Santa Monica, 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 31 districts.
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What's in the Santa Monica dataset
Every field below is available for any Santa Monica parcel, on the map and through the AI.
Zoning
- District code & full name
- Parcel boundary & APN
- All 31 districts mapped
Use classes, resolved
- Permitted by right
- Conditional or by appeal
- Restricted / prohibited
- Read per zoning district
Building controls
- Max building height (ft)
- Max coverage
- Max density du (per acre)
- Max far
Overlays, hazards & AI
- Flood hazard & environmental layers
- Ask the AI about any parcel
- Powered by live parcel data
Where uses are permitted in Santa Monica
Share of Santa Monica's zoned land where each use is permitted.
- Single-family
- 38.65%
- Multi-family
- 84.76%
- ADU
- 84.84%
- Two-family
- 63.19%
- Retail
- 67.73%
- Eating & drinking
- 41.99%
- Office
- 27.19%
- Hotel / motel
- 15.22%
- Industrial
- 8.43%
- Storage & warehouses
- 32.29%
What can you build in Santa Monica's largest districts?
Setback, height, lot and coverage standards. 4 districts shown; all 31 are in the app.
Ocean Park Low Density Residential
- Min lot area
- 5000, Maximum: (Except for 100 percent Affordable Housing projects, no residentially zoned parcels shall be combined in ownership, or enlarged in size in any manner, so that 1) The combined parcels contain an area greater than 5000 square feet or greater than 125 percent of the average parcel area of parcels located within a 500 foot radius of the combined parcel within the same Zoning District, whichever is less, 2) The parcel fails to comply with any other requirement of the ordinance)
- Min lot width
- 50
- Front yard
- 20, If average of adjacent dwellings is 15 ft or less: 15
- Side yards
- Blank walls and walls containing secondary windows on parcels less than 50 ft in width: Greater of 4 ft or 10 percent of parcel width, Blank walls and walls containing secondary windows on parcels 50 ft or more in width: (Within the required side setback area for corner parcels 50 feet or greater in width, covered or uncovered stairways or porches not exceeding 35 percent of the building frontage on the street side may encroach up to 5 feet into the required side setback, Within the required side or street side setback area for parcels 50 feet or greater in width, the second floor side setback above a primary window shall not project more than 2 feet into the required side setback), Walls containing primary windows on parcels less than 50 ft in width: (8 ft setback from property line 12 ft of separation must be maintained between primary window and any adjacent structures), Walls containing primary windows on parcels 50 ft or more in width: 12, Street Side, Parcels 50 ft or more in width: (10, The second floor side setback above a primary window shall not project more than 2 feet into the required side setback)
- Rear yard
- 15
- Max coverage
- Base Standard: 50, 100 percent Affordable Housing Projects: 60
- Max height
- Base Standard Flat Roofs, Roofs Pitched Less Than 1:3: 23, Pitched Roofs: 30 ft
Oceanfront
- Min lot area
- 5000
- Min lot width
- 50
- Front yard
- —
- Side yards
- Measured from parcel line: (If adjacent to a residential use, for parcels located along the Pacific Coast Highway between the Santa Monica Pier and the north City limits: For parcels located along the Pacific Coast Highway between the Santa Monica Pier and the north City limits, at least 25 percent of the side elevation above 14 feet in height shall provide an additional 4 foot average setback from the minimum side setback)
- Rear yard
- Measured from parcel line: 15 ft if adjacent to a residential use, 25 ft for beach rear setback on parcels over 100 ft in depth located along the Pacific Coast Highway between the Santa Monica Pier and the north City limits
- Max coverage
- 70, 50 on parcels along the Pacific Coast Highway between the Santa Monica Pier and the north City limits
- Max height
- Tier 1 Base Standard: (32, For parcels located along the Pacific Coast Highway between the Santa Monica Pier and the north City limits: (For flat roof: 23, For pitched roof: 30)), Tier 1, Projects Including On Site Affordable Housing in Compliance with AHPP: 36, 100 percent Affordable Housing Projects, Tier 2 With Provision of Community Benefits, Tier 2 With Provision of Community Benefits and 100 percent Residential Above the Ground Floor: 47, Santa Monica Pier: (The Deauville site to the north, Seaside Terrace to the south, The Promenade to the west, and Ocean Avenue to the east, including parcels fronting on Ocean Avenue: 30, Amusement Rides on the Santa Monica Pier: (For one Ferris wheel: 85, For one roller coaster: 55, For all other amusement rides: 45)) ft
General Commercial
- Min lot area
- 7500
- Min lot width
- 50
- Front yard
- —
- Side yards
- Interior Side, Adjacent to Residential District: 10
- Rear yard
- Adjacent to Residential District: 10
- Max coverage
- —
- Max height
- Development standards for all projects, except housing project: (Santa Monica Boulevard: (Tier 1 Base Standard: 32, Tier 2 With Provision of Community Benefits, Tier 2 With Provision of Community Benefits and 100 percent Residential Above the Ground Floor: 35)), Lincoln and Pico Boulevards: (Tier 1 Base Standard: 32, Tier 1 Projects Including On Site Affordable Housing in Compliance with AHPP: 36, Tier 2 With Provision of Community Benefits, Tier 2 With Provision of Community Benefits and 100 percent Residential Above the Ground Floor: 32 feet (36 feet if on site affordable housing provided), For housing projects: (Santa Monica Boulevard: (Housing Projects: 70, 100 percent Affordable Housing Projects: 80), Lincoln Boulevard: (Housing Projects: 55, 100 percent Affordable Housing Projects: 65), Pico Boulevard : (Housing Projects: 45, 100 percent Affordable Housing Projects: 55) ft
Mixed Use Boulevard
- Min lot area
- 7500
- Min lot width
- 50
- Front yard
- —
- Side yards
- Interior Side, Adjacent to Residential District: 10
- Rear yard
- Adjacent to Residential District: 10
- Max coverage
- —
- Max height
- Development standards for all projects, except housing project: Tier 1 Base Standard: 32, Tier 1 Projects Including On Site Affordable Housing in Compliance with AHP: 39 feet if 100 percent residential above ground floor, 35 feet for all other projects, Tier 2 With Provision of Community Benefits: 45, Tier 2 With Provision of Community Benefits and 100 percent Residential Above the Ground Floor: 50, For housing projects: (Housing Projects: 70, 100 percent Affordable Housing Projects: 80) ft
Dimensional standards for all 31 Santa Monica districts
Plus permitted use classes, overlays and hazard layers per parcel.
Santa Monica, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BC Bayside Conservation | Special |
| 37.5 ac | Standards & uses → |
BTV Bergamot Transit Village | Special |
| 35.3 ac | Standards & uses → |
CAC Conservation Art Center | Special |
| 9.9 ac | Standards & uses → |
CC Civic Center | Special |
| 17.2 ac | Standards & uses → |
Showing 4 of 31 districts
Start from what you're trying to build
Each one runs against the live Santa Monica dataset and returns the districts, standards and approvals involved.
What should developers know about Santa Monica zoning?
Santa Monica's 31-district zoning code is among the most refined and place-specific in California, reflecting a city that has spent decades carefully managing its coastal identity, transit investments, and housing pressure. Single Unit Residential (R1) at 1,219 acres remains the dominant land use, but the code's most distinctive feature is the depth of its specialized non-residential districts - from the Bayside Conservation (BC at 38 acres) and Oceanfront (OF at 37 acres) zones protecting the coast to the Bergamot Transit Village (BTV at 35 acres) anchoring the Expo Line terminus, the Healthcare Mixed Use (HMU at 39 acres) zone supporting the medical campus cluster, and the Conservation Creative Sector (CCS at 8 acres) and Conservation Art Center (CAC at 10 acres) zones preserving the creative economy near the former industrial corridor.
The residential portfolio runs from R1 through R2 (Low Density, 762 acres), R3 (Medium Density, 167 acres), and R4 (High Density, 17 acres), with the Ocean Park sub-area carved into its own set of OP1 through OP4 and OPD designations covering a combined 221 acres of the south city. Mixed Use Boulevard (MUB at 59 acres) and Mixed Use Boulevard Low (MUBL at 143 acres) form the primary commercial corridor mixed-use framework. Parks and Open Space (OS at 400 acres) includes Palisades Park and other coastal open space. The Industrial Conservation (IC at 77 acres) and Lincoln Transition (LT at 22 acres) zones signal adaptive reuse opportunities in the former industrial belt. With a full complement of FAR, density, height, coverage, and setback controls, every Santa Monica project involves careful code analysis.
This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
Santa Monica zoning: frequently asked questions
What development is envisioned in the Bergamot Transit Village (BTV) zone?
BTV covers approximately 35 acres around the Bergamot Station stop on the Metro E Line and is designed for transit-oriented development combining creative office, residential, retail, and arts uses. It represents one of Santa Monica's highest-intensity development areas outside downtown, with a policy goal of capturing transit ridership and supporting the creative economy. Developers evaluating BTV parcels should review the Bergamot Area Plan for detailed standards on height, FAR, mix of uses, and community benefit requirements.
How does the Oceanfront (OF) zone govern coastal development?
OF (36 acres) governs uses directly fronting the Pacific Ocean, including the Santa Monica State Beach parking structures and beachfront commercial pads. California Coastal Act requirements apply to any project in this zone, and the combination of California Coastal Commission jurisdiction and city zoning review creates a two-track permitting process. Uses in OF are tightly constrained to visitor-serving and coastal-dependent purposes, with residential and standard commercial uses generally not permitted.
What is the Healthcare Mixed Use (HMU) zone and what can be built there?
HMU at approximately 39 acres is centered on the Providence Saint John's Health Center campus and surrounding medical office buildings. It accommodates a vertical mix of medical, clinical, research, hotel, and residential uses at relatively high density compared to surrounding areas. This specialized designation reflects Santa Monica's strategy of concentrating healthcare-related development in a defined district, which simplifies entitlements for medical office and life sciences users while managing land use conflicts with adjacent neighborhoods.
How do the Ocean Park residential zones differ from standard R1-R4?
Ocean Park has its own residential sub-area with zones OP1 (Single Unit, 10 acres), OP2 (Low Density, 178 acres), OP3 (Medium Density, 7 acres), OP4 (High Density, 23 acres), and OPD (Duplex, 3 acres). These zones carry the same basic density hierarchy as R1-R4 but include Ocean Park-specific design standards, setback rules, and in some cases different FAR or height parameters that reflect the neighborhood's fine-grained character. Developers working in Ocean Park should reference the OP-specific code sections rather than assuming they match the city-wide residential standards.
What are the best development opportunities for multifamily housing in Santa Monica?
R2 (762 acres) and R3 (167 acres) are the primary multifamily zones, with OP2, OP3, and OP4 adding additional capacity in Ocean Park. Mixed Use Boulevard zones (MUB and MUBL, combined 202 acres) allow residential above ground-floor commercial along major corridors. California's ADU and density bonus laws apply throughout the city and are widely used - Santa Monica has one of the highest ADU production rates in the region given its high land values and built-out residential fabric. The Transit Adjacent (TA at 52 acres) zone supports additional density near the Expo Line.
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Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the Santa Monica planning department before acquisition or design.