Great Falls Zoning Intelligence
Zoning, permitted uses, and development potential for Great Falls, Montana. 20 districts with their permitted uses and building controls.
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Zoning districts are shown at zoom 15 and closer. Zoom out for the Great Falls city outline and street context.
How is Great Falls zoned?
Great Falls regulates land through 20 zoning districts, and the second largest is Airport Industrial at roughly 2,164 acres, behind only the main residential district at about 3,182.
An airport industrial district covering that much ground, in a city of this size, is a significant part of the land economy and reflects the airfield's role as an employment centre rather than only a transport facility.
The residential numbering is not continuous and rewards attention: R-1 covers single family suburban, R-2 medium density and R-3 high density single family, then R-5 and R-6 cover multifamily at medium and high density, R-9 covers mixed residential and R-10 a mobile home park. The gaps in the sequence mean the number alone does not place a district on a ladder.
The mixed use districts, M-1 and M-2, cover roughly 629 acres between them, with the transitional version the larger. Naming one of them transitional identifies where the city expects change rather than a settled pattern.
The central business area is split into a core at roughly 149 acres and a periphery at about 80, distinguishing the highest intensity from the ring around it.
Parks And Open Space covers roughly 1,074 acres and Public Lands And Institutional about 917. Heavy industrial covers roughly 772 acres. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
Great Falls, Montana 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. Great Falls's ordinance does not state permitted uses as citywide flags, so they are read from each district's own table rather than summarised here.
| Zone Code | Zone Type | Area |
|---|---|---|
R-3 Single Family High Density | - | 3,181.5 ac |
AI Airport Industrial | - | 2,163.7 ac |
R-2 Single Family Medium Density | - | 2,020.2 ac |
POS Parks And Open Space | - | 1,073.9 ac |
What are the building controls in Great Falls?
Setback, height, FAR, lot area, and density controls enforced across Great Falls zoning districts.
- Building height
- Coverage
- Density
- FAR
- Front setback
- Lot
- Lot width
- Multi
- Pervious
- Rear setback
- Side setback
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Great Falls zoning: frequently asked questions
- How large is the airport zoning in Great Falls?
- Airport Industrial covers roughly 2,164 acres, second only to the main residential district at about 3,182. At that scale the airfield is a significant employment centre rather than only a transport facility.
- Why are the residential district numbers not continuous?
- The sequence runs R-1, R-2, R-3, R-5, R-6, R-9 and R-10, covering single family suburban through high density single family, then multifamily, mixed residential and mobile home park. The gaps mean the number alone does not place a district on a ladder.
- What are the mixed use districts?
- M-1 general mixed use at roughly 141 acres and M-2 mixed use transitional at about 488. Naming one transitional identifies where the city expects change rather than a settled pattern.
- How is the downtown zoned?
- Through a Central Business Core at roughly 149 acres and a Central Business Periphery at about 80, distinguishing the highest intensity from the ring around it.
- How much industrial land is there?
- Heavy industrial covers roughly 772 acres and light industrial about 413, before counting the Airport Industrial district at roughly 2,164 acres.
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Book a demo →Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the Great Falls planning department before acquisition or design.