Area code 236 — British Columbia
All of British Columbia (second province-wide overlay). Overlay assignment, in service since 2013.
At a glance
- Country
- Canada
- Province / territory
- British Columbia
- Service area
- All of British Columbia (second province-wide overlay)
- Time zone
- Pacific Time (PST/PDT, UTC-8/-7) · current offset -07:00
- Type
- Overlay
- In service since
- 2013
- Country code
- +1 (NANP)
Map
Cities served by 236
Related & overlay area codes
Area code 236 shares geography with 5 other codes serving the same region. A call placed inside this overlay must dial all 10 digits regardless of which code your own line uses.
Carriers operating in 236
The following national and regional telecommunications carriers hold central office (CO) code assignments within numbering plan area 236. Number portability means a phone number originally issued by one carrier may now ride on another carrier's network.
About area code 236
Area code 236 is a Canadian numbering plan area covering All of British Columbia (second province-wide overlay). It was placed into service in 2013 as a overlay code, and today operates under the Pacific Time (PST/PDT, UTC-8/-7) time zone.
Numbers in the 236 NPA are issued in central office (CO) blocks of 10,000 to local exchange carriers, who then assign them to subscribers. Because Canada uses a competitive carrier model under CRTC oversight, multiple carriers — both incumbent and competitive — hold blocks within 236. The current carrier of record for any specific number can be looked up via the Canadian Local Number Portability Consortium, but the originally issued carrier is no longer a reliable signal of who actually serves that line.
If you receive a call from a number beginning with 236, the caller is either physically located in or has historically been associated with All of British Columbia (second province-wide overlay). The same applies to overlay codes 604, 250, 778, 672, 257: any of these area codes can correspond to a phone in the same geography, and many households carry numbers from two or three different overlays simultaneously across landlines and mobile devices.
To call a number in 236 from outside Canada and the United States, dial your country's international access prefix, then +1 236 followed by the 7-digit local number. Within the NANP, simply dial 1 followed by all 10 digits — or just the 10 digits if you are also located in an overlay region where 7-digit local dialling is no longer permitted.
Frequently asked questions
Where is area code 236?
Area code 236 serves All of British Columbia (second province-wide overlay) in British Columbia, Canada.
What time zone is 236?
Numbers in 236 are in the Pacific Time (PST/PDT, UTC-8/-7) time zone.
Is 236 a toll-free or mobile-only code?
No. Canadian area codes are geographic — they apply to both landline and mobile numbers in All of British Columbia (second province-wide overlay). Toll-free codes in the NANP (800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888) are a separate category.
Why do I see calls from 236 if I do not know anyone there?
Two reasons. First, mobile portability: someone who moved away from British Columbia can keep their 236 number anywhere in the world. Second, scam callers frequently spoof Canadian area codes to appear local. If you do not recognise the number, it is generally safe to let it go to voicemail.