Area code 438
Area code 438 holds 604 in-service central-office prefixes in the CNAC register, covering roughly 6,040,000 telephone numbers. They are split between 20 carriers and 6 rate centres. The largest is Montreal. Recorded assignments run from April 24, 2007 to December 18, 2025. That ranks it 32 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
In numbers
- In-service prefixes
- 604
- Telephone numbers covered
- 6,040,000
- Carriers
- 20
- Rate centres
- 6
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- April 24, 2007
- Most recent assignment
- December 18, 2025
Who holds these numbers
Bell Mobility holds the largest share at 174 prefixes, 28.8% of the total, ahead of 19 other carriers.
| Carrier | Prefixes | Share | First assigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Mobility | 174 | 28.8 % | 2007 |
| Videotron Ltd. | 82 | 13.6 % | 2008 |
| Iristel Inc. | 75 | 12.4 % | 2011 |
| TELUS Mobility | 75 | 12.4 % | 2007 |
| Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (Wireless) | 63 | 10.4 % | 2009 |
| Fibernetics Corporation | 27 | 4.5 % | 2009 |
| TELUS Quebec | 18 | 3.0 % | 2010 |
| Distributel | 17 | 2.8 % | 2011 |
| Fido Solutions Inc. | 17 | 2.8 % | 2013 |
| IXICA Communications Inc. | 15 | 2.5 % | 2017 |
| Zayo Canada Inc. | 7 | 1.2 % | 2012 |
| Bell Canada | 6 | 1.0 % | 2016 |
| FGLTEL Inc. | 6 | 1.0 % | 2022 |
| InnSysVoice Corp | 6 | 1.0 % | 2014 |
| TekSavvy Solutions Inc | 6 | 1.0 % | 2015 |
| ISP Telecom Inc. | 4 | 0.7 % | 2011 |
| Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc. | 3 | 0.5 % | 2008 |
| Beanfield Technologies Inc. | 1 | 0.2 % | 2013 |
| Cogeco Connexion Inc. | 1 | 0.2 % | 2024 |
| Comwave Networks | 1 | 0.2 % | 2013 |
Where these numbers land
Prefixes in 438 serve 6 rate centres. A rate centre is the billing area a prefix is attached to, not where the handset is.
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal | QC | 536 | 20 |
| Pointe-Claire | QC | 15 | 9 |
| Ste-Genevieve | QC | 15 | 8 |
| Ile-Perrot | QC | 14 | 9 |
| Lachine | QC | 13 | 9 |
| Roxboro | QC | 11 | 8 |
How the allocation was built up
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–2009 | 37 | 6 |
| 2010–2014 | 172 | 14 |
| 2015–2019 | 202 | 14 |
| 2020–2024 | 175 | 11 |
| 2025–2029 | 18 | 4 |
Overlay area codes
438 shares its rate centres with 263, 514. Overlay codes cover the same ground, which is why ten-digit dialling is required: two neighbours on one street can hold different area codes.
Allocated prefixes
Showing 134 of 604 prefixes, largest rate centres first.
Montreal, QC
438-200 · 438-201 · 438-202 · 438-203 · 438-204 · 438-205 · 438-206 · 438-207 · 438-208 · 438-209 · 438-210 · 438-212 · 438-213 · 438-214 · 438-215 · 438-216 · 438-217 · 438-218 · 438-220 · 438-221 · 438-222 · 438-223 · 438-224 · 438-225 · 438-226 · 438-227 · 438-228 · 438-229 · 438-232 · 438-233 · 438-236 · 438-238 · 438-239 · 438-245 · 438-246 · 438-247 · 438-249 · 438-250 · 438-251 · 438-252 · 438-254 · 438-258 · 438-259 · 438-260 · 438-261 · 438-262 · 438-266 · 438-267 · 438-268 · 438-269 · 438-270 · 438-271 · 438-272 · 438-273 · 438-274 · 438-275 · 438-276 · 438-277 · 438-278 · 438-279 · 438-280 · 438-281 · 438-282 · 438-283 · 438-284 · 438-285
Pointe-Claire, QC
438-237 · 438-242 · 438-255 · 438-256 · 438-265 · 438-329 · 438-447 · 438-500 · 438-538 · 438-552 · 438-601 · 438-618 · 438-667 · 438-739 · 438-893
Ste-Genevieve, QC
438-230 · 438-231 · 438-244 · 438-248 · 438-298 · 438-299 · 438-300 · 438-331 · 438-554 · 438-608 · 438-669 · 438-740 · 438-818 · 438-895 · 438-973
Ile-Perrot, QC
438-240 · 438-257 · 438-326 · 438-428 · 438-549 · 438-599 · 438-638 · 438-664 · 438-700 · 438-701 · 438-702 · 438-703 · 438-890 · 438-970
Lachine, QC
438-241 · 438-264 · 438-327 · 438-551 · 438-577 · 438-600 · 438-609 · 438-619 · 438-648 · 438-665 · 438-819 · 438-891 · 438-971
Roxboro, QC
438-243 · 438-330 · 438-553 · 438-668 · 438-677 · 438-748 · 438-772 · 438-834 · 438-839 · 438-894 · 438-972
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.