587 Area Code: Location, Cities, Time Zone & Scam Guide

The 587 area code covers one of the largest territories of any area code in North America: the entire province of Alberta, Canada. From the skyscrapers of Calgary and Edmonton to the oil sands of Fort McMurray and the mountain towns of Banff and Jasper, a 587 number could belong to anyone in this vast western province.

Because 587 is a province-wide overlay, it shares its territory with four other codes. This guide covers where the 587 area code is located, which cities it serves, its time zone, its history, how to dial it correctly, and how to protect yourself from scam calls that spoof it.

587 Area Code at a Glance

Feature	Detail
Area code	587
Location	Alberta, Canada — the entire province
Major cities	Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat, St. Albert
Time zone	Mountain Time (MT) — UTC−7 standard, UTC−6 daylight saving
Country	Canada
Dialing format	+1 587 XXX XXXX (from outside North America)
In service since	September 19, 2008
Overlay of	403 (southern Alberta) and 780 (northern Alberta)
Overlaid by	825 (April 9, 2016) and 368 (January 21, 2022)
Overlay complex	403 / 780 / 587 / 825 / 368
Future relief	568 reserved as a fifth code for the province
Dialing rule	10-digit dialing mandatory (all local calls, province-wide)

Where Is the 587 Area Code Located?

The 587 area code is located in Alberta, Canada, and it covers the whole province — all 661,848 square kilometres (about 255,000 square miles) of mountains, forests, prairies, and badlands. Alberta is Canada’s fourth-largest province, and 587 is one of only a handful of codes in North America that serve an entire province or state on their own.

The two great anchors of the territory are Calgary in the south — Canada’s energy capital and host of the famous Calgary Stampede — and Edmonton in the north, the provincial capital and gateway to the northern oil sands. Between them lie Red Deer and a string of agricultural and industrial cities; to the east, Medicine Hat and the Cypress Hills; to the west, the Rocky Mountain resort towns of Banff, Canmore, and Jasper; and to the far north, Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie.

Because 587 is a province-wide overlay, it has no sub-territory of its own — it rides on top of the entire province, alongside 403 (southern Alberta), 780 (northern Alberta), 825, and 368. A new phone line anywhere in Alberta today could be assigned any one of these five codes.

Cities Covered by Area Code 587

Every community in Alberta is in the 587 area code. The largest centers include:

Calgary — Alberta’s largest city, the corporate heart of Canada’s oil and gas industry
Edmonton — the provincial capital, home to the massive West Edmonton Mall and a major government, education, and healthcare hub
Red Deer — the midpoint city between Calgary and Edmonton on the QE2 corridor
Lethbridge — southern Alberta’s agricultural and university city
Fort McMurray — the oil sands capital in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo
Grande Prairie — the economic hub of northwestern Alberta’s Peace Country
Medicine Hat — “The Gas City,” in the province’s southeast
St. Albert — Edmonton’s affluent northern neighbor
Airdrie, Spruce Grove, Leduc, Okotoks, Cochrane, Strathmore, Brooks, Camrose, Wetaskiwin, Lloydminster (Alberta side), Banff, Canmore, Jasper, Hinton, Cold Lake — additional cities and towns across the province

Rural Alberta — from Peace River in the northwest to Cardston in the far south — is part of the same numbering plan area, so farm, ranch, and small-town numbers can carry 587 just as easily as downtown Calgary lines.

History of the 587 Area Code

Alberta’s area code story begins with 403, one of the original North American area codes assigned in 1947. For decades, 403 was geographically one of the largest numbering plan areas on the continent — at one point covering all of Alberta plus Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and part of what is now Nunavut. The territories split off as 867 in 1997, and in January 1999 Alberta itself divided north-south: the northern two-thirds, including Edmonton, became 780, while 403 kept Calgary and the south.

Within a decade, both codes were nearing exhaustion — 403’s projected exhaust date was March 2009 — as mobile phones, pagers, and modems multiplied. This time, regulators chose a province-wide overlay rather than another split. The new code, 587, entered service on September 19, 2008, covering all of Alberta and both underlying codes at once.

The rollout made history: optional ten-digit dialing began across the province on June 23, 2008, and became mandatory on September 12, 2008 — making ten-digit dialing universal throughout Alberta. On September 20, 2008, Telus Mobility began assigning 587 numbers to new customers in Calgary and Edmonton.

Growth did not stop. On April 9, 2016, area code 825 was added as a second overlay across the province; on January 21, 2022, 368 joined as a third. Today the complex reads 403/780/587/825/368, and 568 has been reserved as a fifth code for future relief.

587 Area Code Time Zone

The 587 area code is entirely in the Mountain Time Zone (MT) — all of Alberta observes Mountain Time:

Standard time: UTC−7 (Mountain Standard Time, MST)
Daylight saving time: UTC−6 (Mountain Daylight Time, MDT), observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November

Alberta observes daylight saving time province-wide (a 2021 referendum on permanent daylight saving time did not pass), so Calgary and Edmonton always share the same clock. Practical conversions: subtract one hour from Eastern Time (Toronto/Montreal), add one hour from Pacific Time (Vancouver/Seattle). From London, Alberta is seven hours behind in winter (MST vs. GMT) and seven hours behind in summer (MDT vs. BST).

How to Dial a 587 Area Code Number

Alberta has required ten-digit dialing for all local calls since September 2008 — even when calling your next-door neighbor. Use these formats:

Local call anywhere in Alberta: dial the area code plus the seven-digit number (e.g., 587-555-0184).
Long-distance call from elsewhere in Canada or the U.S.: dial 1 + 587 + the seven-digit number (e.g., 1-587-555-0184).
International call: dial your country’s exit code, then 1 + 587 + the seven-digit number (e.g., from the U.K., 00-1-587-555-0184; universally, +1 587 555 0184).
Texting: always include the area code in saved contacts — with five codes sharing the province, the area code is essential.

Seven-digit dialing has not worked anywhere in Alberta for well over a decade, so any old contacts stored without an area code need updating.

Is the 587 Area Code a Scam? Phone Scam Safety

The 587 area code is fully legitimate — it is one of Alberta’s official codes — but scammers spoof it to make calls look local. Common schemes targeting Albertans include:

CRA impersonation: callers posing as the Canada Revenue Agency, threatening arrest or fines over supposed unpaid taxes.
Service Canada / SIN scams: callers claiming your Social Insurance Number has been suspended or linked to criminal activity.
Energy and utility scams: callers posing as Enmax, Epcor, or ATCO, threatening disconnection unless you pay immediately.
Tech-support scams: callers claiming your computer is infected and requesting remote access or payment.
Investment and crypto scams: “pig-butchering” schemes that build a relationship before pitching fake investments — particularly reported in Alberta’s affluent urban centers.

Protect yourself:

Do not trust caller ID. Any 587 number displayed can be spoofed.
Never share banking details, SIN, or passwords with an unsolicited caller.
Hang up and call back using the number on the organization’s official website.
Be skeptical of urgency. Real agencies do not demand immediate payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
Report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre.ca or 1-888-495-8501.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the 587 area code?

The 587 area code covers the entire province of Alberta, Canada — including Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Fort McMurray, and Grande Prairie. It is a province-wide overlay of area codes 403 and 780.

What time zone is the 587 area code in?

The 587 area code is in the Mountain Time Zone (UTC−7 standard, UTC−6 during daylight saving). All of Alberta observes Mountain Time.

When was the 587 area code created?

The 587 area code entered service on September 19, 2008, as a province-wide overlay of 403 and 780. Mandatory ten-digit dialing across Alberta began September 12, 2008.

What other area codes cover Alberta?

Alberta is served by five codes in one overlay complex: 403 (southern Alberta’s original), 780 (northern Alberta’s original), 587, 825 (added 2016), and 368 (added 2022). Area code 568 is reserved for future relief.

Is 587 a toll-free number?

No. 587 is a geographic Alberta area code, not a toll-free code. North American toll-free codes are 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, and 833.

Do I need to dial the area code in Alberta?

Yes. Ten-digit dialing has been mandatory for all local calls throughout Alberta since September 12, 2008, because five area codes share the same territory.

Conclusion

The 587 area code is Alberta’s province-wide overlay — introduced in 2008 to relieve 403 and 780, joined since by 825 and 368, and running entirely on Mountain Time. Whether you are calling a rig hand in Fort McMurray, a startup in Calgary, or a government office in Edmonton, the rule is the same: always dial ten digits, and treat unexpected 587 calls with sensible caution. Keep this guide bookmarked, and explore our other Canadian area code guides for the full national picture.