Downtown Holly Springs: homes, schools, parks and commute

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Sources: the Town of Holly Springs’ Downtown Area Plan and Vision Holly Springs Land Use and Character Plan, the Wake County Public School System’s base school lookup, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 accountability data, the U.S. Census Bureau’s TIGERweb town limits, OpenStreetMap and Zillow Research.

Downtown is the old center of Holly Springs, the blocks around Main Street where Town Hall sits at 128 S. Main St. The town’s Downtown Area Plan draws it “between Elm Avenue at the south, Holly Springs Road at the north, Raleigh Street and Grigsby Avenue at the east, and the Library and Cultural Center at the west.” It includes the commercial core the plan calls the “bowtie,” Mims Park and the properties along Main Street between Earp Street and Holly Springs Road. Every address there is in ZIP code 27540.

What this means for you

• Zoned high school: Holly Springs High, 84.4% of state tests at grade level in 2025-26, according to the state’s accountability data. Check an address with the district’s base school lookup.
• Home value: $577,082 in ZIP code 27540 in August 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
• Nearest freeway exit: N.C. 540 Exit 54 at N.C. 55, about 2.7 miles by road.

Part of our Holly Springs neighborhoods guide.

Where it is

Downtown sits inside a larger Downtown Village District in the town’s Land Use and Character Plan. The plan describes that district as “an iconic downtown core and a medical campus at the intersection of NC 55 and Avent Ferry Road,” with neighborhoods around both. It says “preserving the character of existing homes is a high priority,” while some large lots may be divided for small-lot homes, townhomes, duplexes, cottages and accessory dwelling units. Buildings in the core may stand two to five stories, with apartments or condominiums above stores.

The main streets are Main Street, Ballentine Street, Center Street, Earp Street, Avent Ferry Road and Holly Springs Road. The plan counted 517 residents in its study area in 2022, using ESRI estimates. All 388 residential addresses we found in the downtown blocks were inside town limits on the Census Bureau’s TIGERweb map.

Two downtown buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the plan: the Leslie-Alford-Mims House at 100 Avent Ferry Road and Masonic Lodge No. 115 at 224 Raleigh St. More history is in our history and landmarks guide.

What is changing: the town is designing a Festival Street on Avent Ferry Road between West Ballentine Street and East Center Street that can close to cars for festivals and markets. Design began in July, and a community open house is set for Wednesday, Oct. 14. More on downtown itself is in our downtown Holly Springs guide.

Schools

Downtown is in the Wake County Public School System. All eight addresses we checked in the district’s base school lookup for 2026-27 were zoned for Holly Springs High. Six, on Cabrita Court, Stinson Avenue, West Holly Springs Road, Steeple Road and West Elm Avenue, were zoned for Holly Springs Elementary, a year-round school, and Holly Ridge Middle. Two at the western edge, on Ash Court and Cross Hill Lane, were zoned for Oakview Elementary and Apex Friendship Middle. Check your own address.

Scores are the share of state tests at grade level or above in 2025-26 and the state’s growth rating, from the accountability data.

Holly Springs High’s four-year graduation rate was above 95%, the highest band the state reports. More in our schools guide.

Home values

Zillow publishes no figure for downtown alone. The Zillow Home Value Index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price.

Trends are on our home prices page, and recent sales on our real estate transfers page.

Parks and trails

• Mims Park, 350 W. Ballentine St., is 17 wooded acres with natural springs and the grave of G.B. Alford, whom the town calls its founder. It is one of the five priority projects in the Downtown Area Plan.
• The Utley Creek Greenway, a paved 0.9-mile trail, links the area west of N.C. 55 with downtown.
• Jones Park, behind Holly Springs Elementary just northeast of downtown, has disc golf, a fishing pond and two playgrounds.

The Holly Springs Community Library is at 300 W. Ballentine St. More in our parks and trails guide.

Getting around

• N.C. 540: Exit 54 at N.C. 55 is about 2.7 miles by road from Main and Ballentine streets; Exit 50 at Holly Springs Road is about 3.1 miles.
• RDU International Airport: about 23 miles by road.
• Buses: GoTriangle Route 305 stops on Main Street between Ballentine and Center streets, according to the town’s bus service page, and runs hourly to downtown Raleigh, according to GoTriangle.
• Holly Springs Hopper: the town’s on-demand ride service covers town limits, according to its Hopper page.

Distances were measured with the OSRM routing engine on OpenStreetMap roads. They are distances, not drive times. More in our getting around guide.

Groceries and everyday stores

OpenStreetMap lists a Lowes Foods at 112 Bass Lake Road and the Holly Springs Pharmacy at 648 Holly Springs Road, both just east of the plan area, a Food Lion at 517 N. Main St. in the Oak Hall Shopping Center to the north and a Walgreens at North Main Street and Holly Springs Road.

Frequently asked questions

Where is downtown Holly Springs?

The town’s Downtown Area Plan draws it between Elm Avenue on the south, Holly Springs Road on the north, Raleigh Street and Grigsby Avenue on the east and the library and Cultural Center on the west, centered on Main Street.

What high school serves downtown Holly Springs?

All eight downtown addresses we checked in the Wake County Public School System’s lookup for 2026-27 were zoned for Holly Springs High, where 84.4% of state tests were at grade level in 2025-26.

What is the typical home value in downtown Holly Springs?

Downtown is in ZIP code 27540, where the Zillow Home Value Index was $577,082 in August 2026, down 0.8% from August 2025.

Is there a bus from downtown Holly Springs to Raleigh?

Yes. GoTriangle Route 305 stops on Main Street between Ballentine and Center streets and runs hourly to downtown Raleigh, according to the town and GoTriangle.