Blue Ridge’s quiet and peaceful lifestyle
Blue Ridge is a small country town that’s about 50 miles from Dallas . Named after the blue-eyed grass that covers the region, Blue Ridge spans over 700 acres of rolling terrain and open prairie landscapes. While there are many 20th-century homes around town, new construction in up-and-coming communities is bringing a more modern look to the area. With strong agricultural roots and a wide variety of housing options, Blue Ridge is a quiet, peaceful getaway in Collin County.
Blue Ridge homes feature a variety of architectural styles
Homes are spread out across long country roads in Blue Ridge. Older homes with less than 1-acre lots can be found in the city’s center, while larger homes built on acreage are more frequent on the outskirts. Traditional and ranch-style homes are most common, although some newer builds alternatively feature some contemporary and farmhouse-style architecture. Prices range from the upper $300,000s to the upper $800,000s. “It’s a typical farming community with a small-town feel,” says Justin Garner, a Realtor with Keller Williams North Collin County who has worked in the market for 15 years. “We have everything from country homes to manufactured homes to standard brick and mortars to barndominiums. It’s all over the place.”
New homes in Creekside Ranch
New builds are also under construction in Creekside Ranch, a master-planned community developed by D.R. Horton. Single-family homes typically have three to four bedrooms and feature Smart Home security systems, including automatic door locks, programmable thermostats and video doorbells. Prices for these units range between the mid-$200,000s and the lower $300,000s. “There are four or five subdivisions coming in, and each one of those is supposed to hold 300 to 400 homes each,” Garner says. “We will be completely different in the next five years.”
Nearby highways throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
Blue Ridge is directly west of State Highway 78, which runs north toward State Highway 121 and south to Farmersville. It also merges with Interstate 30 and leads directly into Downtown Dallas, with both the Dallas Love Field and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport being less than 20 miles away from the city. U.S. Route 380 is south of town and serves as the main highway through McKinney, Prosper and Denton. ER at Anna is open 24 hours a day and features an outpatient imaging center with an open MRI.
New schools and programs in Blue Ridge ISD
The highly rated Blue Ridge Independent School District serves over 1,000 students and has its elementary, intermediate and high school all in one location, with more on the way. “They have to grow exponentially to keep up with attendance,” Garner says. “They released plans a couple of weeks ago for a second intermediate school that will be completed by August 2027.” The district offers a career and technical education program where students can learn about agricultural, plant and animal sciences, while the Blue Ridge Riding Club practices their horseback-riding skills at the pen near the elementary school. The district also partnered with Children’s Health Virtual Care to provide a school-based telehealth program for its students.
A couple of cafes and restaurants around Blue Ridge
There are a few small restaurants downtown around city hall, such as:
- Cattleman’s Cafe, a local joint that serves breakfast, burgers and BLT sandwiches.
- Creating Roots Scratch Kitchen, popular for its birria beef and taco bowls.
- Nick’s Cafe, which serves pizza and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.
- Poppy Bean Coffee Co., a mobile beverage cart that offers hot and iced lattes.
Branscome Grocery is a local mom-and-pop shop that also has an in-house restaurant called The Twisted Pickle, which offers chicken-fried steak specials every Thursday. Residents can also purchase groceries and basic household goods at the Dollar General on the east side of town. The Blue Ridge Resource Center is a free food pantry that provides a variety of canned and packaged goods for the community at large.
Baseball fields and Bratcher Park
Bratcher Park features a playground with swings, slides and covered picnic tables right next to the resource center. The Blue Ridge Youth Sports Association plays Little League games at one of the three baseball fields in the BRYSA Sports Complex. Birthdays, baby showers and graduation parties are also frequently held at the local community center.
