Why is that approach economical?

It lets the city introduce housing into employment and business areas without rewriting the underlying district. The base standards remain and the suffix adds the mixed use dimension.

How much industrial land is there?

Park Industrial covers roughly 2,272 acres, the third largest classification, with general industrial at about 639 and Airport Industrial at roughly 499.

Which is the largest residential district?

R-9, described as C suburban residence, at roughly 4,854 acres, ahead of the R-40 rural residence district at about 2,350 and R-18 at roughly 2,156.

Nashua Zoning Intelligence

Zoning, permitted uses, and development potential for Nashua, New Hampshire. 19 districts with their permitted uses and building controls.

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City Context

How is Nashua zoned?

Nashua regulates land through 19 zoning districts, and the residential naming uses two conventions at once. Urban Residence districts are lettered A, B and C, while Suburban Residence districts are numbered R-9, R-18 and R-30 and described as C, B and A suburban respectively, with a Rural Residence district at R-40.

That means a district's letter and number both carry meaning, and the two systems run in parallel rather than in sequence. R-9 is the largest residential district at roughly 4,854 acres.

The mixed use suffix is the distinguishing mechanism. Nashua applies it across the roster rather than creating standalone mixed use districts: park industrial, general industrial, general business, local business and two downtown districts all appear in mixed use versions, together covering roughly 586 acres.

Applying mixed use as a modifier to industrial and business districts, rather than as its own category, is an economical approach. It lets the city introduce housing into employment areas without rewriting the underlying district.

Park Industrial is the third largest classification at roughly 2,272 acres, with general industrial at about 639 and an Airport Industrial district at roughly 499.

Commercial runs general, highway and local business, together covering roughly 1,029 acres. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.

Zoning Districts

Nashua, New Hampshire 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. Nashua'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-9 C Suburban Residence	-	4,854.1 ac
R-40 Rural Residence	-	2,349.8 ac
PI Park Industrial	-	2,272 ac
R-18 B Suburban Residence	-	2,155.8 ac
R-A A Urban Residence	-	2,146.4 ac
R-30 A Suburban Residence	-	1,487.3 ac
R-B B Urban Residence	-	1,195.1 ac
R-C C Urban Residence	-	1,115.2 ac
GI General Industrial	-	638.7 ac
GB General Business	-	574.3 ac
AI Airport Industrial	-	499 ac
HB Highway Business	-	406.5 ac
PI/MU Park Industrial Mixed Use	-	176.7 ac
GI/MU General Industrial Mixed Use	-	140.9 ac
D1/MU Downtown 1 Mixed Use	-	137.2 ac
GB/MU General Business Mixed Use	-	70.9 ac
D3/MU Downtown 3 Mixed Use	-	59.3 ac
LB Local Business	-	49 ac
LB/MU Local Business Mixed Use	-	0.9 ac

Building Controls

What are the building controls in Nashua?

Setback, height, FAR, lot area, and density controls enforced across Nashua zoning districts.

Building height
Coverage
Density
FAR
Front setback
Lot
Lot width
Pervious
Rear setback
Side setback

Other New Hampshire cities

Nashua zoning: frequently asked questions

How are Nashua's residential districts named?: Through two parallel conventions. Urban Residence districts are lettered A, B and C, while Suburban Residence districts are numbered R-9, R-18 and R-30 and described as C, B and A suburban, with a Rural Residence district at R-40.
How does the mixed use suffix work?: It is applied across the roster rather than as standalone districts. Park industrial, general industrial, general business, local business and two downtown districts all appear in mixed use versions, together roughly 586 acres.
Why is that approach economical?: It lets the city introduce housing into employment and business areas without rewriting the underlying district. The base standards remain and the suffix adds the mixed use dimension.
How much industrial land is there?: Park Industrial covers roughly 2,272 acres, the third largest classification, with general industrial at about 639 and Airport Industrial at roughly 499.
Which is the largest residential district?: R-9, described as C suburban residence, at roughly 4,854 acres, ahead of the R-40 rural residence district at about 2,350 and R-18 at roughly 2,156.

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Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the Nashua planning department before acquisition or design.