US Virtual Phone Number
Get a +1 number in any US area code, or a toll-free line, and answer it anywhere in the world. No US address needed, no hardware, live the same day.
A US virtual phone number is a +1 number that is not tied to a physical line or location. Calls route over the internet to whatever device you choose — a mobile app, a desk phone, a team, or an IVR menu — so the number can be answered from anywhere while the caller reaches a normal US number at their usual domestic rate.
How do I get a US phone number?
Pick the area code you want, choose from the available numbers, and point it at a device. Numbers activate immediately, so a line published in the morning can be taking calls by the afternoon.
There is no local-presence requirement for US numbers. This is worth stating plainly because it is not true everywhere — Germany requires an address in the number's own area, and the UAE restricts VoIP provision outright. In the US, a company anywhere in the world can hold a +1 number.
Choosing a US area code
The area code is the part customers read. A number matching the city you are selling into is answered more often than an unfamiliar one, which is the practical reason to think about it rather than taking whatever is offered.
| Metro | Area codes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 212, 646, 332, 917 | Manhattan 212 is the most requested US code and the hardest to source; 646 and 332 are the practical overlays. |
| Los Angeles | 213, 310, 323, 424 | 310 carries West LA and coastal associations; 213 is downtown. |
| Chicago | 312, 773 | 312 is the Loop and downtown; 773 covers the rest of the city. |
| San Francisco | 415, 628 | 415 is strongly associated with tech and is widely recognised nationally. |
| Houston | 713, 281, 832 | 713 is the original inner-city code; 281 and 832 cover the wider metro. |
| Washington DC | 202 | A single code for the District, common for policy, legal and government-facing teams. |
We hold numbers across 94 US area codes, each with its own page covering the cities and counties it serves.
Local or toll-free?
A local number implies you are in that city. A toll-free number — 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 or 888 — implies a national business and costs the caller nothing. The seven prefixes are functionally identical; 800 simply reads as the oldest.
Running both is common: local numbers on city-targeted pages and advertising, with one toll-free line as the main published number.
Caller ID, spam labelling and CNAM
The real risk with any business number is not the number itself but how US carriers label it. Two things govern that:
- STIR/SHAKEN attestation. Calls are signed to prove the caller ID is legitimately yours. Unsigned or poorly attested traffic is what carriers flag.
- CNAM registration. Your business name is registered so it displays instead of a bare number, which measurably improves answer rates.
Neither is automatic anywhere in the industry, and a provider that does not mention them is worth asking about before you commit.
US business SMS and 10DLC
Sending business SMS to US mobile numbers requires 10DLC registration: your brand and each campaign are registered with The Campaign Registry before traffic is allowed. This is a US carrier requirement rather than a provider policy, and unregistered messages are filtered rather than delivered.
Registration takes a few days. Plan for it if SMS is part of your launch rather than discovering it on the day.
Porting an existing US number
Porting is free. US local numbers typically take 2-4 weeks, controlled by your current carrier rather than by us. The one irreversible mistake is cancelling the old service before cutover — that releases the number back to the carrier pool. See number porting for the full process and the paperwork that causes most rejections.
US phone number format
A US number is +1, a three-digit area code, a three-digit central office
code, and a four-digit line number — +1 551 305 4842 in international form.
Area codes never start with 0 or 1. Our free
E.164 formatter converts any number to
the strict international format and flags invalid ones.
What you get with a US number
- Call forwarding to mobile, desk or a team, with business caller ID preserved
- Auto attendant menus and extensions
- Call recording with transcripts, subject to US consent rules by state
- Voicemail-to-email, business hours routing and failover
- Unlimited calling within the US and Canada on all plans
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a US phone number?
Choose the United States at signup, pick an area code and an available number, and route it to any device — a mobile app, desk phone or softphone. Setup is immediate and there is no requirement to have a US office or address, which is the main difference from markets like Germany or the UAE.
Can I get a US phone number from outside the United States?
Yes. US local numbers carry no local-presence requirement, so a business anywhere in the world can hold a +1 number and answer it from anywhere. This is the most common reason overseas companies buy one — US buyers are markedly more likely to answer and return calls from a domestic number.
What does a US virtual number cost?
Numbers are included in the per-user plans at $15, $25 and $40 per user per month, with a 14-day free trial. Calls within the US and Canada are unlimited on all plans; international outbound is billed per minute by destination.
Should I choose a local area code or a toll-free number?
A local area code signals presence in a specific city and tends to perform better for sales and local service. Toll-free signals a national business and is free for the caller. Many teams run both — a local number on city-targeted pages and a toll-free number as the main published line.
Can I send and receive SMS on a US virtual number?
Yes, but US business SMS requires 10DLC registration — you register your brand and campaign with The Campaign Registry before sending to US mobile numbers. This is a carrier requirement, not ours, and unregistered traffic is filtered. We handle the registration with you; allow a few days for approval.
Will my calls show as spam?
That depends on attestation and CNAM, not on the number being virtual. Calls carry STIR/SHAKEN attestation to prove the caller ID is legitimate, and your business name can be registered to CNAM so it displays instead of a bare number. Both materially reduce the chance of a Scam Likely label.
Can I port my existing US number?
Yes, and porting is free. US local numbers typically take 2 to 4 weeks and the timeline is controlled by your current carrier, not by us. Do not cancel the old service before the port completes — that releases the number back to the carrier pool.
What is the format of a US phone number?
A US number is the country code +1, a three-digit area code, a three-digit central office code, then a four-digit line number — written internationally as +1 551 305 4842. Area codes never begin with 0 or 1. Our free E.164 formatter converts any number to the strict international format.
Numbers in other countries
We provide numbers in 100+ countries. These pages state the local presence and documentation rules that apply in each market, including where they are restrictive:
Get a US number today
Pick an area code, activate in minutes, answer anywhere. 14-day free trial, no US office and no hardware required.