How much conservancy and agricultural land is there?

Conservancy covers roughly 6,291 acres and Agricultural about 5,879, together the second and third largest classifications, with Parks And Recreation adding roughly 3,497.

How is university land zoned?

Through a Campus Institutional district covering roughly 1,415 acres, distinct from the parks, employment and residential categories.

Madison Zoning Intelligence

Zoning, permitted uses, and development potential for Madison, Wisconsin. 41 districts with their permitted uses and building controls.

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City Context

How is Madison zoned?

Madison regulates land through 41 zoning districts, and the residential framework uses two prefixes with a consistency suffix.

Suburban Residential appears as Consistent at 1, 2 and 3 and Varied at 2, and Traditional Residential as Consistent at 1 through 4 and Planned. The consistent and varied distinction is the interesting part: a consistent district contemplates a uniform pattern and a varied one contemplates mixed lot and building types.

SR-C1 is the largest district in the city at roughly 9,073 acres, and the traditional consistent series covers roughly 4,956 acres across four levels.

The employment districts distinguish format: Suburban Employment at roughly 1,653 acres and a Suburban Employment Center at about 1,099. Naming one a centre identifies concentrated employment as its own condition.

A Commercial Corridor Transitional district covers roughly 1,063 acres, and a Regional Mixed Use district about 531.

A Campus Institutional district covers roughly 1,415 acres, reflecting the university.

Conservancy is the second largest classification at roughly 6,291 acres, with Agricultural at about 5,879 and Parks And Recreation at roughly 3,497.

An Airport district covers roughly 1,273 acres and Industrial Limited about 3,204. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.

Zoning Districts

Madison, Wisconsin 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. Madison'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
SR-C1 Suburban Residential Consistent District 1	-	9,072.6 ac
CN Conservancy District	-	6,291.4 ac
A Agricultural District	-	5,878.9 ac
PD Planned Development District	-	4,588.1 ac
PR Parks And Recreation	-	3,496.9 ac
IL Industrial Limited District	-	3,203.9 ac
SE Suburban Employment District	-	1,653.4 ac
TR-C1 Traditional Residential Consistent District 1	-	1,485.2 ac
SR-V2 Suburban Residential Varied District 2	-	1,432.9 ac
CI Campus Institutional District	-	1,415.5 ac
TR-C2 Traditional Residential Consistent District 2	-	1,315.9 ac
TR-C3 Traditional Residential Consistent District 3	-	1,303 ac
CC Commercial Center District	-	1,295.2 ac
AP Airport District	-	1,272.8 ac
SR-C2 Suburban Residential Consistent District 2	-	1,213.8 ac
SEC Suburban Employment Center District	-	1,099.3 ac
CC-T Commercial Corridor Transitional District	-	1,063.1 ac
TR-C4 Traditional Residential Consistent District 4	-	852.5 ac
TR-P Traditional Residential Planned District	-	687.2 ac
SR-C3 Suburban Residential Consistent District 3	-	657.4 ac

Building Controls

What are the building controls in Madison?

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

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

Other Wisconsin cities

Madison zoning: frequently asked questions

What do Consistent and Varied mean in Madison's residential districts?: A consistent district contemplates a uniform development pattern and a varied one contemplates mixed lot and building types. Both prefixes appear on the suburban and traditional residential families.
How is the residential framework organised?: Suburban Residential appears as Consistent at 1, 2 and 3 and Varied at 2, and Traditional Residential as Consistent at 1 through 4 plus a Planned version. SR-C1 is the largest district at roughly 9,073 acres.
How are the employment districts distinguished?: By format: Suburban Employment at roughly 1,653 acres and a Suburban Employment Center at about 1,099. Naming one a centre identifies concentrated employment as its own condition.
How much conservancy and agricultural land is there?: Conservancy covers roughly 6,291 acres and Agricultural about 5,879, together the second and third largest classifications, with Parks And Recreation adding roughly 3,497.
How is university land zoned?: Through a Campus Institutional district covering roughly 1,415 acres, distinct from the parks, employment and residential categories.

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