Downtown Smithfield NC Parking: Where to Park After Market Street

On January 14, 2026, NCDOT crews took down the two-hour parking signs on Market Street between Second and North Seventh streets and put up "No Parking" signs in their place. The Town of Smithfield had asked for a 90-day pause to study other options. The signs changed anyway.

Almost nine months later, most of what's new downtown sits within a block or two of Market and Third, and the side streets around that corner are being redesigned to carry the parking Market Street lost. A trip downtown that used to start with a curbside space on Market now starts at a lot or a side street, and Third Street is turning into the way in.

Why the curb spaces are gone for good

NCDOT gave a safety reason. Over five years, downtown Market Street had more than 500 crashes, and more than half involved parked vehicles being struck or sideswiped. Those crashes caused 71 injuries and one traffic death. Market Street through downtown is also U.S. 70 Business, a state road that NCDOT maintains, so the decision was never the Town's to make.

On March 3, the Town Council adopted a resolution supporting NCDOT's plan while saying it still opposed losing curbside parking downtown. Town officials described the vote as the only way to keep a say in the final design. The Market Street Task Force, made up of council members, staff and downtown business representatives, pointed out what the change could do to the street itself:

Eliminating parked vehicles could create "a straight, uninterrupted line of traffic through the heart of Downtown Smithfield."

The task force's report stressed that "street design drives behavior" and called for crosswalks, traffic calming and streetscape work so downtown stays a place people stop rather than drive through. That concern shaped the plan NCDOT presented in June, which is covered further down.

Where to park downtown now

The Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation's parking page lists more than 1,200 spaces downtown. On-street spaces in the core have a two-hour limit enforced from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the off-street public lots allow all-day parking. The page also has a parking map you can check before you leave home. The Town's public lot list includes these:

1. The public library lot between North Third and North Fourth streets
2. The County lot at South Third and Johnston streets
3. Courthouse parking on South Second Street
4. The lot east of Wells Fargo, plus several smaller lots nearby

The first lot on that list got roomier on September 23. Under a no-cost arrangement between the Town, Johnston County and the Johnston County Building Industry Association, county employees now park in the association's lot. That frees public spaces, most of them behind the Johnston County Land Use Center and the library between North Third and North Fourth. The association's own lot is still employee parking and is not open to the public. Interim Town Manager Kimberly Pickett summed it up this way: "We may not control what happens on Market Street, but we can continue looking for solutions."

What's within a short walk of those lots

The new and newer stops downtown are packed close together, on the 200 and 300 blocks of East Market and just around the corner on South Third.

• Curry Corner, 227 E. Market St. This Indian restaurant had its soft opening on February 8 and its official opening that same week.
• Once Upon A Crime, 230 E. Market St. An independent mystery bookstore across the street, with a grand opening set for June 27.
• Market Street Commons, 305 E. Market St. The new pocket park at the corner of Market and Third, next to the library, with a new mural. It was finished in July and dedicated on August 11. The DSDC reported the park's name in its September investment summary.
• 8 Seconds Hat Bar and Home, Sweet Home. The Johnstonian News named both as new downtown businesses in its October 1 preview of the wine walk.
• Victory Steakhouse, 146 S. Third St. Planned for the former SoDoSoPa space. As of the October 1 preview it was still listed as coming soon, with no opening date announced.

These openings came during a year of steady downtown investment. For fiscal year 2025–26, the DSDC reported $2,704,600 in private investment, $489,000 in public investment and 35 new jobs downtown. Much of that activity is on the same blocks that lost their curb spaces in January.

Why Third Street keeps showing up

Look at where downtown's plans point and the same block keeps coming up. In April, the Town Council voted 6–1 to allow bars and private clubs in the B-1 downtown district, with conditions:

• No more than 2,500 square feet
• Inside the Town's Social District
• At least 200 feet from churches, childcare facilities and homes
• No more than two per block
• A Special Use Permit plus Town and State ABC approval

Once those limits were applied, the 100 block of South Third Street was identified as the only likely spot for bars in the B-1 district. The Little Brown Jug at 101 W. Market St. is zoned B-2, so the new rule doesn't affect it.

That's the same block where Victory Steakhouse is planned. It's also the block the DSDC asked to close for Oktoberfest. December's Kick Off to Christmas is held on Third Street too. And the NCDOT design presented in June adds a dedicated left-turn lane from Market onto Third and makes Third one-way northbound with angled parking.

The fall calendar, with the street details that matter

• Fall Fridays on Front, October 9, 7 p.m. A free Riggsbee Road concert at the Neuse River Amphitheater, with food trucks.
• Downtown Oktoberfest, October 10, noon to 4 p.m. Free admission, with an Oompah band, German food, a beer garden and vendors. The DSDC's request included closing the 100 block of South Third.
• Johnston County Heritage Center Ghost Walk, October 29–30, 6 to 8 p.m. Tours of Riverside Cemetery start at Second and Church streets.
• Fall Starlight Wine Walk, November 6, 5 to 8 p.m. 18 downtown locations take part, proceeds go to Harbor House, and Soule & the Superband plays a free 7 p.m. show at the amphitheater. The event page says downtown streets will stay open to cars.
• Kick Off to Christmas, December 5, 3 to 8 p.m. A holiday market on Third Street, with the Town tree lighting at 7 p.m.
• Smithfield Christmas Parade, December 10, 7 p.m.

What could change after December

Earlier this year the plan was a summer contract and finished work by fall 2026. That timeline has since slipped. At the June 2 council meeting, NCDOT said it expected to award a construction contract in December 2026. Work would begin shortly after and take about six to eight months. Resurfacing, signal work, curb ramps and pavement markings on Market Street and around the courthouse would be done at night. At that point the project was still in the design phase.

Here is what the June concept proposed:

1. Resurfacing Market Street from Front Street to U.S. 301, with 11-foot lanes, high-visibility crosswalks, accessible pedestrian signals and upgraded traffic signals
2. A raised concrete island between Front and Second streets to slow traffic coming into downtown
3. A dedicated left-turn lane at Third Street and emergency signal preemption at Fourth Street for the fire department
4. Second Street one-way southbound from Bridge to East Johnston, East Johnston one-way eastbound between Second and Third, and Third Street one-way northbound from East Johnston to Bridge, each with angled parking on one side
5. A new all-way stop at East Johnston and Second

The project won't widen Market Street's sidewalks and doesn't include bike lanes. NCDOT is paying for the Market Street work. The Town still has to fund its share of the side-street changes and decide what to do with two aging signals it owns. At Second and Bridge, the options run from a $30,000 all-way stop to a $155,000 new signal. The DSDC also told the council in July that it would start a downtown master plan in August covering street changes and public parking.

Until crews start, the library lot behind the Land Use Center has the most new public room downtown, and it's a short walk from the corner of Market and Third. For more about the town beyond downtown, see our Smithfield neighborhood guide and our earlier look at everyday life and local favorites around Smithfield.

If you own a home near downtown Smithfield and want a clear sense of what it's worth before the street work starts this winter, Enrich Realty can put together a local valuation for you. Get a Free Home Valuation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.