Montana · Mountain time
406 area code The single code for all of Montana.
Area code 406 covers the entire state of Montana, reaching cities like Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, and Missoula. It has no overlay code and has been Montana's only area code since 1947. Here is where it reaches, what that means for you, and how a small team gets a 406 number without a Montana address.
Start with $15. No contract, no seat minimum.
- Area code
- 406
- Paired with
- None no overlay yet
- In service
- Since 1947 Montana's original and only code
- Time zone
- Mountain
- Local calls
- 10 digits required since October 2021
Where it is
Where the 406 area code is
Area code 406 covers all of Montana, the fourth-largest state by area in the US. From Missoula in the west to Billings in the south-east, and from Great Falls in the center to Glendive near the North Dakota border, every phone number in Montana carries the same code.
Western Montana
Mountains, forests, and university towns
- Missoula
- Kalispell
- Whitefish
- Hamilton
- Libby
Central Montana
Capital, mining towns, and high plains
- Helena
- Butte
- Great Falls
- Bozeman
- Lewistown
Eastern Montana
Prairie cities and ranching country
- Billings
- Miles City
- Glendive
- Sidney
- Havre
Got a call from a 406 number? A 406 number tells you the number was issued in Montana, not that the caller is there right now. Montana has carried the single area code 406 since 1947, so 406 on your caller ID means the number traces back to the state even if the person has moved or is traveling. Many Montanans treat 406 as a point of pride, and April 6 is observed informally as 406 Day.
The history
406: one code, the whole state.
When AT&T created the North American Numbering Plan in 1947, Montana received area code 406. It has been the state's only area code ever since. As of 2013, 47 carriers served 1.7 million lines in the state under the single code. Number pooling was introduced to manage demand, and planners project sufficient codes to meet anticipated demand until 2031.
Prior to October 2021, area code 406 used seven-digit dialing. When 988 was designated nationwide as the dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in 2020, it created a conflict because Montana had active exchanges using 988 as a prefix. Montana transitioned to mandatory ten-digit dialing by October 24, 2021, so all calls to 406 numbers now require the full area code.
Local
In practice
What a 406 number does for a small team
A local number is the easy part. What matters is what happens when it rings. Here is one ordinary day for a three-person plumbing crew working out of Bozeman, with one 406 number on the truck and the website.
- 7:30 am
A customer calls the 406 number. All three phones ring at once in the app, whether the team is at the shop, in the truck, or at home.
- 10:30 am
Everyone is on a job. The caller hears hold music and the first free team member picks up from the app.
- 10:45 am
A voicemail arrives by email with a recording and a transcript. The message says: 'Frozen pipe, Main Street, Billings.'
- 5:00 pm
The schedule flips to after hours. The emergency option forwards to the owner's cell, and holidays are set on the shared calendar.
- Any time
Every call shows up in one shared list, and nobody's personal cell number ever reaches a customer.
No Montana address needed
Get a 406 number from anywhere
A Tonet number is not tied to a street address or a landline. A shop in Missoula can have one, and so can a team that serves Montana customers from another state.
Create your account
It takes a couple of minutes. Sign up with your email or with Google.
Add $15
Your first deposit becomes your balance. For one person it lasts about a month.
Pick your number
Search 406 in the dashboard and choose one. It rings right away in the app, in a browser tab or on a desk phone.
Pick a new number
The five-minute route. Take a 406 number, whichever you like the look of.
Bring the number you already use
Porting your number in costs nothing. Most ports complete in 7 to 10 business days. Some carriers take longer, up to a few weeks, and the releasing carrier controls the timing, so no date is guaranteed. Your number keeps working with your current provider until the switch, with no downtime.
US dollars · billed by the day
What a 406 business number costs
Two plans with the same features. The only difference is how you pay for calls and texts.
$10 per user, per month
- Calls 1¢ a minute
- Texts 3¢ each
- Best for A quiet line
$15 per user, per month
- US calls Included
- US texts Included
- Best for A busy line
Each phone number is $2.50 a month. You pay only for the days a user is active. No contract, no setup fee, no seat minimum. Unlimited is subject to a fair-use policy.
Start with $15Included on both plans
What comes with the number
One number, the whole team
Point your 406 line at a ring group and every phone rings. Turn on the queue and callers wait with hold music until someone picks up.
An auto attendant
Record your own greeting. Press 1 for a quote, 2 for service. Or skip it and let the phones ring.
Schedules and holidays
Business hours, after hours and days off, each with its own route. Set them once and the line follows them.
Recording and transcripts
Turn on recording for a number and each recorded call is written out, with a short AI summary, so you can search it later.
Texting from your number
Customers can text the business line. Receiving works right away. Sending needs a one-time carrier registration, which you file from the dashboard. How business texting works.
App, browser or desk phone
Answer on your iPhone or Android, in a browser tab, or on a SIP desk phone. Your personal number stays private.
Questions
406 area code, answered
Where is the 406 area code?
Area code 406 covers the entire state of Montana. It is the only area code Montana has ever had, assigned in 1947 when the North American Numbering Plan was created. Cities served include Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, Kalispell, and every other community in the state.
Does 406 have an overlay code?
No. Area code 406 has no overlay. Montana has used the single code 406 since 1947, and no second code has been added. The state has enough available numbering resources to meet anticipated demand until 2031.
Which cities are in the 406 area code?
Every city in Montana is in the 406 area code. That includes Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, Kalispell, Havre, Miles City, Glendive, and Sidney, among many others across the state.
Can I get a 406 number if I am not in Montana?
Yes. A Tonet number is an internet-based number and is not tied to a street address or a phone line, so a business anywhere in the US, or a team working for Montana customers from abroad, can take a 406 number and answer it in the app, in a browser or on a desk phone.
How much does a 406 business number cost?
The number itself is $2.50 a month. Users are $10 a month each on Pay As You Go, plus 1 cent a minute for calls and 3 cents a text, or $15 a month each on Unlimited, with US calls and texts included under a fair-use policy. Billing is by the day, there is no contract, no setup fee and no seat minimum, and $15 gets you started.
Can I keep my existing 406 number?
Yes. Porting a number to Tonet costs nothing. Most ports complete in 7 to 10 business days, some carriers take a few weeks, and the releasing carrier controls the timing. Your number keeps working with your current provider until the switch, so there is no downtime.
How fast can I get a 406 number set up?
About five minutes. Sign up, add $15, search 406 in the dashboard and pick a number. It rings right away in the app or in a browser tab. A desk phone takes a few more minutes to register.
Why do I have to dial ten digits for 406 numbers?
Montana moved to mandatory ten-digit dialing in October 2021. This was required because 988 was designated as the national code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and Montana had active phone exchanges using 988 as a prefix under the old seven-digit system. All calls to 406 numbers now require the full area code plus the seven-digit number.
Area code dates and towns: Area code 406, Wikipedia.
Nearby
More Montana numbers
Sound local anywhere in Big Sky Country.
Pick a 406 number and start taking calls today.
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