Los Gatos, 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 63 districts.
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What's in the Los Gatos dataset
Every field below is available for any Los Gatos parcel, on the map and through the AI.
Zoning
- District code & full name
- Parcel boundary & APN
- All 63 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 Los Gatos
Share of Los Gatos's zoned land where each use is permitted.
- Single-family
- 95.08%
- Multi-family
- 10.98%
- Two-family
- 12.76%
- Retail
- 7.17%
- Eating & drinking
- 5.76%
- Office
- 8.43%
- Hotel / motel
- 2.26%
- Industrial
- 3.10%
- Storage & warehouses
- 5.36%
Los Gatos, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
ASP Albright Specific Plan | - | 25 ac | Standards & uses → |
C-1 Neighborhood Commercial | - | 103.1 ac | Standards & uses → |
C-1(HEOZ) Neighborhood Commercial Housing Element Overlay Zone | - | 3.7 ac | Standards & uses → |
C-1(PD) Neighborhood Commercial Planned Development | - | 12.3 ac | Standards & uses → |
Showing 4 of 63 districts
Start from what you're trying to build
Each one runs against the live Los Gatos dataset and returns the districts, standards and approvals involved.
What should developers know about Los Gatos zoning?
Los Gatos is a hillside-influenced Silicon Valley community in Santa Clara County where the zoning code's dominant character is large-lot residential set against significant topographic constraints. The 63-district framework is anchored by Hillside Residential zones - HR-1, HR-2-1/2, HR-5, and HR-20 - which together cover over 2,113 acres and define the development ceiling for much of the town's land area. The HR-2-1/2 district alone accounts for 880 acres, making large-parcel hillside residential the single largest zoning category and setting the baseline for what the community's physical form looks like.
Beyond hillside residential, the code features a Commercial-Industrial (LM) zone of 36 acres, a Controlled Manufacturing (CM) district at 48 acres, and a set of commercial categories - Neighborhood Commercial (C-1 at 103 acres), Central Business (C-2 at 48 acres), and Restricted Commercial Highway (CH at 48 acres) - concentrated in and around the historic downtown core. A dedicated North Forty Specific Plan (NFSP) zone at 27 acres and the Albright Specific Plan (ASP) at 25 acres signal the town's approach of using specific plans to manage sensitive infill sites with custom development standards. Planned Development (PD) overlays appear across multiple base zones, adding another layer of negotiated entitlement to projects in this high-barrier-to-entry market.
Los Gatos has also adopted Housing Element Overlay Zones (HEOZ) on select commercial and manufacturing parcels to satisfy state housing mandates, creating new by-right residential development potential on sites that were previously non-residential. Building controls span FAR, lot area, density, coverage, pervious surface, lot width, and all four setbacks. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
Los Gatos zoning: frequently asked questions
What makes hillside development in Los Gatos different from flatland residential zones?
The HR (Hillside Residential) family - HR-1, HR-2-1/2, HR-5, HR-20 - imposes minimum parcel sizes tied to slope, meaning steeper parcels require more land per unit. Combined with building-coverage limits and grading restrictions, these standards can reduce the buildable envelope substantially relative to the mapped parcel area. Hillside Planned Development (HR-1(PD), HR-2-1/2(PD)) variants allow negotiated development programs but typically require design-review approvals and geotechnical documentation before entitlement proceeds.
What is the Housing Element Overlay Zone and how does it affect property values?
Los Gatos adopted the HEOZ to designate specific parcels in commercial and manufacturing zones - including C-1(HEOZ), CH(HEOZ), CM(HEOZ), and NFSP(HEOZ) - as candidates for residential or mixed-use development. This overlay creates by-right or streamlined housing potential on parcels that were otherwise restricted to non-residential uses, and it can unlock significant upside for owners of HEOZ-designated properties. Developers should verify which specific residential densities and use mixes are permitted within each HEOZ parcel.
How does the Central Business (C-2) zone and historic overlay affect downtown development?
The C-2 Central Business district covers 48 acres at the core of downtown Los Gatos, with a Landmark and Historic Preservation (LHP) sub-designation applying to roughly 10 of those acres. Projects in C-2(LHP) face an additional layer of architectural and historic-compatibility review, which affects both exterior modifications to existing buildings and new infill construction. The C-2(PD) variant adds Planned Development requirements, making most new downtown projects subject to some form of discretionary review.
What development does the Controlled Manufacturing (CM) zone support?
The CM zone (48 acres) and its CM(PD) variant (35 acres) permit light manufacturing, research and development, and office uses - typical of Silicon Valley flex-industrial product. The addition of Housing Element Overlay (CM(HEOZ) at 9.8 acres) signals that some CM parcels are now eligible for residential conversion or mixed-use redevelopment under streamlined review. Developers evaluating CM sites should assess whether the HEOZ applies and what residential density or unit count it enables.
How does California's ADU law interact with the large-lot hillside residential zones in Los Gatos?
State law mandates ADU-by-right approvals in all residential zones, including hillside designations, though Los Gatos may impose design standards consistent with state minimums. On hillside parcels, practical ADU feasibility depends on whether the topography, existing structure, and setback configuration allow for an additional unit - site-by-site analysis is essential. Detached junior ADUs and garage conversions are often the most viable hillside ADU forms given the grading and coverage constraints in the HR family of zones.
California zoning maps
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Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the Los Gatos planning department before acquisition or design.