Phone prefixes in West Vancouver, BC
West Vancouver, BC is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 31 in-service prefixes there, held by 9 carriers and spread across 5 area codes (604, 236, 778, 257, 672). With 31 prefixes, West Vancouver is a mid-sized rate centre by British Columbia standards: 17th of 309, holding 0.9% of the province’s prefixes, and 106th of 2,920 rate centres across Canada.
Background reading: Canadian area codes, overlays, and what a 416 number actually tells you · Caller ID spoofing, STIR/SHAKEN, and how to actually block calls in Canada
Where West Vancouver is
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Greater Vancouver
- Local time
- — Pacific Time (PT), UTC−8; UTC−7 in daylight saving time
- Nearest rate centres
- Bowen Island (13 km), Vancouver (15 km), North Vancouver (15 km), Gibsons (23 km), Richmond (23 km)
Divisions and places: Statistics Canada and NRCan. Straight-line distances.
In numbers
- In-service prefixes
- 31
- Telephone numbers covered
- 310,000
- Carriers
- 9
- Area codes
- 5
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- August 23, 2001
- Most recent assignment
- February 10, 2025
West Vancouver’s share of its area codes
Within area code 604, West Vancouver accounts for only 12 of 781 prefixes (1.5%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 43 rate centres. Within area code 236, West Vancouver accounts for only 9 of 745 prefixes (1.2%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 269 rate centres. Within area code 778, West Vancouver accounts for only 8 of 779 prefixes (1.0%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 159 rate centres. Within area code 257, West Vancouver accounts for only 1 of 18 prefixes (5.6%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 15 rate centres. Within area code 672, West Vancouver accounts for only 1 of 321 prefixes (0.3%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 109 rate centres.
| Area codes | Prefixes here | Prefixes in code | Share | Range | Largest rate centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 604 | 12 | 781 | 1.5 % | 604-229 – 604-926 | Vancouver |
| 236 | 9 | 745 | 1.2 % | 236-264 – 236-814 | Vancouver |
| 778 | 8 | 779 | 1.0 % | 778-279 – 778-907 | Vancouver |
| 257 | 1 | 18 | 5.6 % | 257-333 – 257-333 | Vancouver |
| 672 | 1 | 321 | 0.3 % | 672-777 – 672-777 | Vancouver |
Who holds these numbers
Iristel Inc. holds the largest share at 9 prefixes, 29.0% of the total, ahead of 8 other carriers. Code by code: in 604, TELUS leads with 7 of 12 prefixes ahead of 2 others; in 236, Iristel Inc. leads with 5 of 9 prefixes ahead of 4 others; in 778, Fibernetics Corporation leads with 2 of 8 prefixes ahead of 5 others; IXICA Communications Inc. is the only holder in 257; IXICA Communications Inc. is the only holder in 672. No carrier holds prefixes in every one of West Vancouver’s 5 area codes, while 5 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 604 | 236 | 778 | 257 | 672 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iristel Inc. | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 9 |
| TELUS | 7 | — | — | — | — | 7 |
| Shaw Telecom Inc. | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 4 |
| Fibernetics Corporation | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 3 |
| IXICA Communications Inc. | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Distributel | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 |
| Bell West Inc. | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Comwave Networks | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| ISP Telecom Inc. | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
None of West Vancouver’s holders carries a mobility brand in its registered name: all 31 prefixes belong to wireline or wholesale carriers, among them Iristel Inc, TELUS, Shaw Telecom Inc and Fibernetics Corporation. A call showing a West Vancouver number therefore nominally comes from a landline, cable or VoIP platform rather than a locally assigned cellphone.
How the allocation was built up
West Vancouver’s dated assignments run from 2001 to 2025. The busiest period was 2010–2014, when 7 prefixes went to 6 carriers. 5 prefixes (16%) carry no date in the register: these are the historic pre-1999 assignments, the wireline bedrock of the rate centre. Since 2020 another 5 prefixes have been added, so the rate centre is still growing.
West Vancouver’s oldest prefixes, the ones the register leaves undated, belong to TELUS: this carrier made up the landscape before competition arrived. The first dated assignment went to TELUS in 2001. The most recent arrivals are IXICA Communications Inc. (2018), Comwave Networks (2014) and ISP Telecom Inc. (2010), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in West Vancouver.
West Vancouver’s 31 prefixes provide 310,000 numbers, which corresponds to a mid-sized city or a well-established suburb that every major carrier wants a slice of.
No single carrier dominates West Vancouver: the leader, Iristel Inc., holds only 29.0% of the prefixes against 8 competitors, a sign of a highly fragmented market where cable companies, mobility brands and VoIP providers weigh as much as the incumbent.
Allocation is mature: only 19.2% of the dated prefixes are less than ten years old, most having been handed out in 2010–2014, and 5 prefixes go back to the undated monopoly era. New West Vancouver numbers mostly come out of blocks that were assigned long ago.
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2004 | 1 | 1 |
| 2005–2009 | 6 | 5 |
| 2010–2014 | 7 | 6 |
| 2015–2019 | 7 | 4 |
| 2020–2024 | 4 | 3 |
| 2025–2029 | 1 | 1 |
5 undated in the register.
Dialling a West Vancouver number
West Vancouver is served by 5 overlaid area codes (604, 236, 778, 257 and 672). A 672 number is no more “out of town” than a 604 one; from abroad, dial +1 and the full ten digits.
The numbering neighbourhood
West Vancouver shares area codes 604, 236, 778, 257 and 672 with at least 20 other rate centres, including Vancouver, New Westminster, Abbotsford, Victoria, Richmond, North Vancouver, Aldergrove and Newton. The largest of them, Vancouver, holds 743 prefixes in 236, 257, 604, 672 and 778; the smallest on the list, Port Moody, has just 22.
| Rate centre | Province | Shared codes | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | BC | 236, 257, 604, 672, 778 | 743 | 19 |
| New Westminster | BC | 236, 257, 604, 672, 778 | 126 | 16 |
| Abbotsford | BC | 236, 604, 672, 778 | 87 | 15 |
| Victoria | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 75 | 16 |
| Richmond | BC | 236, 257, 604, 672, 778 | 73 | 15 |
| North Vancouver | BC | 236, 257, 604, 672, 778 | 58 | 12 |
| Aldergrove | BC | 236, 604, 672, 778 | 55 | 14 |
| Newton | BC | 236, 257, 604, 672, 778 | 46 | 14 |
| Kelowna | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 45 | 14 |
| Chilliwack | BC | 236, 604, 672, 778 | 41 | 14 |
| Whalley | BC | 236, 604, 672, 778 | 36 | 12 |
| Cranbrook | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 29 | 11 |
| Whistler | BC | 236, 604, 778 | 28 | 12 |
| Port Coquitlam | BC | 236, 604, 672, 778 | 26 | 10 |
| Prince George | BC | 236, 257, 672, 778 | 26 | 12 |
| South Kamloops | BC | 236, 257, 672, 778 | 26 | 11 |
| Squamish | BC | 236, 604, 672, 778 | 24 | 12 |
| Langley | BC | 236, 257, 604, 672, 778 | 23 | 8 |
| Nanaimo | BC | 236, 672, 778 | 23 | 14 |
| Port Moody | BC | 236, 604, 672, 778 | 22 | 9 |
What a West Vancouver number tells you
A number attached to West Vancouver tells you that its prefix was issued to a carrier for this rate centre in British Columbia, most often Iristel Inc.. It does not tell you where the handset is today: a subscriber may have ported the number to any of the 9 carriers present here or to a VoIP service usable anywhere. Nor does it tell you who is calling: caller ID can be spoofed, and a British Columbia area code is easy to borrow to look local.
Reading a register entry for West Vancouver: code 604-229 is recorded for Iristel Inc., so every 604-229-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “West Vancouver, British Columbia” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every West Vancouver prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for West Vancouver, with its original holder and year of assignment.
| Prefix | Carrier | Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| 236-264 | Comwave Networks | 2014 |
| 236-323 | Shaw Telecom Inc. | 2017 |
| 236-506 | Iristel Inc. | 2022 |
| 236-566 | Iristel Inc. | 2024 |
| 236-663 | IXICA Communications Inc. | 2018 |
| 236-706 | Iristel Inc. | 2019 |
| 236-707 | Iristel Inc. | 2019 |
| 236-708 | Iristel Inc. | 2019 |
| 236-814 | Fibernetics Corporation | 2024 |
| 257-333 | IXICA Communications Inc. | 2025 |
| 604-229 | Iristel Inc. | 2008 |
| 604-281 | Shaw Telecom Inc. | 2011 |
| 604-670 | Iristel Inc. | 2011 |
| 604-706 | Iristel Inc. | 2012 |
| 604-912 | Shaw Telecom Inc. | 2007 |
| 604-913 | TELUS | undated |
| 604-920 | TELUS | 2007 |
| 604-921 | TELUS | undated |
| 604-922 | TELUS | undated |
| 604-923 | TELUS | 2001 |
| 604-925 | TELUS | undated |
| 604-926 | TELUS | undated |
| 672-777 | IXICA Communications Inc. | 2020 |
| 778-279 | Shaw Telecom Inc. | 2007 |
| 778-280 | Bell West Inc. | 2005 |
| 778-508 | Fibernetics Corporation | 2012 |
| 778-606 | Distributel | 2016 |
| 778-734 | Distributel | 2010 |
| 778-805 | Fibernetics Corporation | 2009 |
| 778-851 | ISP Telecom Inc. | 2010 |
| 778-907 | Iristel Inc. | 2017 |
Had a call from a West Vancouver 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.
Frequently asked
What is the area code for West Vancouver?
West Vancouver does not have one area code but 5: 604, 236, 778, 257 and 672. The best-stocked is 604. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from West Vancouver a cellphone or a landline?
More likely a landline or a VoIP service: mobility brands hold only 0.0% of West Vancouver’s prefixes.
Which carrier is behind a West Vancouver number?
In the register, Iristel Inc. holds the most prefixes in West Vancouver (9 of 31), ahead of 8 other carriers. Code 604-229, for instance, belongs to Iristel Inc..
Is this West Vancouver number a scam?
The register cannot say: it records who a prefix was issued to, not who is calling. Search the full number above to see the reports filed against it.
What is the newest prefix in West Vancouver?
The latest code brought into service is 257-333, assigned to IXICA Communications Inc. on February 10, 2025. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 604-923, goes to TELUS (August 23, 2001). A number in a recent prefix almost always belongs to a subscriber who signed up after that date.
What time zone is West Vancouver in?
West Vancouver is on Pacific Time (PT, UTC−8), with daylight saving time (UTC−7) from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
Allocated prefixes
All 31 in-service prefixes, grouped by rate centre.
West Vancouver, BC
236-264 · 236-323 · 236-506 · 236-566 · 236-663 · 236-706 · 236-707 · 236-708 · 236-814 · 257-333 · 604-229 · 604-281 · 604-670 · 604-706 · 604-912 · 604-913 · 604-920 · 604-921 · 604-922 · 604-923 · 604-925 · 604-926 · 672-777 · 778-279 · 778-280 · 778-508 · 778-606 · 778-734 · 778-805 · 778-851 · 778-907
Elsewhere in British Columbia
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon | BC | 37 | 12 |
| Penticton | BC | 31 | 12 |
| Fort St. John | BC | 27 | 10 |
| Duncan | BC | 26 | 10 |
| Courtenay | BC | 24 | 8 |
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.