Calling the United States from Canada is easier than calling almost anywhere else, because the two countries share one numbering plan. There is no international exit code to dial. But it's still a cross-border call, so the cost depends on your plan, and a few Canadian time zones don't line up with the US the way people expect. This guide covers the digits, a worked example, toll-free numbers, charges and time zones, including British Columbia's change on November 1, 2026.
The short answer
- From any Canadian phone: Dial 1, the three-digit US area code and the seven-digit number. Example: 1 206 555 0187.
- From a mobile: 1 206 555 0187 works, and so does +1 206 555 0187. Saving contacts with +1 makes them work anywhere.
- No 011: 011 is Canada's prefix for countries outside the shared numbering plan. You don't use it for the US.
Why there's no exit code
Canada and the US are both members of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), which NANPA describes as an integrated numbering plan for 20 countries that share country code 1. Every number in it has ten digits: a three-digit area code and a seven-digit local number. Calls between members are dialed like long-distance calls at home: 1, then the ten digits. The ITU dialling procedures list lists 011 as Canada's international prefix, which is what you use for the UK, Mexico or anywhere else outside the NANP.
This is also why you can't tell from the number alone whether it's American or Canadian. 416 is Toronto and 212 is New York, but both are dialed the same way. The area code tells you where the number was issued.
Worked example
A shop owner in Calgary needs to call a supplier in Seattle at (206) 555-0187.
- Dial 1 (the long-distance and country code).
- Dial 206 (the Seattle area code).
- Dial 555 0187.
The full string is 1 206 555 0187. If the supplier calls back, they dial 1 403 and the shop's seven digits, the same pattern in reverse.
What it costs
Dialing is simple; billing is where Canada and the US are separate. Calls from Canada to the US are usually long-distance or cross-border calls on Canadian plans, unless your plan includes US calling. Many Canadian mobile plans offer "Canada-US" calling or a US add-on, and some don't. Check your plan, especially for a business line that calls US customers or suppliers every day.
- Look for "Canada-wide" vs "Canada-US" in the plan name. Canada-wide often excludes US calls.
- Roaming is different from calling. Calling the US from Canada is not roaming; using your Canadian phone while you are in the US usually is.
- App calls (FaceTime, WhatsApp and similar) over data avoid long-distance charges if the other person uses the same app.
Toll-free numbers across the border
Canada and the US share the same toll-free area codes: 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888 (listed by the FCC). Whether a US toll-free number accepts calls from Canada is up to the business and its provider, which is why some US 800 numbers work from Canada and some play a message that the call can't be completed. If that happens:
- Look on the company's contact page for a Canadian or international number.
- Use the regular ten-digit number if they list one; it's a normal long-distance call.
- Use chat or email, which don't depend on where you are.
Aircall's help center explains the same thing from the business side: some companies accept calls from outside the US on toll-free numbers and others block them, because the business pays more for those calls.
Time zones: mostly the same, with exceptions
Most of Canada uses the same time zones as the US and changes its clocks on the same dates, the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November (the US rule is set out by NIST). Toronto and New York share a clock, as do Winnipeg and Chicago. The exceptions catch people out:
| Place | Standard time | Daylight time | Compared with the nearest US zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario, Quebec (most) | UTC−5 | UTC−4 | Same as New York all year |
| Manitoba | UTC−6 | UTC−5 | Same as Chicago all year |
| Saskatchewan (most) | UTC−6 all year | No change | Same as Chicago in winter; same as Denver in summer |
| Alberta | UTC−7 | UTC−6 | Same as Denver all year |
| British Columbia (most) | UTC−7 from Nov 1, 2026 | Stays UTC−7 | Same as Seattle in summer; 1 hour ahead of Seattle from November to March |
| Atlantic provinces | UTC−4 | UTC−3 | 1 hour ahead of New York |
| Newfoundland | UTC−3:30 | UTC−2:30 | 1 hour 30 minutes ahead of New York |
The British Columbia change is new. The province's last clock change was March 8, 2026; on November 1, 2026 its clocks stay put on what it now calls Pacific Time, seven hours behind UTC (B.C. government). Washington, Oregon and California still fall back, so from November to March, Vancouver is one hour ahead of Seattle and Los Angeles. If you schedule calls between B.C. and the US West Coast, update your calendars.
If the call won't go through
- Make sure you dialed 1 first. Some phones need it for every call outside your area code.
- Don't add 011. That sends the call to the international network and it will fail.
- For a toll-free number, try the company's regular number.
- On a business line, check that long-distance calling is enabled.
Watch out: +1 isn't always the US or Canada
The North American Numbering Plan includes about 18 other countries besides the US and Canada, mostly in the Caribbean, such as Jamaica (876), the Dominican Republic (809, 829), the Bahamas (242) and Bermuda (441), according to NANPA and the ITU dialling procedures list. You dial them exactly like a US number, 1 plus ten digits, but they are international calls and can be billed at international rates. If you get a missed call from an unfamiliar area code, look it up before you call back.
- Common US area codes Canadians call: 212 and 646 (New York), 206 (Seattle), 312 (Chicago), 213 and 310 (Los Angeles), 305 (Miami).
- Canadian area codes you might confuse: 416 and 647 (Toronto), 514 (Montreal), 604 (Vancouver), 403 (Calgary).
- Caribbean area codes that are dialed the same way but billed differently: 242, 246, 441, 809, 829, 849, 876.
If you sell to US customers from Canada
Because +1 numbers look alike, US customers can call a Canadian number without dialing anything special. What they may notice is the cost: some US phone plans charge for calls to Canada. If most of your customers are in the US, a US number can make you easier to reach. Our guide on getting a US number in Canada covers the options and what to check.
How Chargezen helps
Chargezen doesn't sell long-distance calling, Canadian numbers or call forwarding. It answers the calls and messages that reach your US business number:
- Concierge answers your US number: Concierge is Chargezen's team of digital employees. On the phone it works as an AI receptionist that answers calls on your US business number at any hour, knows the caller from their number and can look up their orders. See the phone channel.
- Teammates join from anywhere: When a caller needs a person, Concierge alerts your team in the Finn app and the browser, and emails or texts the teammates you pick. A teammate can listen in and join the live call from Finn or the browser; transfers happen in the Finn app. See phone calls.
- One thread per customer: Calls, texts, website chat and email from the same customer land in one conversation, so whoever picks it up next sees what already happened. See every channel.
- US numbers only: Chargezen offers US (+1) numbers: a new toll-free number, or the US number you already have. It doesn't sell numbers in other countries, and it doesn't forward calls.
Concierge Starter is $20 a month with 20,000 credits. Pro is $199 a month with 199,000 credits, or $1,990 a year. Phone and text charges are billed as used. See pricing.
Related terms: toll-free number, number porting and AI receptionist. Related guides: getting a US number in Canada, how to call the US from Mexico and how to port a business number. See also how to call Canada from the US.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to dial 011 to call the US from Canada?
No. Dial 1, the area code and the number. 011 is only for countries outside the North American Numbering Plan.
Is calling the US from Canada an international call?
For dialing, it works like a domestic long-distance call. For billing, many plans charge it as a cross-border or long-distance call. Check yours.
Why doesn't a US 1-800 number work from Canada?
The business or its provider only accepts toll-free calls from the US on that number. Look for a Canadian or regular number on their contact page.
Is Vancouver on the same time as Seattle?
In summer, yes. From November 1, 2026, British Columbia no longer falls back, so in winter Vancouver is one hour ahead of Seattle.
Sources
NANPA (NANP members, ten-digit numbers); ITU dialling procedures list (Canada's international prefix 011); FCC (toll-free codes); Aircall's help center (toll-free calls from outside the US); NIST (US clock changes); B.C. government (permanent Pacific Time). All checked October 18, 2026.
