Main Street

About Main Street

Main Street is the generic street name (and often the official name) of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in the central business district, and is most often used in reference to retailing.

Main Street is commonly used in the United States, Canada, Ireland, some parts of Scotland and also in some countries in central Europe (e.g. Slovakia and the Czech Republic). High Street is the common term in the United Kingdom. In Jamaica as well as North East England and some sections of Canada, the usual term is Front Street. In Cornwall (and also in some towns in Devon), the equivalent is Fore Street. In the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec, the term would be "rue Principale".

In some larger cities, there may be several Main Streets, each relating to a specific neighborhood or formerly separate city, rather than the city as a whole.