Area code 819 — Quebec
Western and Northern Quebec. Original assignment, in service since 1957.
At a glance
- Country
- Canada
- Province / territory
- Quebec
- Service area
- Western and Northern Quebec
- Time zone
- Eastern Time (EST/EDT, UTC-5/-4) · current offset -04:00
- Type
- Original
- In service since
- 1957
- Country code
- +1 (NANP)
Map
Cities served by 819
Related & overlay area codes
Area code 819 shares geography with 2 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 819
The following national and regional telecommunications carriers hold central office (CO) code assignments within numbering plan area 819. Number portability means a phone number originally issued by one carrier may now ride on another carrier's network.
About area code 819
Area code 819 is a Canadian numbering plan area covering Western and Northern Quebec. It was placed into service in 1957 as one of the original Canadian assignments, and today operates under the Eastern Time (EST/EDT, UTC-5/-4) time zone.
Numbers in the 819 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 819. 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 819, the caller is either physically located in or has historically been associated with Western and Northern Quebec. The same applies to overlay codes 873, 468: 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 819 from outside Canada and the United States, dial your country's international access prefix, then +1 819 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 819?
Area code 819 serves Western and Northern Quebec in Quebec, Canada.
What time zone is 819?
Numbers in 819 are in the Eastern Time (EST/EDT, UTC-5/-4) time zone.
Is 819 a toll-free or mobile-only code?
No. Canadian area codes are geographic — they apply to both landline and mobile numbers in Western and Northern Quebec. Toll-free codes in the NANP (800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888) are a separate category.
Why do I see calls from 819 if I do not know anyone there?
Two reasons. First, mobile portability: someone who moved away from Quebec can keep their 819 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.