Half Moon Bay, California Zoning Map
Zoning, overlays and hazards on every parcel — and an answer to what the code actually lets you build. Compiled from current zoning data for all 20 districts.
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What's in the Half Moon Bay dataset
Every field below is available for any Half Moon Bay parcel, on the map and through the AI.
Zoning
- District code & full name
- Parcel boundary & APN
- All 20 districts mapped
Building controls
- Maximum building height
- Floor area ratio (FAR)
- Front setback
- Side setback
Overlays, hazards & AI
- Flood hazard & environmental layers
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- Powered by live parcel data
Where uses are permitted in Half Moon Bay
Share of Half Moon Bay's zoned land where each use is permitted.
- Single-family
- 50.96%
- Multi-family
- 4.23%
- ADU
- 22.16%
- Two-family
- 2.38%
- Retail
- 40.43%
- Eating & drinking
- 7.04%
- Office
- 4.54%
- Hotel / motel
- 3.86%
- Industrial
- 1.90%
- Storage & warehouses
- 9.36%
- Short-term rental
- 57.00%
Half Moon Bay, 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 | Category | Area | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
A-1 Exclusive Floriculture | - | 147.9 ac | Standards & uses → |
C-D Commercial Downtown | - | 70.9 ac | Standards & uses → |
C-G Commercial General | - | 44.8 ac | Standards & uses → |
C-R Commercial Residential | - | 4.5 ac | Standards & uses → |
Showing 4 of 20 districts
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Each one runs against the live Half Moon Bay dataset and returns the districts, standards and approvals involved.
What should developers know about Half Moon Bay zoning?
Half Moon Bay is a San Mateo County coastal city where open space, agriculture, and planned development define the land base far more than conventional residential lots. The Planned Unit Development district (PUD) is dramatically the largest at roughly 1,396 acres, and an Exclusive Floriculture district (A-1) of about 148 acres preserves the area's signature greenhouse agriculture. Add the open-space family of districts - Open Space Reserve (OS-R) at about 776 acres, plus Active, Passive, and Conservation variants - and an Urban Reserve (U-R) of roughly 315 acres, and it becomes clear that large-lot, master-planned, and conservation-oriented land vastly outweighs the city's compact developed core.
That core is a low-density coastal town built on tiered single-family districts (R-1 at 5,000-square-foot lots up through R-1-B-3 at 10,000-square-foot lots), with limited Two Family (R-2) and Multiple Family (R-3) capacity. Commercial activity concentrates downtown in Commercial Downtown (C-D, about 71 acres), Commercial General (C-G), and a Commercial Visitor Serving (C-VS) district supporting the tourism economy. As a coastal city, Half Moon Bay operates under a Local Coastal Program, so most development - especially on agricultural, open-space, and PUD land - will face coastal review and likely a coastal development permit. The dominance of PUD zoning also means entitlements are frequently negotiated parcel by parcel rather than read straight from a base district. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
Half Moon Bay zoning: frequently asked questions
Why is so much of Half Moon Bay zoned Planned Unit Development?
The PUD district covers roughly 1,396 acres, by far the largest in the city, meaning a substantial portion of developable land is governed by negotiated, project-specific plans rather than standard base-district rules. For developers, that means entitlements are typically established through an approved development plan. Review the governing PUD plan for any target parcel before assuming what is allowed.
How does coastal regulation affect projects in Half Moon Bay?
As a coastal city, Half Moon Bay is governed by a Local Coastal Program, and most development - particularly on the extensive open-space, floriculture, and PUD lands - will require coastal review and likely a coastal development permit. This is often the controlling constraint on timing and feasibility. Confirm your parcel's coastal-zone status and permit path with planning staff early.
What does the Exclusive Floriculture (A-1) district mean for development?
The A-1 district of about 148 acres protects the area's greenhouse and floriculture agriculture, limiting non-agricultural development. Conversion to other uses would generally require rezoning and coastal review, both of which face high scrutiny. Treat A-1 land as agricultural-preservation land rather than a near-term development target unless you confirm otherwise.
Where is multifamily housing possible in Half Moon Bay?
Multifamily capacity is modest and concentrated in the R-2 (Two Family) and R-3 (Multiple Family) districts, supplemented by the Mobile Home Park (MHP) district. The single-family R-1 series, tiered by minimum lot size from 5,000 to 10,000 square feet, dominates the residential base. Higher-density opportunities may also arise within PUD plans, subject to coastal review.
Do state housing laws like ADU rules apply in a coastal city like this?
Yes. State ADU law applies citywide and generally overrides conflicting local limits, but in the coastal zone an ADU can still require coastal review under the Local Coastal Program. SB-9 may also apply to eligible single-family parcels, again subject to coastal constraints. Verify whether a coastal development permit is triggered and confirm objective standards with the planning department.
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Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the Half Moon Bay planning department before acquisition or design.