San Mateo, 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 77 districts.
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What's in the San Mateo dataset
Every field below is available for any San Mateo parcel, on the map and through the AI.
Zoning
- District code & full name
- Category & ordinance article
- Parcel boundary & APN
- All 77 districts mapped
Use classes, resolved
- Read per zoning district
Building controls
- Maximum building height
- Floor area ratio (FAR)
- Front setback
- Side setback
Overlays, hazards & AI
- Overlay & combining districts
- Flood hazard & environmental layers
- Ask the AI about any parcel
- Powered by live parcel data
Where uses are permitted in San Mateo
Share of San Mateo's zoned land where each use is permitted.
- Single-family
- 55.78%
- Multi-family
- 12.34%
- ADU
- 59.26%
- Two-family
- 17.83%
- Retail
- 41.83%
- Eating & drinking
- 40.82%
- Office
- 9.05%
- Hotel / motel
- 43.68%
- Industrial
- 36.50%
- Storage & warehouses
- 38.35%
San Mateo, 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 | Permitted Uses | Area | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
A Agricultural | Agriculture | - | 51.3 ac | Standards & uses → |
BMSP Bay Meadows Specific Plan | Special | - | 147.7 ac | Standards & uses → |
BMSP/H Bay Meadows Specific Plan And Housing Opportunities Overlay | Overlay | - | 1.1 ac | Standards & uses → |
C1-0.5 Neighborhood Commercial | Commercial |
| 43.6 ac | Standards & uses → |
Showing 4 of 77 districts
Start from what you're trying to build
Each one runs against the live San Mateo dataset and returns the districts, standards and approvals involved.
Where can I build multifamily in San Mateo?
5 of 77 districts permit multifamily - by right, conditionally, or by variance.
Run it →Are ADUs allowed in San Mateo?
Allowed statewide under California law, subject to local development standards.
Run it →What does A actually permit?
The full standards for one district, read straight from the source.
Run it →What should developers know about San Mateo zoning?
San Mateo's 77-district zoning framework is structured around a layered commercial system anchored by Neighborhood Commercial (C1) and Regional Community Commercial (C2, C3) base zones, with Residential (R) and Housing Opportunities (H) overlays stacked on top to drive mixed-use infill along major corridors. The Bay Meadows Specific Plan (BMSP) at 147.74 acres is the largest single district in the city and represents a master-planned transformation of the former racetrack site into a dense mixed-use neighborhood combining market-rate residential, retail, and office - one of the Peninsula's most significant urban infill projects. The C2-2/Q5 Qualified Regional Community Commercial zone at 39.99 acres and C2-0.62/R Residential Overlay at 65.60 acres are among the larger commercial-residential hybrid zones shaping the Hillsdale corridor.
For developers, the critical reading is in the overlay structure: /R and /R4 suffixes on commercial base zones indicate residential use is permitted, /H marks Housing Opportunities Overlay sites for higher-density residential, /Q codes signal Qualified (negotiated) development standards, and /SC designates a Senior Citizen overlay. This overlay system creates a large number of individually tailored districts from a relatively small base zone palette. The Agricultural (A) designation at 51.32 acres appears to relate to the Bay lands area. Building controls are comprehensive, including FAR, density, coverage, lot width, height, setbacks, and miscellaneous assorted standards.
This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
San Mateo zoning: frequently asked questions
What is the Bay Meadows Specific Plan (BMSP) and what can be built there?
The BMSP at 147.74 acres governs the mixed-use redevelopment of the former Bay Meadows Racetrack site in the heart of San Mateo. The specific plan allows for a dense mix of residential units, retail, office, and public open space. Most of the developable parcels within the BMSP are already built or entitled, but the framework illustrates the city's willingness to approve high-density mixed-use projects when supported by a coherent planning structure and infrastructure commitments.
How do the Residential (R) and Housing Opportunities (H) overlays on commercial zones work?
San Mateo stacks /R and /R4 overlays on C1, C2, and C3 commercial base zones to permit residential uses - typically multifamily - that would otherwise not be allowed in straight commercial zoning. The /H (Housing Opportunities) overlay designates sites where higher-density residential is specifically encouraged, often aligned with the city's housing element site inventory. Developers targeting mixed-use or residential-over-commercial projects should identify the specific overlay combination on their target parcel and review the corresponding development standards, which vary by overlay tier.
What does ADU development look like in San Mateo's residential zones?
California's ADU laws apply throughout San Mateo, and the city's single-family residential neighborhoods - which are present but not among the first 30 zones by acreage - permit ADUs by right subject to objective local standards. San Mateo has also adopted SB-9 implementation standards for lot splits and two-unit projects on qualifying single-family parcels. The high land values in San Mateo make ADU development an active strategy for investors seeking to maximize returns on existing residential assets.
How does the Qualified (Q) overlay affect entitlement for commercial parcels?
The /Q suffix (e.g., C2-2/Q5, C3-1/Q4) on a San Mateo commercial zone designation indicates that development standards for that specific parcel were negotiated and adopted by ordinance rather than applied from the standard code tables. Q-designated parcels can have unique FAR caps, height limits, or use restrictions that differ from the base zone. Before underwriting a project on a Q-designated site, developers should pull the specific ordinance to understand what standards actually govern - the standard code tables will not accurately describe the site's entitlement envelope.
What are the commercial market dynamics on San Mateo's major corridors?
San Mateo's El Camino Real and Hillsdale corridors are the primary commercial strips, governed by C1 through C3 zones with varying FAR tiers and residential overlay options. The Hillsdale shopping center area anchors the Regional Community Commercial zone, while neighborhood-serving retail clusters under C1 districts along residential thoroughfares. The presence of multiple /R residential overlays along El Camino Real reflects the city's strategy to add housing density along this transit corridor, creating live-work-shop redevelopment opportunities for well-capitalized developers.
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Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the San Mateo planning department before acquisition or design.