Area code 226
Area code 226 holds 778 in-service central-office prefixes in the CNAC register, covering roughly 7,780,000 telephone numbers. They are split between 30 carriers and 166 rate centres. The largest is London. Recorded assignments run from July 19, 2006 to April 28, 2021. That ranks it 11 of 55 Canadian area codes by prefix count.
Background reading: Caller ID spoofing, STIR/SHAKEN, and how to actually block calls in Canada · Canadian area codes, overlays, and what a 416 number actually tells you · One-ring scams and the Caribbean area codes that look Canadian
Area code 226 at a glance
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Main rate centres
- London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Windsor, Brantford, Guelph
- Local time
- — Eastern Time (ET), UTC−5; UTC−4 in daylight saving time
- In service since
- October 21, 2006
- Split or overlaid from
- 519
- Number format
- 226-NXX-XXXX · +1 226 NXX XXXX
Sources: CNAC, NANPA (September 25, 2026), Statistics Canada.
In numbers
- In-service prefixes
- 778
- Telephone numbers covered
- 7,780,000
- Carriers
- 30
- Rate centres
- 166
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- July 19, 2006
- Most recent assignment
- April 28, 2021
Who holds these numbers
Iristel Inc. holds the largest share at 83 prefixes, 10.7% of the total, ahead of 29 other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share | First assigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iristel Inc. | 83 | 10.7 % | 2007 |
| Distributel | 74 | 9.5 % | 2008 |
| TELUS Integrated Communications | 74 | 9.5 % | 2008 |
| Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) | 67 | 8.6 % | 2006 |
| TekSavvy Solutions Inc | 64 | 8.2 % | 2015 |
| Fibernetics Corporation | 55 | 7.1 % | 2007 |
| TELUS Mobility | 41 | 5.3 % | 2006 |
| InnSysVoice Corp | 38 | 4.9 % | 2015 |
| Bell Mobility | 35 | 4.5 % | 2006 |
| Comwave Networks | 35 | 4.5 % | 2012 |
| Execulink Telecom Inc. | 35 | 4.5 % | 2007 |
| Bragg Communications Inc. | 34 | 4.4 % | 2009 |
| Fido Solutions Inc. | 24 | 3.1 % | 2006 |
| Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Cable) | 22 | 2.8 % | 2007 |
| ISP Telecom Inc. | 18 | 2.3 % | 2007 |
| Videotron Ltd. | 18 | 2.3 % | 2010 |
| Quadro Communications Co-operative Inc. | 11 | 1.4 % | 2010 |
| Managed Network Systems Inc. | 8 | 1.0 % | 2009 |
| Mornington Communications Co-operative Ltd. | 7 | 0.9 % | 2009 |
| Gosfield North Communication Co-operative Ltd. | 6 | 0.8 % | 2013 |
| IXICA Communications Inc. | 5 | 0.6 % | 2020 |
| Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc. | 4 | 0.5 % | 2011 |
| Wightman Communications Ltd. | 4 | 0.5 % | 2007 |
| Zayo Canada Inc. | 4 | 0.5 % | 2007 |
| Hay Communications Co-operative ltd. | 3 | 0.4 % | 2012 |
| Tuckersmith Communications Co-operative Ltd. | 3 | 0.4 % | 2008 |
| Brooke Telecom Co-operative Ltd. | 2 | 0.3 % | 2012 |
| Bruce Municipal Telephone System | 2 | 0.3 % | 2015 |
| Bell Canada | 1 | 0.1 % | 2010 |
| Huron Telecommunications Co-operative Ltd. | 1 | 0.1 % | 2015 |
Where these numbers land
Prefixes in 226 serve 166 rate centres. A rate centre is the billing area a prefix is attached to, not where the handset is.
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | ON | 72 | 16 |
| Kitchener-Waterloo | ON | 54 | 17 |
| Windsor | ON | 44 | 15 |
| Brantford | ON | 28 | 13 |
| Guelph | ON | 27 | 14 |
| Chatham | ON | 22 | 13 |
| Hespeler | ON | 17 | 13 |
| Sarnia | ON | 17 | 12 |
| Owen Sound | ON | 14 | 11 |
| Stratford | ON | 14 | 9 |
| Woodstock | ON | 13 | 7 |
| Galt | ON | 12 | 9 |
| Tillsonburg | ON | 8 | 6 |
| Walkerton | ON | 8 | 7 |
| Belmont | ON | 7 | 5 |
| Goderich | ON | 7 | 6 |
| Listowel | ON | 7 | 6 |
| Orangeville | ON | 7 | 6 |
| Simcoe | ON | 7 | 7 |
| Acton | ON | 6 | 6 |
| Essex | ON | 6 | 4 |
| Exeter | ON | 6 | 6 |
| Glencoe | ON | 6 | 6 |
| Leamington | ON | 6 | 5 |
| Linwood | ON | 6 | 6 |
| Preston | ON | 6 | 6 |
| Wellesley | ON | 6 | 6 |
| Ayr | ON | 5 | 5 |
| Breslau | ON | 5 | 5 |
| Centralia | ON | 5 | 5 |
| Clinton | ON | 5 | 4 |
| Crediton | ON | 5 | 5 |
| Drayton | ON | 5 | 5 |
| Durham | ON | 5 | 4 |
| Maidstone | ON | 5 | 4 |
| Plattsville | ON | 5 | 5 |
| Rockwood | ON | 5 | 5 |
| St. Clements | ON | 5 | 5 |
| St. Thomas | ON | 5 | 3 |
| Watford | ON | 5 | 5 |
| Alvinston | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Baden | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Belle River | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Blenheim | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Comber | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Elmira | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Emeryville | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Highgate | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Lucan | ON | 4 | 4 |
| New Dundee | ON | 4 | 4 |
| New Hamburg | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Paris | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Petrolia | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Ridgetown | ON | 4 | 4 |
| St. Jacobs | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Strathroy | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Thornbury | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Tilbury | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Wallaceburg | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Wheatley | ON | 4 | 4 |
| Wingham | ON | 4 | 3 |
| Amherstburg | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Arthur | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Aylmer | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Bothwell | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Bright's Grove | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Chesley | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Corunna | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Courtright | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Dorchester | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Dresden | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Elora | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Fergus | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Harrow | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Ilderton | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Kingsville | ON | 3 | 3 |
| La Salle | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Lambeth | ON | 3 | 3 |
| Markdale | ON | 3 | 3 |
| McGregor | ON | 3 | 3 |
How the allocation was built up
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–2009 | 189 | 17 |
| 2010–2014 | 245 | 24 |
| 2015–2019 | 256 | 24 |
| 2020–2024 | 88 | 8 |
Overlay area codes
226 shares its rate centres with 519, 548, 382. Overlay codes cover the same ground, which is why ten-digit dialling is required: two neighbours on one street can hold different area codes.
What people check and report about 226 numbers
Searches typed into this site's lookup form since July 28, 2026, plus the verdicts and moderated reports visitors left. A search usually follows a missed call.
- Checks
- 178
- Different numbers
- 165
- Different people
- 166
9 verdicts and 2 reports
Scam 44 % (4) · Nuisance 33 % (3) · Safe 22 % (2)
Report types: Scam (1), Telemarketing (1).
Phone and text fraud in Ontario
In 2024 the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received 5,002 fraud reports from Ontario where the first contact was a phone call (3,655) or a text (1,347); 2,814 came from victims, who reported $37.1 million lost. The most common types were service, phishing, bank investigator.
January to September 2025: 2,830 reports (-24% on the same months of 2024) and $43.3 million reported lost (+66%).
Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre open data (Open Government Licence – Canada), current to September 29, 2025. These are province-wide figures, not specific to one area code, and only a fraction of fraud is ever reported. Dataset
Had a call from a 226 number?
No clear pattern in reports on these numbers yet. If a call worried you:
- Call back on a number you trust
If a caller says they are your bank, the Canada Revenue Agency, a courier or your phone company, hang up and call the organization on the number from its website or your statement, never the number that called you. Caller ID can be faked.
- Report the fraud
Report the call or text to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or at 1-888-495-8501. If you lost money or gave out personal details, tell your bank first, then your local police.
- Register on the National Do Not Call List
Registering a landline or mobile on the National DNCL is free. Registered charities, political parties, newspapers and companies you already do business with may still call.
- Forward suspicious texts to 7726
Forward a scam or spam text to 7726 (SPAM on the keypad). It's free, and your carrier uses it to block the sender. Don't tap links or reply.
Area code 226: questions and answers
Where is area code 226?
226 serves Ontario. Its 778 in-service prefixes belong to 166 rate centres, mainly London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Windsor and Brantford.
What time zone is area code 226 in?
Every placed rate centre in 226 is on Eastern Time (ET, UTC−5), with daylight saving time (UTC−4) from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
When did area code 226 start?
226 has been in service since October 21, 2006; it was created from 519. It shares its territory with 382, 519 and 548, so a new number there can get any of these codes.
Which carriers hold 226 numbers?
The CNAC register lists 30 carriers with prefixes in 226; the largest are Iristel Inc. (10.7%), Distributel (9.5%) and TELUS Integrated Communications (9.5%). Numbers can be ported, so the original carrier may not be the current one.
Are calls from 226 numbers scams?
Visitors have left 9 verdicts on 226 numbers (4 scam, 3 nuisance, 2 safe) and 2 moderated reports. That covers the numbers people looked up, not all of 226: most belong to ordinary households and businesses, and scammers can display a local number.
Is phone fraud rising in Ontario?
In the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's open data, call and text fraud reports from Ontario went from 3,744 in January–September 2024 to 2,830 in the same months of 2025 (-24%). Reported losses went from $26.1 million to $43.3 million.
How do I report a scam call from a 226 number?
Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501). If you lost money, call your bank first, then your local police. Unwanted telemarketing goes to the National Do Not Call List, and spam texts can be forwarded to 7726.
Allocated prefixes
Showing 284 of 778 prefixes, largest rate centres first.
London, ON
226-209 · 226-213 · 226-219 · 226-224 · 226-234 · 226-235 · 226-236 · 226-237 · 226-238 · 226-239
Kitchener-Waterloo, ON
226-214 · 226-215 · 226-220 · 226-240 · 226-241 · 226-243 · 226-317 · 226-336 · 226-338 · 226-339
Windsor, ON
226-216 · 226-221 · 226-246 · 226-260 · 226-280 · 226-315 · 226-340 · 226-344 · 226-345 · 226-346
Brantford, ON
226-208 · 226-227 · 226-250 · 226-267 · 226-269 · 226-368 · 226-381 · 226-387 · 226-388 · 226-400
Guelph, ON
226-203 · 226-217 · 226-251 · 226-299 · 226-314 · 226-326 · 226-332 · 226-337 · 226-343 · 226-361
Chatham, ON
226-205 · 226-229 · 226-281 · 226-282 · 226-296 · 226-312 · 226-404 · 226-494 · 226-542 · 226-626
Hespeler, ON
226-201 · 226-218 · 226-319 · 226-341 · 226-360 · 226-475 · 226-566 · 226-589 · 226-608 · 226-696
Sarnia, ON
226-254 · 226-313 · 226-349 · 226-357 · 226-402 · 226-472 · 226-672 · 226-710 · 226-718 · 226-776
Owen Sound, ON
226-256 · 226-277 · 226-279 · 226-379 · 226-424 · 226-537 · 226-568 · 226-664 · 226-668 · 226-908
Stratford, ON
226-261 · 226-300 · 226-354 · 226-584 · 226-633 · 226-766 · 226-775 · 226-779 · 226-786 · 226-801
Woodstock, ON
226-228 · 226-232 · 226-242 · 226-253 · 226-536 · 226-547 · 226-557 · 226-705 · 226-793 · 226-795
Galt, ON
226-318 · 226-362 · 226-474 · 226-533 · 226-588 · 226-607 · 226-616 · 226-742 · 226-765 · 226-859
Tillsonburg, ON
226-231 · 226-351 · 226-352 · 226-553 · 226-641 · 226-741 · 226-970 · 226-993
Walkerton, ON
226-230 · 226-257 · 226-285 · 226-436 · 226-681 · 226-839 · 226-840 · 226-990
Belmont, ON
226-406 · 226-407 · 226-489 · 226-570 · 226-639 · 226-815 · 226-948
Goderich, ON
226-222 · 226-408 · 226-421 · 226-458 · 226-543 · 226-939 · 226-963
Listowel, ON
226-306 · 226-430 · 226-622 · 226-640 · 226-756 · 226-767 · 226-885
Orangeville, ON
226-200 · 226-259 · 226-309 · 226-558 · 226-850 · 226-916 · 226-917
Simcoe, ON
226-206 · 226-440 · 226-514 · 226-534 · 226-550 · 226-567 · 226-931
Acton, ON
226-298 · 226-327 · 226-540 · 226-828 · 226-876 · 226-901
Essex, ON
226-479 · 226-602 · 226-605 · 226-629 · 226-844 · 226-906
Exeter, ON
226-393 · 226-423 · 226-574 · 226-735 · 226-762 · 226-945
Glencoe, ON
226-427 · 226-488 · 226-585 · 226-690 · 226-873 · 226-944
Leamington, ON
226-202 · 226-286 · 226-638 · 226-843 · 226-918 · 226-936
Linwood, ON
226-233 · 226-516 · 226-695 · 226-764 · 226-823 · 226-861
Preston, ON
226-204 · 226-473 · 226-512 · 226-535 · 226-714 · 226-865
Wellesley, ON
226-244 · 226-529 · 226-660 · 226-729 · 226-819 · 226-869
Ayr, ON
226-538 · 226-556 · 226-642 · 226-740 · 226-854
Breslau, ON
226-366 · 226-510 · 226-632 · 226-754 · 226-856
Centralia, ON
226-425 · 226-491 · 226-571 · 226-728 · 226-847
Clinton, ON
226-420 · 226-455 · 226-457 · 226-532 · 226-699
Crediton, ON
226-426 · 226-492 · 226-572 · 226-744 · 226-849
Drayton, ON
226-223 · 226-530 · 226-760 · 226-818 · 226-857
Durham, ON
226-258 · 226-432 · 226-702 · 226-907 · 226-953
Maidstone, ON
226-252 · 226-481 · 226-643 · 226-827 · 226-836
Plattsville, ON
226-353 · 226-518 · 226-656 · 226-713 · 226-864
Rockwood, ON
226-328 · 226-539 · 226-576 · 226-838 · 226-902
St. Clements, ON
226-255 · 226-515 · 226-715 · 226-824 · 226-866
St. Thomas, ON
226-210 · 226-212 · 226-546 · 226-956 · 226-994
Watford, ON
226-462 · 226-508 · 226-720 · 226-848 · 226-870
Allocation source: Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNAC), the registry that records which carrier a central-office code was originally issued to. An allocation says who was issued the prefix, not who serves the number today: numbers can be ported between carriers, and caller ID can be spoofed outright.