Daly City Zoning Intelligence
Zoning, permitted uses, ADU rules, and development potential for Daly City, California. 91 districts analyzed.
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How is Daly City zoned?
- Total zoning districts91
- Single-family permitted2
- Multifamily permitted1
- ADU under local ordinance0
- Commercial use permitted5
Statewide law - applies to all California cities, not specific to Daly City.
- California state ADU lawApplies statewide
- SB-9 lot split eligibilityPer parcel review
- SB-79 (transit-oriented housing)Near transit, from Jul 2026
- Density Bonus Law (state)Eligible projects
- Local impact / permittingVerify with Daly City planning
What should developers know about Daly City zoning?
Daly City's zoning map is unusual for a built-out Bay Area suburb: the single largest mapped district is Open Space Resource Protection (OS-RP) at roughly 340 acres, followed by an Interim District (ID) covering about 173 acres - a sign of land the city has flagged for future planning rather than locked into a permanent use. For developers, that ID acreage is where the real upside and uncertainty live, since interim designations typically precede a specific plan or rezoning before entitlements can move forward.
The most distinctive feature is the cluster of BART Specific Plan districts around the transit station - a transit-oriented overlay that splits the same land into commercial (BART-SP-C), light commercial (BART-SP-C1), commercial mixed use (BART-SP-C-MU), office commercial (BART-SP-OC), single-family (BART-SP-R1), medium-density residential (BART-SP-RM), and two numbered planned developments (PD64, PD72). If you are chasing density near transit, this is the part of the map to study first. Beyond it, the commercial base is split between Light Commercial (C1, about 75 acres) and Heavy Commercial (C2, about 87 acres), with a Commercial Mixed Use (C-MU) district near 44 acres, plus a substantial Mobile Home Park (MHP) district of roughly 73 acres and a large Cemetery (CEM) parcel. A long list of numbered Planned Development districts (PD2 through PD24) means much of the city's residential and infill capacity is governed parcel-by-parcel rather than by a uniform code.
This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
What can you build in Daly City?
Share of Daly City's 91 zoning districts that permit each use, based on permitted-land-use analysis.
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Try ArchiWise free →Daly City, California Zoning Districts: What Do They Mean?
Zoning districts are areas regulated by specific laws that determine land use, building types, and development rules. Each district below shows its zone type and which uses it permits.
| Zone Code | Zone Type | Permitted Uses | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
BART Bay Area Rapid Transit | Special | - | 16.1 ac |
BART-SP-C Bay Area Rapid Transit Specific Plan Commercial | Special | - | 6.4 ac |
BART-SP-C1 Bay Area Rapid Transit Specific Plan Light Commercial | Special | - | 0.9 ac |
BART-SP-C-MU Bay Area Rapid Transit Specific Plan Commercial Mixed Use | Special | - | 5.9 ac |
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Daly City zoning: frequently asked questions
Where is multifamily and mixed-use development most feasible in Daly City?
The clearest path runs through the BART Specific Plan area, which carries dedicated commercial mixed-use (BART-SP-C-MU) and medium-density residential (BART-SP-RM) districts alongside office and commercial categories. The citywide Commercial Mixed Use (C-MU) district, near 44 acres, is the other primary mixed-use container. Because these sit on or near transit, they are the most logical targets for higher-intensity housing.
What does the Interim District (ID) designation mean for a buyer?
ID covers roughly 173 acres - the second-largest district in the city - and an interim label generally signals land the city has not committed to a permanent zone. Expect to navigate a specific plan, general plan amendment, or rezoning before you can entitle a project there. Treat it as opportunity with a longer runway, not as ready-to-build inventory.
Why are there so many Planned Development (PD) districts, and how do they affect a project?
Daly City uses numbered PD districts (PD2 through PD24, plus the BART-area PD64 and PD72) to govern individual sites under tailored standards rather than a one-size code. The practical effect is that allowed uses, density, and form on a PD parcel are defined by that district's specific approval, so due diligence has to pull the governing PD document for each site rather than rely on a generic zone lookup.
How much of Daly City is protected open space versus developable land?
Open Space Resource Protection (OS-RP) is the single largest district at about 340 acres, with additional Open Space (OS) and a Light Commercial Resource Protection (C1-RP) district layering conservation constraints onto otherwise commercial land. That weighting tells you a meaningful share of the city is off the table for intensive development, concentrating opportunity into the commercial corridors and the transit-area specific plan.
Can I add ADUs on single-family lots in Daly City?
California's statewide ADU statutes apply in Daly City as in every jurisdiction, so accessory dwelling units are broadly permitted on lots with existing or proposed single-family and multifamily uses, including the single-family categories in the BART Specific Plan area. Local development standards still govern siting and form, so confirm the city's current ADU ordinance and any overlay constraints on the specific parcel before designing.
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Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the Daly City planning department before acquisition or design.