Watts-Hillandale is a local and National Register historic district in ZIP code 27705, zoned for E.K. Powe, Brogden Middle and Riverside High.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the City of Durham’s planning GIS data, Durham Public Schools’ 2026-27 attendance zones, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 accountability data, NCDOT’s highway exit data, OpenStreetMap and Zillow Research.

Watts-Hillandale is the neighborhood along Club Boulevard and Hillandale Road in northwest central Durham. OpenStreetMap names it Watts Hospital-Hillandale. It is both a local historic district, adopted by the city on May 1, 2003, and a National Register historic district, listed in 2001, according to the city’s historic district data. All of it is in ZIP code 27705.

What this means for you

  • Zoned high school: Riverside High, 47.5% of state tests at grade level in 2025-26. Check an address with the city’s school locator.
  • Home value: $467,307 in ZIP code 27705 in August 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
  • Nearest freeway exit: Interstate 85 Exit 174B, Hillandale Road, about 1.4 miles by road.

Part of our Durham neighborhoods guide.

Where it is

The National Register nomination describes the Watts-Hillandale Historic District as an “early 20th c. residential district” of about 281 acres. In the city’s data the local and National Register boundaries match: about a mile and a quarter from east to west, with Club Boulevard running through the middle and Oval Drive Park inside. Ninth Street’s shops and Old West Durham are just south.

Because it is a local historic district, state law requires a certificate of appropriateness before most exterior changes; the district’s ordinance is on the city’s website. The city’s Place Type Map marks most of the district as Established Residential, with a Community Institution area inside it.

Schools

Watts-Hillandale is in Durham Public Schools. We checked 315 points across the district against the 2026-27 attendance zones; all were zoned for the same three schools. Hillandale Elementary, on Hillandale Road, is not the zoned school for this district.

Level School At grade level Growth
Elementary E.K. Powe Elementary, 913 Ninth St. 54.2% Not met
Middle Brogden Middle, 1001 Leon St. 44.6% Exceeded
High Riverside High, 3218 Rose of Sharon Road 47.5% Met

“At grade level” is the share of state tests at grade level or above in 2025-26, from the state’s accountability data; the district figure was 53.2%. Check your own address in the school locator or call the Office of Student Assignment at 919-560-2059. More in our schools guide.

Home values

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

Area August 2026 August 2025 Change
ZIP code 27705 $467,307 $474,034 -1.4%
City of Durham, for comparison $389,634 $403,339 -3.4%

Trends are on our home prices page.

Parks and trails

From the city’s park data and Durham Parks and Recreation:

  • Oval Drive Park, 2200 W. Club Blvd., 3.4 acres with a playground, inside the district.
  • Westover Park, 1900 Maryland Ave., 1.8 acres with a trail, about 0.2 mile away.
  • Indian Trail Park, 2309 Indian Trail, 8.6 acres with a trail, about 0.25 mile away.
  • Crest Street Park, 2503 Crest St., and Walltown Park, 1308 W. Club Blvd., are each about a quarter mile from the district’s edge.
  • The West Ellerbe Creek Trail runs along the district, according to OpenStreetMap.

More in our parks and trails guide.

Getting around

  • Interstate 85: Exit 174B (Hillandale Road) is about 1.4 miles by road from the middle of the district, and Exit 175 (N.C. 157, Guess Road) about 1.6 miles.
  • Durham Freeway (N.C. 147): Exit 15A (Elba Street, Trent Drive) is about 1.9 miles. Exit names are NCDOT’s.
  • City Hall (101 City Hall Plaza): about 2.7 miles by road.
  • Raleigh-Durham International Airport: about 16 miles by road.
  • Buses: GoDurham Route 1 stops on Broad Street and on West Club Boulevard at Clarendon Street, Route 6 on Hillandale Road at Club Boulevard, and Route 11 on Hillsborough Road, according to the city’s bus stop data. See GoDurham.

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

Groceries and everyday stores

OpenStreetMap lists these within about a mile:

  • Supermarkets: Food Lion, 2922 W. Main St.; Harris Teeter, 2107 Hillsborough Road; Whole Foods Market, 621 Broad St.; Harris Teeter, 1804 North Pointe Drive.
  • Pharmacy: Rite Aid, 3798 Broad St.
  • Shopping: the Ninth Street shops, about 0.6 mile south, and North Pointe, about a mile north.

How we built this page

The area is the Watts-Hillandale local historic district in the city’s planning data, which shares its boundary with the National Register district; OpenStreetMap names the neighborhood. School zones come from the district’s 2026-27 attendance zones, checked at 315 points; a home near a zone line can differ. We found no city or county registry of homeowners associations for Watts-Hillandale, so this page does not describe them.

Frequently asked questions

What schools is Watts-Hillandale zoned for?

All of the Watts-Hillandale historic district is zoned for E.K. Powe Elementary, Brogden Middle and Riverside High in Durham Public Schools’ 2026-27 attendance zones.

Is Watts-Hillandale a historic district?

Yes. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, and the city adopted it as a local historic district on May 1, 2003, according to the city’s planning data.

Do I need permission to change the outside of a house in Watts-Hillandale?

In a local historic district, North Carolina law requires a certificate of appropriateness before most exterior changes. The district’s ordinance is on the city’s website.

What ZIP code is Watts-Hillandale?

Watts-Hillandale is in ZIP code 27705, where Zillow’s Home Value Index was $467,307 in August 2026.