How to call China from the United States
To call China from the United States, dial 011, then 86, then the number without its leading 0.
Dialed from the United States, a mobile number looks like 011 86 131 2345 6789 and a landline like 011 86 10 95173.
How to dial China from the United States
On a mobile phone you can type + instead of 011; from a landline, dial 011. In the QuikRing dialer you skip both: pick China and type the number.
The numbers show the format only.
How numbers in China are built
A number in China is the country code +86 followed by a national number of 7–11 digits. The trunk prefix, where there is one, is dropped after the code.
Written locally as 131 2345 6789, an example mobile number in China is dialed as +86 131 2345 6789 from abroad.
Leave out the leading 0 of a landline number; mobile numbers like this one have none.
Why a call to China fails to connect
- Keeping the leading 0: after +86 it is one digit too many, and the network rejects the call.
- Leaving out 011 (or +): without it your carrier reads 86 as the start of a number in the United States, not as a country code.
- A wrong number of digits: a number in China has 7–11 digits after +86.
Best time to call
China is 13 h ahead of the United States. When it is 12:00 in the United States, it is 01:00 in China.
That gap moves between 12 h and 13 h during the year, because one of the two countries changes its clocks for daylight saving.
The United States changes its clocks for daylight saving, so its offset moves between UTC-5 and UTC-4 during the year.
The United States moves its clocks on March 8 and November 1.
China does not change its clocks for daylight saving, so the offset stays UTC+8 all year.
Where a country spans several time zones, this page uses its main one, so the real gap can differ by a few hours.
There's no clean overlap in standard working hours between the United States and China.
The weekend in China is Saturday and Sunday.
| Best time to call | United States time (New York time) | China time |
|---|---|---|
| Waking hours, 08:00–21:00 in both | 19:00–21:00 | 08:00–10:00 |
When it is 09:00 in the United States, it is 22:00 in China.
When it is 09:00 in China, it is 20:00 in the United States.
What it costs to call China
Right from your browser, no app or SIM card. Charged per started minute, with no connection fee.
Prices checked November 1, 2026.
What carriers in the United States charge
Carrier rates checked November 3, 2026, standard pay-per-use rates without add-on plans. See the full International Calling Cost Index for global rate benchmarks →
We recommend QuikRing for this call: the price per minute is shown before you dial, and there is no app or SIM to set up. It cannot place emergency calls; for those use a mobile or landline phone.
What a call costs
What a call to China (+86) costs with QuikRing.
How to call China with QuikRing
- 01Open QuikRing in your browser, sign up and add credit.
- 02Pick China in the dialer, or type +86 followed by the number.
- 03Check the price before you call: $0.59/min to a mobile, $0.59/min to a landline.
- 04Press Call. The phone in China rings like any other call, and nobody needs an app.
Frequently asked questions
How do I dial China from the United States?
To call China from the United States, dial 011, then 86, then the number without its leading 0. Dialed from the United States, a mobile number looks like 011 86 131 2345 6789 and a landline like 011 86 10 95173.
How much does it cost to call China from the United States?
With QuikRing a call to China costs $0.59/min to a mobile and $0.59/min to a landline, charged per started minute. Ten minutes cost $5.90 to a mobile and $5.90 to a landline. With QuikRing, calls from the United States to China start at $0.59/min. Standard pay-per-use rates without an add-on plan from a carrier in the United States: Verizon $2.49/min. We recommend QuikRing for this call: the price per minute is shown before you dial, and there is no app or SIM to set up. It cannot place emergency calls; for those use a mobile or landline phone.
What is the best time to call China from the United States?
China is 13 h ahead of the United States. When it is 12:00 in the United States, it is 01:00 in China. Best window to call: 19:00–21:00 your time (08:00–10:00 in China). That gap moves between 12 h and 13 h during the year, because one of the two countries changes its clocks for daylight saving.
Do I need to drop the leading 0 when dialing China?
Only for a landline: leave out its leading 0 after +86. Mobile numbers such as 131 2345 6789 are written without it.
How many digits is a phone number in China?
A number in China has 7–11 digits after the country code +86, not counting a leading trunk digit.
Do landlines and mobiles in China cost the same to call?
A call to a landline in China costs $0.59/min and a call to a mobile costs $0.59/min. The dialer recognizes which one you typed and shows the price before you call.