even where a region has only one area code, the 10-digit format is the standard.
Can I use a Canadian phone number from outside Canada?
Yes. Virtual phone providers (including MCM) issue Canadian numbers that forward to any device worldwide.
The number rings as a local Canadian call to your customers — you just answer it on your phone wherever you are.
Do Canadian mobile numbers have a different format?
No. Canadian mobile and landline numbers use identical formatting. You can't tell from the digits whether a number is a cell or a landline.
What is E.164 format?
E.164 is the international telecommunications standard for phone number formatting. A Canadian number in E.164 looks like +14165550142 — the +, country code, area code, exchange, and subscriber all concatenated with no spaces or punctuation.
