Central Winchester, south of Gerrard Street, is all in the Quarles Elementary zone and ZIP 22601, about 1.1 miles by road from I-81 Exit 313.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. The area and its boundaries are the City of Winchester’s Central planning area from its 2022 Comprehensive Plan (Chapter 11). School zones, parks and bus stops come from the city’s open GIS data; ratings from Virginia’s School Quality Profiles; home values from the Zillow Home Value Index (Zillow Research); stores and road distances from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).

Central Winchester is the compact area just south of downtown, between Gerrard Street and the Winchester and Western Railroad. The city’s 2022 Comprehensive Plan describes medium- and high-density housing, older low-density commercial uses, one park and a community hub at Quarles Elementary. It holds about 1,240 of the city’s 16,729 address points.

What this means for you

  • High school: John Handley High School, 425 Handley Blvd., rated Distinguished
  • Elementary: Garland R. Quarles Elementary, 1310 S. Loudoun St., for the whole area
  • Typical home value, ZIP 22601: $349,952 in September 2026, according to Zillow
  • Nearest I-81 exit: Exit 313 (U.S. 17, U.S. 50 and U.S. 522), about 1.1 miles by road

Where it is

The plan draws the Central area west of the CSX railroad, south of Gerrard Street, east of Valley Avenue and north of the Winchester and Western tracks. South Loudoun Street runs down its middle, and Jubal Early Drive crosses its southern end.

Every address is in ZIP code 22601. On the city’s voting wards map, most of the area is in City Council Ward 3 and the western edge in Ward 4.

Schools

Every city student goes to the same intermediate, middle and high school. On the city’s School Districts map layer, the whole Central area is in one elementary zone, and the school is inside it:

School Grades Address State rating
Garland R. Quarles Elementary Pre-K to 4 1310 S. Loudoun St. Meets Expectations
Daniel Morgan Intermediate 5 and 6 48 S. Purcell Ave. Approaching Expectations
Daniel Morgan Middle 7 and 8 48 S. Purcell Ave. Approaching Expectations
John Handley High 9 to 12 425 Handley Blvd. Distinguished

All seven city schools are Fully Accredited. Quarles had 388 students in the 2023-24 federal count. The map layer is undated, so check one address with the division’s WebQuery lookup or call Winchester Public Schools at 540-667-4253. Our schools guide has every rating and how to register.

Home values

The Zillow Home Value Index for ZIP 22601 was $349,952 in September 2026, up 1.1% from $346,046 in September 2025. Zillow’s index for Winchester as a whole was $398,946, up 1%. The index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price, and one ZIP covers the whole city. Our home prices guide has the trend.

Parks and trails

  • Overlook Green Space, 29 E. Whitlock Ave., about 4.9 acres, on the city’s parks map
  • Green Circle Trail: a section crosses the area, according to the city’s trail map, linking it with Jim Barnett Park to the east and the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve to the west

Shawnee Springs Preserve, 301 E. Pall Mall St., is just across the railroad in East Central. Our parks and trails guide has the full list.

Getting around

  • Interstate 81: Exit 313 (U.S. 17, U.S. 50 and U.S. 522) is about 1.1 miles by road from the middle of the area’s homes; Exit 315 (Route 7) is about 3.3 miles.
  • Downtown: the Loudoun Street Mall is about 1.2 miles by road.
  • Washington Dulles International Airport: about 54 miles by road.
  • Buses: the Loop Route stops on Valley Avenue at Burton Street, according to the city’s bus stop map.
  • On demand: WinReady rides cover the whole city.

Distances are measured on the road network with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data. They are distances, not drive times. More in our getting around guide.

Groceries and everyday stores

OpenStreetMap lists no supermarket or pharmacy inside the Central area. The nearest are just southeast, across the railroad:

  • Walgreens, 645 E. Jubal Early Drive
  • Martin’s, 1950 S. Pleasant Valley Road, with a pharmacy

How we built this

The boundary is the one the 2022 Comprehensive Plan gives in words; we drew it on the city’s own street and rail lines. School shares count the city’s address points inside each elementary zone on the city’s map layer. We do not name individual subdivisions or describe who lives in an area.

Related guides: all Winchester neighborhoods, moving to Winchester and property taxes.

Frequently asked questions

What elementary school serves Central Winchester?

Every address in the Central planning area is in the Garland R. Quarles Elementary zone on the city’s School Districts map layer. Quarles, at 1310 S. Loudoun St., is inside the area and rated Meets Expectations.

Is there a park in Central Winchester?

Overlook Green Space, 29 E. Whitlock Ave., about 4.9 acres, is the city park inside the area, and the Green Circle Trail crosses it.

How far is Central Winchester from I-81?

Exit 313 (U.S. 17, U.S. 50 and U.S. 522) is about 1.1 miles by road from the middle of the area, the shortest trip to I-81 from any city planning area except East Central and Northeast.

What is the typical home value in Central Winchester?

The area is in ZIP 22601, where the Zillow Home Value Index was $349,952 in September 2026, up 1.1% from a year earlier. It is a modeled value, not a sale price.