Tacoma Zoning Intelligence
Zoning, permitted uses, and development potential for Tacoma, Washington. 103 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 Tacoma city outline and street context.
How is Tacoma zoned?
Tacoma regulates land through 103 zoning districts, and the count comes from overlays written into the codes that stack on one another.
The South Tacoma Groundwater Protection District appears combined with urban residential districts at 1, 2 and 3, with heavy industrial, with commercial and with urban center mixed use, together covering roughly 6,017 acres. It protects the aquifer beneath that part of the city, and at that scale it is a major constraint written into the zoning rather than an advisory layer.
The View Sensitive Overlay District appears at 20 and 25, combined with urban residential districts and covering roughly 3,053 acres. A view sensitive designation limits building height to protect sightlines, and the number states the limit.
The two stack. One district combines urban residential with a Port of Tacoma Transition designation and a view sensitive overlay at 25, covering roughly 505 acres, and another combines heavy industrial with both groundwater protection and a manufacturing industrial centers designation.
The Shoreline Districts cover roughly 9,809 acres, the largest classification, and a Port Maritime Industrial district with a manufacturing industrial centers designation covers about 2,897.
Urban Residential 1 and 2 cover roughly 9,558 acres between them in their plain versions. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
Tacoma, Washington 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. Tacoma'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 |
|---|---|---|
S Shoreline Districts | - | 9,808.9 ac |
UR1 Urban Residential 1 | - | 4,875 ac |
UR2 Urban Residential 2 | - | 4,683 ac |
PMI-MIC Port Maritime Industrial Manufacturing Industrial Centers | - | 2,897.4 ac |
What are the building controls in Tacoma?
Setback, height, FAR, lot area, and density controls enforced across Tacoma zoning districts.
- Building height
- Coverage
- Density
- FAR
- Front setback
- Lot
- Lot width
- Multi
- Pervious
- Rear setback
- Side setback
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Tacoma zoning: frequently asked questions
- What is the South Tacoma Groundwater Protection District?
- An overlay written into district codes, combined with residential, industrial, commercial and mixed use districts and covering roughly 6,017 acres. It protects the aquifer beneath that part of the city.
- What is the View Sensitive Overlay District?
- An overlay at 20 and 25 combined with urban residential districts, covering roughly 3,053 acres. It limits building height to protect sightlines, and the number states the limit.
- Can overlays stack?
- Yes. One district combines urban residential with a Port of Tacoma Transition designation and a view sensitive overlay at 25, and another combines heavy industrial with both groundwater protection and a manufacturing industrial centers designation.
- Which is the largest classification?
- The Shoreline Districts at roughly 9,809 acres, ahead of Urban Residential 1 at about 4,875 and Urban Residential 2 at roughly 4,683.
- How is the port zoned?
- Through a Port Maritime Industrial district with a manufacturing industrial centers designation covering roughly 2,897 acres, plus port transition designations combined with residential districts.
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Book a demo →Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the Tacoma planning department before acquisition or design.