Tulare County Unincorporated, 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 104 districts.
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What's in the Tulare County Unincorporated dataset
Every field below is available for any Tulare County Unincorporated parcel, on the map and through the AI.
Zoning
- District code & full name
- Parcel boundary & APN
- All 104 districts mapped
Building controls
- Maximum building height
- Floor area ratio (FAR)
- Front setback
- Side setback
Overlays, hazards & AI
- Flood hazard & environmental layers
- Ask the AI about any parcel
- Powered by live parcel data
Where uses are permitted in Tulare County Unincorporated
Share of Tulare County Unincorporated's zoned land where each use is permitted.
- Single-family
- 95.97%
- Multi-family
- 2.11%
- ADU
- 0.73%
- Two-family
- 2.11%
- Retail
- 97.38%
- Eating & drinking
- 2.04%
- Office
- 0.25%
- Hotel / motel
- 88.12%
- Industrial
- 96.52%
- Storage & warehouses
- 99.31%
- Short-term rental
- 1.75%
Tulare County Unincorporated, 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 Agricultural Zone | - | 1,497,236.4 ac | Standards & uses → |
AE Exclusive Agricultural Zone | - | 3,492.7 ac | Standards & uses → |
AE-10 Exclusive Agricultural Zone 10 Acre Minimum | - | 34,749.8 ac | Standards & uses → |
AE-20 Exclusive Agricultural Zone 20 Acre Minimum | - | 241,191.6 ac | Standards & uses → |
Showing 4 of 104 districts
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What should developers know about Tulare County Unincorporated zoning?
Tulare County's unincorporated territory is one of California's most agriculturally dominant jurisdictions, with 104 zoning districts organized primarily around protecting and regulating farmland. The General Agricultural Zone (A-1) alone covers approximately 1.5 million acres - the largest single district in the county - while the Exclusive Agricultural zones (AE-10 through AE-80, with minimum parcel sizes ranging from 10 to 80 acres) add another 860,000-plus acres. The Foothill Agricultural Zone (AF) spans roughly 489,000 acres across the county's eastern mountain transitions. Together, these agricultural designations account for the vast majority of the county's land area and set a high bar for conversion to any other use.
Beyond agriculture, the county maintains a Light Manufacturing Zone (M-1) at 2,852 acres and a range of commercial districts including General Commercial (C-2) at 459 acres, with multiple combining overlays such as Scenic Corridor, Site Review, Mixed-Use, and Mobilehome designating how commercial uses can be configured along specific corridors. Residential uses within the unincorporated county are largely channeled through rural-residential and agricultural-zone allowances rather than standalone residential zones. Building controls span FAR, lot, density, coverage, pervious surface, setbacks, and height.
For developers and investors, the key insight is that land conversion from agricultural to any urban use in Tulare County requires navigating Williamson Act contract status, county General Plan land use consistency, and CEQA environmental review - processes that can be lengthy. The Flood Plain overlay (F-1, 1,383 acres) is an additional constraint layer near watercourses. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
Tulare County Unincorporated zoning: frequently asked questions
What minimum lot sizes apply to the Exclusive Agricultural zones in Tulare County?
Tulare County's Exclusive Agricultural (AE) zones carry explicit minimum parcel sizes embedded in the zone code: AE-10 requires 10-acre minimums, AE-20 requires 20 acres, AE-40 requires 40 acres, and AE-80 requires 80-acre minimums. The AE-40 designation is the largest of these, covering approximately 528,000 acres. These minimums directly constrain subdivision and limit the type of rural residential use that can be introduced.
How does the Williamson Act affect agricultural land in Tulare County?
Much of Tulare County's farmland is enrolled in Williamson Act contracts, which reduce property taxes in exchange for a 10-year rolling commitment to agricultural use. Land under an active contract generally cannot be converted to urban or commercial use without a lengthy cancellation process and associated fees. Investors should verify contract status as a first step before any feasibility analysis on agricultural parcels.
What commercial zoning exists in unincorporated Tulare County?
Commercial activity in the unincorporated county is primarily handled by General Commercial (C-2, 459 acres including variants with scenic corridor, site review, and mixed-use overlays), Service Commercial (C-3, 191 acres), Neighborhood Commercial (C-1, 34 acres), and Commercial Recreation (CO, 285 acres). Many commercial zones carry combining overlays that impose additional design review or use restrictions.
Can rural residential development occur in agricultural zones?
Limited rural residential use is permitted in some agricultural zones in Tulare County, typically as a farmstead or caretaker use, or where an existing lot of record predates current zoning minimums. The General Agricultural (A-1) zone and some AE variants allow single-family residential as an accessory or permitted use, but density is tightly constrained. Confirming permissible uses for a specific parcel and APN requires direct review with Tulare County Planning.
What is the Primary Flood Plain Zone (F-1) and how does it limit development?
The Primary Flood Plain (F-1) district at 1,383 acres applies along major watercourses in the county and restricts most structural development due to flood hazard. Many parcels near rivers and streams carry F-1 combining designations on top of their underlying zone, which can significantly limit buildable area. FEMA flood map review and county floodplain management rules are mandatory steps in any site feasibility assessment near these areas.
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Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the Tulare County Unincorporated planning department before acquisition or design.