Montford, Asheville: homes, schools, parks and commute

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Sources: the Montford Plan on a Page filed with the City of Asheville’s neighborhood plans, Buncombe County’s school district map layer, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 accountability data, the U.S. Census Bureau’s geocoder, OpenStreetMap and Zillow Research.

Montford is the hillside neighborhood just across I-240 from downtown. Its neighborhood association’s plan on a page, filed with the city in 2016, calls it “an historic neighborhood located immediately northwest of downtown Asheville,” “primarily single-family residential, with a few scattered small apartment structures.” Montford Avenue is its main street, with the Asheville Visitor Center, restaurants and offices. It is in ZIP code 28801.

What this means for you

• Zoned high school: Asheville High, 65.4% of state tests at grade level in 2025-26. Asheville City Schools families choose among the district’s schools; enrollment is 828-350-6111.
• Home value: $551,288 in ZIP code 28801 in August 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
• Nearest interstate exit: I-240 Exit 4C at Montford Avenue and Haywood Street, about 0.7 mile by road from Montford Park.

Part of our Asheville neighborhoods guide.

Where it is

The plan gives Montford’s boundaries as “I-240 and downtown on the south, Broadway on the east, Hill Street and Riverside Drive on the west, and the junction of Riverside Drive and Broadway on the north.” Its core is the Montford Historic District, “with houses built primarily from the 1890’s to the 1920’s,” where new houses and renovations follow the standards of the Asheville-Buncombe Historic Resources Commission. Around the district is “a mix of older and newer homes, primarily single-family.”

The plan names the I-26 Connector as the neighborhood’s biggest challenge, for its “large highway footprint along the western edge of the neighborhood,” along with short-term rentals and the development of property UNC Asheville owns along Zillicoa Street. The city places Montford in its North planning area. All four Montford points we checked, from Montford Park to the northern end near Riverside Drive, were inside the city limits on the Census Bureau’s geocoder.

Schools

Montford is in Asheville City Schools. All four points fell in the city district on Buncombe County’s school district map layer. The district offers school choice at every grade level to families who live in it, according to its enrollment office.

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.

Montford North Star Academy, a district school for grades 6 to 8, is at 90 Montford Ave. with 217 students, according to the federal NCES school directory. The state published no combined score for it in the 2025-26 file. More in our schools guide.

Home values

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

ZIP code 28801 also covers downtown and the River Arts District. Trends are on our home prices page.

Parks and trails

The plan lists “the historic Riverside Cemetery, Montford Park, and several smaller neighborhood parks.” From the city’s park finder:

• Montford Park, 345 Montford Ave., with lighted courts for tennis and pickleball and a basketball court. The city has a recovery project for Helene damage here and at Riverside Cemetery.
• Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Drive, the centerpiece of a 17-acre recreation complex with a gym and climbing wall.
• Magnolia Park, 51 Magnolia Ave., with a playground and walking loop.
• Hummingbird Park, 97 Starnes Ave., a lawn with picnic tables.
• Riverside Cemetery, 53 Birch St., a city-run garden cemetery.
• Hazel Robinson Amphitheater, 92 Gay St., home of a Shakespeare theater company.

The Reed Creek Greenway runs along Broadway on Montford’s eastern edge. More in our parks and trails guide.

Getting around

• I-240: Exit 4C at Montford Avenue and Haywood Street is about 0.7 mile by road from Montford Park; Exit 5A at Merrimon Avenue about 0.9 mile.
• Downtown Asheville: about 1 mile by road.
• Asheville Regional Airport: about 15 miles by road.
• Buses: ART’s N4 runs from the ART Station through Montford to Klondyke Apartments, and the N3 to the Chamber of Commerce and Hillcrest, on the city’s maps and schedules page.

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

Groceries and everyday stores

OpenStreetMap lists no supermarket inside Montford. Across Broadway, Whole Foods Market (70 Merrimon Ave.), Trader Joe’s (120 Merrimon Ave.) and Harris Teeter (136 Merrimon Ave.) sit together on Merrimon Avenue.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Montford in Asheville?

Immediately northwest of downtown. The Montford Neighborhood Association’s plan gives its boundaries as I-240 and downtown on the south, Broadway on the east, Hill Street and Riverside Drive on the west, and the junction of Riverside Drive and Broadway on the north.

What school district is Montford in?

Asheville City Schools. Montford North Star Academy, a district middle school for grades 6 to 8, is at 90 Montford Ave., and the district’s high school is Asheville High.

Is Montford a historic district?

Its core is the Montford Historic District, with houses built mostly from the 1890s to the 1920s. New houses and renovations there follow the standards of the Asheville-Buncombe Historic Resources Commission, according to the neighborhood’s plan.

What is the typical home value in Montford?

Zillow publishes no Montford figure. Its typical value for ZIP code 28801, which includes Montford and downtown, was $551,288 in August 2026.