How To Call Canada From the US?

To call Canada from the US, simply dial the Canada country code (1), the relevant Canadian area code, and your recipient’s phone number.

The general guide to call Canada from the USA includes:
 

• First, dial Canada country code (+1)
• Then, dial the 3-digit Canadian area code.
• Finally, dial the 7-digit local phone number.
   

Here are the detailed steps and guides for calling Canada from the United States: 
 

1. Dial 1, the Canadian Country Code
   Enter the Canada country code, which is 1. It routes your phone calls to Canada. Canada and the US share the same country code, so you do not need to dial the US international access code.
    
2. Enter the 3-Digit Area Code
   Enter the 3-digit area code to direct your call to the specific region within Canada. Canada has several phone codes that correspond to different places. Toronto has area codes 416 and 647, Vancouver has 604 and 778, and Montreal has 514 and 438.
    
3. Dial the 7-Digit Phone Number
   Finally, dial the 7-digit local phone number of the recipient. These are the unique numbers for the person or business you are calling

Example: To call a number in Ontario with the area code 416 and the phone number 555-1234 from the United States, your Canadian phone number format will look like 1-416-555-1234.
 

International charges will apply while calling Canada from US, even both countries are part of the North American Numbering Plan. All NANP countries, including the United States, Canada, and a few Caribbean countries, use the same country code (+1). Despite their similarities, calls between them are processed as international phone calls and charged at conventional international calling rates.

Still, there are a few options available for the free and low-cost call to Canada:
 

• VoIP Providers: Providers like Calilio offer cost-effective options for calling. They utilize the internet for calling, which makes them cheaper options than the traditional phone line.
   
• Wi-Fi Calling: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Skype allow users to make free phone calls over Wi-Fi or cellular connection. While Wi-Fi calling is convenient for personal use, it may not be acceptable for professional or business use because both parties must have these apps loaded before communicating.
   

Before calling Canada from the US, consider the time zone differences and ensure you have the correct area codes of the area where you are calling.

Area codes are the first three-digit code of a phone number that identifies the specific geographical area of your call destination. Having the correct area code ensures an accurate connection.

Canada has 40 geographic and two non-geographic area codes. Here are a few popular phone codes:

The cost of making calls from the US to Canada varies depending on your service providers. Most providers charge high rates when making international calls. Consider their costs to avoid overcharges. 

Canada and the US operate in distinct time zones. You need to understand these differences to connect with your Canadian friends or family at an appropriate time.

Canada spans 6 main time zones, sharing four with the US.

• Eastern Standard Time (EST): Major places in both Canada (Toronto, Montreal, Quebec) and the US (New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia) follow EST.
• Central Standard Time (CST): Regions in Canada, such as Manitoba and Saskatchewan, along with the US cities and states like Houston, Dallas, and Chicago, follow CST.
• Mountain Standard Time (MST):  Canadian provinces like Alberta share the MST time zone with the US states like Arizona and Colorado.
• Pacific Standard Time (PST): Canadian cities like Columbia and Yukon share the PST time with the US states like Washington and California.
• Atlantic Standard Time (AST): The AST time zone covers four Canadian provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. AST time zone is 1 hour ahead of the New York time (EST).
• Newfoundland Standard Time (NST): Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province that uses the NST. It is 1.5 hours ahead of the New York (EST).

Calling Canada from the United States is easier than making other international calls, as you don't need to dial the US exit code. For the call to connect, you only need to dial the Canadian phone prefixes - country code, area code, and local phone number in the correct sequence. This will accurately connect you to your desired recipient in Canada.

The costs can add up quickly if you need to call Canada frequently, especially if you have business partners or clients in Canada. Most business communication takes place through phone calls, and a practical solution to minimize costs is to use a cloud phone system like Calilio. Calilio offers virtual numbers that allow you to make international calls to Canada from the USA at local rates. It provides a comprehensive platform for voice, conferences, content sharing, and messaging, making communicating with people in Canada easy from any device.

The Canada country code is ‘+1’. Many countries use 00 as the exit code, so these countries dial 001 to connect to Canada.  Likewise, 011 is used by North American countries to call other countries.

To make an international call to Canada, dial your country’s exit code (international access code), followed by Canada’s country code, area code, and local phone number. For example, to call a number in Toronto (telephone code 416) from a US cell phone, you would dial: 011 1 416 XXX XXXX or +1 416 XXX XXXX. From a US cell phone, you can directly dial 1 without the international access code.

It is free to call Canada from the US through internet-based services like WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, and Google Voice. Google Voice provides free calling to Canada from the United States.

While both US and Canadian phone numbers have the same country code, you can differentiate them through their area codes and online lookup tools or databases like allareacodes.org.

The United States and Canada share the same country code (+1) because they are both part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). NANP was established in 1947 to standardize the phone numbering system in North America and a few other countries. As the US and Canada share the same country code, cross-border communication is easy.