🇺🇸North American Dialing Guide

How to Call the
USA from Canada

Make seamless calls to usa from canada directly from your browser. Outbound calls don’t require a dedicated number. To receive inbound calls, secure a unique US/Canada digital number ($2.14–$5/month).

Product facts

  • Outbound: No dedicated number required.
  • Inbound: Requires US/Canada digital number ($2.14–$5/month).
  • No apps: Works in Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox.
How to Dial
Calling United StatesReady
🇺🇸

How to Call USA from Canada

Since Canada and the USA share the same dialing system (NANP), calling is straightforward.

1

Dial 1

Start by dialing 1.

Do NOT dial 011.

2

Area Code

Enter the 3-digit Area Code of the US city (e.g., 212 for NYC, 310 for LA).

3

Number

Dial the 7-digit phone number.

What is NANP?

The North American Numbering Plan (NANP) is a shared telephone numbering scheme for 25 countries, including Canada, the USA, and many Caribbean nations. This is why you don't need an international exit code (011) to call between these countries.

1 + (Area Code) + XXX-XXXX

Popular US Area Codes

Common destinations for Canadians calling the USA.

CityStateArea Code
New York CityNY212 / 917
Los AngelesCA310 / 213
ChicagoIL312 / 773
MiamiFL305 / 786
HoustonTX713 / 281
CityStateArea Code
San FranciscoCA415
Washington DCDC202
BostonMA617
Las VegasNV702
SeattleWA206

Why Pay "Long Distance"
Fees?

Even though dialing the US is easy, Canadian carriers treat it as a premium service. Roaming in the US can cost $12/day, and calling from Canada can cost $0.50/min.

  • Avoid $12/day 'Roam Like Home' fees
  • No long-distance contracts needed
  • Call US mobiles and landlines
  • Perfect for snowbirds and business

Cheap Rates

Pay pennies per minute instead of carrier long-distance rates.

Any US Number

Reach any mobile or landline in all 50 states.

Instant

No plans to sign. Just dial and talk immediately.

Reliable

Premium voice quality for important business calls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I dial 011 for USA?

No. Never dial 011 when calling the USA from Canada. 011 is only for calls outside the North American Numbering Plan (like Europe or Asia). For the US, just dial 1.

Is calling the US free from Canada?

Not usually. Unless you have a specific 'Canada-US' plan with your mobile carrier, you will be charged long-distance fees. StartACall offers a much cheaper pay-as-you-go alternative.

How do I call a US toll-free number (800) from Canada?

You can dial US toll-free numbers (800, 888, 877, etc.) from Canada by simply dialing 1 + the number. These calls are often free, but some US companies block calls from Canadian numbers.

What is the country code for USA?

The country code is +1. This is the same country code as Canada.

Call the USA for Less

Connect with friends, family, and business partners across the border.

Country deep dive

From Canada to United States

Practical reference covering the destination country's dial code, time zone, mobile carriers, city area codes, business etiquette, and any regulatory rules that affect inbound calls. The information below is specific to this route — different country pairs surface different operational details.

Calling United States (+1)

United States sits in Five time zones from Eastern (UTC−5) to Hawaii–Aleutian (UTC−10); most business activity sits in Eastern and Pacific.. The country dial code is +1 and the official language for business is English. Local business hours run roughly Standard hours 9:00–17:00 in each local time zone. Federal offices skew earlier; West-Coast tech routinely runs to 19:00. Banks close 17:00 sharp. — and the practical answering window is Tuesday–Thursday 10:00–11:30 and 14:00–15:30 local time are peak inbound-call hours for B2B..

Major cities & area codes

  • San Francisco · 415/628
  • New York · 212/646/332Manhattan overlays
  • Los Angeles · 213/323Downtown LA overlays
  • Chicago · 312/872

Mobile carriers in United States

  • T-Mobile US · mobile across most NPAsAbsorbed Sprint in 2020
  • Verizon Wireless · mobile across most NPAsLargest by subscribers; CDMA-rooted but VoLTE/5G now
  • AT&T Mobility · mobile across most NPAs

What to know when calling United States

  • Caller ID display name (CNAM) is honored by most major US carriers; a recognizable display name materially improves answer rates.
  • Voicemail is widely used and read by transcription; leaving a brief callback request often gets faster response than re-dialing.
  • Cold-call regulations vary by state — California, Florida and New York have stricter pre-recorded-message rules under their consumer protection acts.

Phone-scam patterns specific to United States

  • IRS impersonation calls remain common: the IRS never demands immediate payment by phone or gift card.
  • 'One-ring' scams (Wangiri) using +1-340, +1-868 and other Caribbean codes are not US — the +1 prefix is shared across the North American Numbering Plan.

Regulation & compliance (United States)

  • STIR/SHAKEN call authentication is mandatory for major carriers since 2021; unauthenticated calls are increasingly flagged as 'Spam Likely'.
  • TCPA requires prior express written consent before placing automated marketing calls to mobile numbers.

Calling from Canada

From Canada (Six time zones from Newfoundland (UTC−3:30) to Pacific (UTC−8).) the local business window is 9:00–17:00 local time across provinces. Quebec businesses often add a one-hour lunch break and many close early on Fridays.. Most outbound callers reach a live answer most easily mid-morning local time, before lunch, and again in the late afternoon.

  • Toll-free 1-800/1-888/1-877/1-866 numbers are interchangeable across Canada and the US — recipients incur no charge.
  • Bilingual greetings ('Bonjour, hello') are standard for businesses operating in Quebec or serving federal clients.
Operational facts above are sourced from regulator publications and carrier disclosures; specific rates and routing are confirmed in the live dialer.
More calling routes

Related international calling guides

Other routes our customers compare with this one. Tap any guide to see dialing rules, country codes, and rates.