0118 Area Code: Reading & Berkshire Guide

Wondering about a phone number that starts with 0118? The 0118 area code belongs to Reading — the largest town in Berkshire and one of the most economically productive urban centres in the UK outside London. Situated along the M4 corridor, Reading has a population of around 230,000 in the town itself and over 300,000 across the wider urban area. It’s a major hub for technology, telecommunications, insurance, and professional services, with many multinational corporations basing their UK headquarters here. This guide covers everything about the area code 0118, from the towns it serves to how you can get a Reading business number.

What Area Is 0118?

The 0118 area code covers Reading town centre and extends across a significant portion of central and eastern Berkshire. Reading’s strategic position on the M4 corridor means its telephone code area encompasses a prosperous and commercially important region.

The 0118 phone code serves:

• Reading town centre — the commercial heart of Berkshire, with major retail, office, and leisure developments including The Oracle, Station Hill, and Forbury Place
• Wokingham — a historic market town south-east of Reading, one of the most affluent towns in the UK, with its own thriving business community
• Earley — a large residential suburb immediately south-east of Reading, home to the University of Reading’s Whiteknights campus
• Woodley — a residential town east of Reading, bordered by the River Loddon
• Tilehurst — a western suburb of Reading, stretching towards Pangbourne and the Berkshire Downs
• Caversham — a popular residential area north of the Thames, technically in Oxfordshire but firmly within Reading’s urban area and 0118 code
• Twyford — a village between Reading and Maidenhead, an important commuter hub on the Elizabeth line
• Henley-on-Thames — the famous Oxfordshire town shares parts of the 0118 telephone code, though some Henley numbers use 01491

The 0118 area code is notable for covering areas across multiple counties — Berkshire, South Oxfordshire, and parts of north-east Hampshire. This reflects Reading’s role as the dominant economic centre for a region much larger than the town boundaries suggest.

Towns and Areas Using the 0118 Code

Here is a comprehensive list of the towns, suburbs, and villages that use the 0118 area code:

• Reading town centre (RG1–RG31 postcodes)
• Wokingham
• Earley
• Woodley
• Tilehurst
• Caversham
• Lower Earley
• Winnersh
• Shinfield
• Sonning
• Twyford
• Pangbourne (partially)
• Burghfield
• Mortimer
• Arborfield
• Swallowfield
• Hurst
• Crowthorne (partially)

Some people search for the “01189 area code” or “01183 area code” — neither is a separate code. Numbers beginning 01189 or 01183 are simply 0118 numbers where the local subscriber number starts with 9 or 3. The area code is always 0118, followed by a seven-digit local number.

History of the 0118 Area Code

The 0118 area code was introduced on 16 April 1995 during the nationwide PhONEday renumbering. Before this date, Reading’s area code was 0734 — a four-digit code followed by a six-digit local number.

During PhONEday, Reading’s code changed from 0734 to 0118, and local numbers were extended from six to seven digits by inserting a “9” at the start. A number previously dialled as 0734 XXXXXX became 0118 9XX XXXX. This was a significant change that gave the Reading area substantially more number capacity to support its rapidly growing business community.

Going back further, Reading’s original STD code was 734, assigned during the national rollout of subscriber trunk dialling in the 1960s. Reading’s proximity to London and its growing importance as a business location — boosted enormously by the opening of the M4 motorway in 1971 — meant there was always strong demand for telephone numbers in the area. The current telephone code 0118 has been stable since 1995.

How to Dial 0118 Numbers

Here’s how to call a Reading number from different locations:

• From a UK landline or mobile: Dial the full number as written, e.g. 0118 XXX XXXX. Always include the 0118 prefix when calling from a mobile, even if you’re in Reading.
• From within the 0118 area on a landline: You can omit the area code and dial just the seven-digit local number, though using the full number always works.
• From abroad: Replace the leading 0 with the UK country code +44. An 0118 number becomes +44 118 XXX XXXX.

All 0118 numbers consist of eleven digits in total — the four-digit area code followed by a seven-digit local number. Calls are charged at standard geographic rates and are almost always included in mobile and landline bundled minutes.

Getting a 0118 Business Number

A Reading phone number gives your business instant credibility along the M4 corridor — one of the UK’s most commercially significant business belts. Whether you’re targeting customers in Reading itself, the tech parks of Wokingham, or the professional-services firms across Berkshire, a 0118 number marks you out as a local, accessible business.

You don’t need to be physically located in Reading to use a 0118 number. VoIP and virtual number services let you set up a Reading business number that routes calls to any device — your mobile, a laptop softphone, or a desk phone in any location. Virtual 0118 numbers start from just £6/month with Hypercloud Hosted VoIP.

Related Area Codes Near Reading

Working across Berkshire and the Thames Valley? Here are the area codes you’ll encounter near Reading:

• 01256 — Basingstoke, a major business centre approximately 20 miles south-west of Reading
• 01635 — Newbury, a market town and racecourse location around 17 miles west of Reading
• 01344 — Bracknell, a key town in the Bracknell Forest borough south-east of Reading
• 01628 — Maidenhead, a Thames-side town east of Reading with a growing commercial sector
• 01491 — Henley-on-Thames, parts of which also use the 0118 code

For guides on other major UK area codes, see our articles on the 020 area code for London and the 0117 area code for Bristol. We also compare the best business phone line providers in the UK to help you choose the right telecoms package.

Frequently Asked Questions