Austin Zoning Map: How to Look Up Zoning in Austin, Texas

Austin zones with a system of base districts, combining districts, and overlays layered on one parcel, and it has changed the rules for residential lots more in the last three years than in the previous thirty. Here is where the official map is, how to read what it shows, and what to check before you rely on it.

Where the official map and code live

• Property Profile (maps.austintexas.gov/GIS/PropertyProfile): the City of Austin's parcel lookup. Search an address and the profile shows the zoning as "ZType", plus overlays, the neighborhood plan area, and a link to the Travis Central Appraisal District record. This is the map the city's own staff use for zoning determinations.
• Land Development Code, Title 25, on Municode: the zoning regulations, use tables, and site development standards. Chapter 25-2 is zoning.
• Zoning resources and site regulations on austintexas.gov, which links the current code, the zoning guide, and the case lookup for pending rezonings.
• Zoning questions: the Development Services Department's zoning review desk, or 311 for a basic determination.

Official links: Austin Property Profile, Title 25 Land Development Code, Zoning resources and site regulations.

First check: is the parcel actually zoned?

Austin zoning applies only inside the city limits. Parcels in Austin's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) have Austin mailing addresses, appear on the same maps, and have no zoning, because Texas counties generally have no zoning authority. Subdivision, water quality, and building rules still apply there, but the use is not regulated by a district. Property Profile shows the jurisdiction; check it before you assume anything.

How Austin's districts are organized

Austin's base districts fall into families. The list below covers the ones that come up most in land deals; the code has more.

Residential

• SF-1 through SF-6: single-family districts stepping from large-lot (SF-1) to small-lot and attached (SF-4A, SF-4B, SF-5, SF-6). SF-3 has long allowed duplexes. Under the HOME initiative adopted in 2023 and 2024, most SF-1, SF-2, and SF-3 lots can now hold up to three units, and the minimum lot size for a single-family lot was cut sharply, so the practical capacity of these districts is higher than the labels suggest.
• MF-1 through MF-6: multifamily districts from low density to the highest density (MF-6), each with its own height, density, and site standards.
• RR (rural residence) and LA (Lake Austin) for large lots and lakefront.

Office and commercial

• NO, LO, GO: neighborhood, limited, and general office.
• LR: neighborhood commercial, small retail and services near residential.
• GR: community commercial, the common corridor retail district.
• CS and CS-1: general commercial services, the broadest commercial district, with CS-1 adding liquor sales.
• CH: commercial highway, auto-oriented uses along major roads.
• W/LO: warehouse limited office.

Industrial

• LI: limited industrial services.
• MI: major industry.
• IP: industrial park, and R&D for research campuses.

Downtown and special

• DMU: downtown mixed use, and CBD: central business district, the tallest districts.
• PUD: planned unit development, with rules set in the approved plan; see our PUD explainer.
• TOD: transit-oriented development, and P: public.

Combining districts and overlays

Austin's map labels are often compound, and the suffix matters as much as the base:

• -NP (neighborhood plan): the parcel is in an adopted neighborhood plan area, which can add or remove uses and set design rules.
• -CO (conditional overlay): site-specific conditions attached at rezoning, such as prohibited uses or trip limits. Read the ordinance.
• -MU (mixed use): adds residential uses to a commercial base district.
• -V (vertical mixed use): allows residential above commercial on corridors with height and affordability terms.
• -H (historic) and -HD (historic district): design review.
• Overlay districts such as the Waterfront Overlay, airport overlays, and hill country roadway corridors, plus Imagine Austin corridor rules.

A label like "GR-MU-V-CO-NP" is common, and each piece changes the answer.

Recent changes worth knowing

• HOME initiative (2023 and 2024): up to three units on most single-family lots, smaller minimum lot sizes, and adjusted occupancy and design rules.
• Parking minimums eliminated citywide in late 2023, which changes what fits on commercial and multifamily sites.
• Vertical mixed-use and corridor density bonuses were expanded, and the city continues to amend the code in phases after a 2019 rewrite was struck down in court. Check the current code, not a summary from a prior year.

How to check a specific parcel

1. Search the address in Property Profile and confirm the parcel is inside city limits.
2. Note the full ZType label, including every suffix, and the neighborhood plan area.
3. Open Title 25, Chapter 25-2, find the base district's use table and site development standards, then read any conditional overlay ordinance and neighborhood plan rules.
4. Check the case lookup for pending rezonings on or near the parcel.
5. For anything that matters, get a zoning verification letter from Development Services.

In Plotzy, every Austin parcel carries its zoning category and the city's designation, so you can filter a search by district before opening Property Profile on the shortlist. Zoning AI can answer questions such as "Is a car wash a conditional use in CS?" from Title 25 with the section cited.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the official City of Austin zoning map?

The City of Austin's Property Profile map at maps.austintexas.gov shows zoning, overlays, and neighborhood plan areas for any address inside the city limits, and it is the map city staff use for zoning determinations.

What does ZType mean on the Austin map?

ZType is the zoning designation field in Property Profile: the base district plus any combining district suffixes, for example GR-MU-V-NP.

Why does my Austin property have no zoning?

It is probably in Austin's extraterritorial jurisdiction rather than the city limits. Texas counties generally cannot zone, so ETJ parcels have subdivision and environmental rules but no zoning district.

What is CS zoning in Austin?

CS is General Commercial Services, Austin's broadest commercial district, allowing most retail, service, and commercial uses, with CS-1 adding liquor sales. Site development standards and any conditional overlay still apply.

Can I build multiple units on a single-family lot in Austin?

Under the HOME initiative, most SF-1, SF-2, and SF-3 lots can hold up to three units, subject to size, design, and occupancy rules that have been amended more than once. Confirm the current rules in Title 25 before planning a project.