Area Code 473 – St. George's & Island Area

Overview of Grenada's +1 473 Geographic Area Code

The +1 473 country code is the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) designation for Grenada, a sovereign Caribbean nation comprising the island of Grenada and the southern Grenadines islands. Within the NANP, 473 serves as both the country code and the sole area code for the entire nation, a structure shared with other Caribbean islands. This means that all domestic calls within Grenada, as well as international calls from other NANP countries (e.g., the United States, Canada), are dialed using the same 10-digit format: 473 + seven-digit subscriber number.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

Although 473 is a geographic area code, it covers the entire country rather than a specific city or region. The code encompasses all six parishes and the dependency of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The capital, St. George's, located on the southwestern coast of Grenada, is the primary administrative and commercial hub. Other significant towns include Grenville (St. Andrew's Parish), Victoria (St. Mark's Parish), and Gouyave (St. John's Parish). The code also serves the smaller islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, which are part of the Grenadines chain.

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

For local callers within Grenada, the standard domestic dialing format is simply the seven-digit subscriber number, as the area code is not required for calls within the same NANP island. However, for calls from outside Grenada, the international format must be used: +1 473 XXX XXXX (or 011 1 473 XXX XXXX when dialing from the US/Canada). For example, to call a landline in St. George's from abroad, you would dial +1 473 and then the seven-digit number. If you are calling from a mobile phone, you can use the plus sign (+) followed by the country code and number.

Numbering and Overlay Considerations

As of the latest NANP administration data, Grenada has not implemented an overlay area code. The 473 code remains the sole area code, and the seven-digit subscriber numbers are allocated to both fixed-line and mobile services. The NANP administrator, the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA), oversees the allocation of prefixes within 473 to various service providers, including Flow (formerly Cable & Wireless) and Digicel, the two primary telecommunications operators in Grenada.

Practical Usage and Cost Implications

For international callers, it is essential to note that calls to Grenada from non-NANP countries (e.g., the UK, Europe) require the use of the international access code (00 or +) followed by 1 473. Charges vary by carrier, but calls to Grenada are generally considered international and may incur higher rates. For businesses and individuals within Grenada, the geographic nature of the code means that local calls are typically charged at lower rates, while calls to other NANP countries are billed as international. Understanding these dialing and billing nuances is crucial for seamless communication with Grenada.