Area Code 681

West Virginia

Area code 681 serves West Virginia, primarily Charleston, in the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. It is an overlay area code sharing territory with area code 304.

Published:

Overlay Area Code

This area code is part of an overlay region, meaning the same geographic area is served by multiple area codes. Overlay codes were introduced to meet growing demand for phone numbers without requiring existing customers to change their numbers.

This area code shares its geographic region with: area code 304 (Charleston).

In service since: 28-Mar-2009

Learn more about overlay and split area codes →

Demographics & Economics

Total Population
2,642,219
Population Density
67 people/sq mi
below U.S. average (U.S.: 93 people/sq mi)
Median Household Income
$56,193
below U.S. median (U.S.: $75,144)
Poverty Rate
16.6%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 11.5%)
Unemployment Rate
6.0%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 3.6%)
Education Attainment
Bachelor's Degree+
22.7%
below U.S. average (U.S.: 33.7%)
High School or Lower
43.6%

Statistics are population-weighted aggregations from Census ACS 5-year estimates. Population figures are approximate — see Sources & Methodology for details on how area code populations are derived.

See how this area code compares to all US area codes in the Statistics dashboard.

Time Zone

  • Eastern Time (ET)

NANPA Relief Status

According to the latest NANPA analysis (July 2026), this area code is not currently listed as exhausting within the next 36 months. No relief planning is in progress for this NPA.

Source: NANPA NPA Relief Planning Reports · See all relief planning statuses

Current Time

Eastern Time (ET)
 
 

Prefix Utilization

Geographic Coverage

State

WV

Major Cities

  • Charleston
  • Huntington
  • Morgantown
  • Parkersburg
  • Wheeling
  • Martinsburg
  • Weirton
  • Fairmont
  • Beckley
  • Clarksburg
  • Teays Valley
  • South Charleston
  • St. Albans
  • Vienna
  • Cheat Lake
  • Cross Lanes
  • Bluefield
  • Bridgeport
  • Oak Hill
  • Moundsville
  • Dunbar
  • Pea Ridge
  • Nitro
  • Hurricane

and 415 more cities

Area Code 681 geographic coverage map (light mode)

Demographics

The estimated population served by area code 681 is approximately 2,642,219. The population density is 67 people per square mile, which is lower than the national average of 93. The median household income is $56,193, which is lower than the national median of $75,144. Approximately 22.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to the national rate of 33.7%. This rate is lower than the national average. The poverty rate stands at 16.6%, which is higher than the national rate of 11.5%.

History

Area code 681 serves as an overlay for the same territory as area code 304. It was introduced in 2009 to provide additional phone number capacity for the region. It shares its territory with area code area code 304.

County Coverage

Population-weighted county share based on aggregated ZCTA population (100% = total mapped population for area code 681).

CountyPopulationShare
Kanawha, WV190,4327.2%
Monongalia, WV160,7216.1%
Berkeley, WV141,8745.4%
Harrison, WV121,3814.6%
Cabell, WV112,5054.3%
Putnam, WV96,6493.7%
Wood, WV94,7803.6%
Taylor, WV86,2333.3%
Raleigh, WV83,0183.1%
Wayne, WV79,4293.0%
Brooke, WV79,3993.0%
Marshall, WV73,8932.8%
Marion, WV71,4222.7%
Mason, WV62,4112.4%
Jefferson, WV61,0542.3%
Mercer, WV60,0342.3%
Barbour, WV55,9302.1%
Lincoln, WV52,9552.0%
Fayette, WV49,4381.9%
Ohio, WV48,1241.8%
Greenbrier, WV42,3811.6%
Preston, WV39,4571.5%
Jackson, WV38,8811.5%
Lewis, WV37,6561.4%
Logan, WV35,4841.3%
Randolph, WV33,8391.3%
Morgan, WV33,1461.3%
Hancock, WV32,4421.2%
Nicholas, WV32,2411.2%
Tyler, WV31,7261.2%
Boone, WV31,1911.2%
Roane, WV31,0461.2%
Hampshire, WV30,8661.2%
Mineral, WV29,8891.1%
Grant, WV29,2951.1%
Wyoming, WV28,2051.1%
Upshur, WV26,8041.0%
Summers, WV25,0250.9%
Mingo, WV23,6650.9%
Ritchie, WV23,1050.9%
McDowell, WV22,3120.8%
Braxton, WV21,4450.8%
Monroe, WV21,0260.8%
Hardy, WV20,6880.8%
Doddridge, WV17,5570.7%
Wetzel, WV16,8490.6%
Gilmer, WV16,2470.6%
Clay, WV14,1210.5%
Pocahontas, WV13,1110.5%
Pendleton, WV12,2100.5%
Pleasants, WV10,9770.4%
Webster, WV9,7860.4%
Tucker, WV9,7160.4%
Wirt, WV9,4520.4%
Calhoun, WV8,6960.3%

Area Code 681 Family Tree

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304681
1
Total Codes
0
Splits
0
Overlays
0
Max Depth

Area code 681 was originally assigned in 28-Mar-2009 to serve WV.

Call Context

Regional geographic area

This area code covers a geographic region across WV, including Charleston and surrounding communities.

Nearby Area Codes

Area codes geographically closest to 681.

Area code 220 map card showing Newark (light mode)
220OHNewarkEastern Time (ET)Overlay
Area code 740 map card showing Newark (light mode)
740OHNewarkEastern Time (ET)Geographic
Area code 540 map card showing Roanoke (light mode)
540VARoanokeEastern Time (ET)Geographic
Area code 826 map card showing Roanoke (light mode)
826VARoanokeEastern Time (ET)Overlay

Other Area Codes in West Virginia

Area codes that also serve West Virginia, linked for easy comparison.