Note: This summary is for illustrative purposes only. Some uses allowed in the districts are subject to conditions. For a complete listing of all permitted uses and conditions, see the Unified Development Code.
Residential Districts
RE | RESIDENTIAL ESTATE: Intended to accommodate large-lot (minimum one acre) single-family detached residential uses, accessory development, and select agricultural activities.
RS-20 | RESIDENTIAL SINGLE-FAMILY 20: Intended to accommodate large-lot (roughly one-half acre) single-family detached residential uses and accessory development.
RS-15 | RESIDENTIAL SINGLE-FAMILY 15: Intended to accommodate single-family detached residential uses and typical accessory development at low densities (minimum 15,000-square foot lots).
RS-7.2 | RESIDENTIAL SINGLE-FAMILY 7.2: Intended to accommodate single-family detached residential uses and typical accessory development at low densities (minimum 7,200-square foot lots).
RS-5 | RESIDENTIAL SINGLE-FAMILY 5: Intended to accommodate single-family detached residential uses and typical accessory development at medium densities (minimum 5,000-square foot lots).
RM-12 | RESIDENTIAL MEDIUM-DENSITY 12: Intended to encourage a wide range of low to medium-density housing types, especially single-family attached, duplexes, and townhouse projects, though single-family detached is also allowed. Maximum residential density is limited to 12 units per gross acre.
RMF-22 | RESIDENTIAL MULTI-FAMILY 22: Established to provide opportunities for high-density multi-family residential uses with a maximum density of 22 units per acre. The district also allows attached residential, live/work units, and residential units over ground-floor non-residential uses.
VG | VILLAGE ON THE GREEN AT TIERRA VERDE: Established to provide an area in southwest Arlington that will be a financially and environmentally sustainable residential community memorable for its rural character, village-like atmosphere, and mix of high-quality housing options.
MH | MANUFACTURED HOUSING: This district is obsolete and may not be requested for a zoning amendment. Accommodates existing manufactured home parks and subdivisions.
Non-Residential Districts
LO | LIMITED OFFICE: Intended to provide for the development of small-scale, low-intensity professional office uses near or adjacent to residential neighborhoods. This district is appropriate in areas that are transitioning from residential to non-residential uses, or are mixed-use in character.
OC | OFFICE COMMERCIAL: Intended to provide areas primarily for high-quality office development and selected retail uses that serve community and citywide needs.
NC | NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL: Intended to provide sites for businesses serving the daily needs of nearby residential areas and for small-scale offices.
CC | COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL: Established to provide sites for community and regional retail shopping centers containing a wide variety of commercial establishments including retail stores and businesses selling home furnishings, apparel, durable goods, and specialty items; restaurants; commercial recreation; and business, personal, and financial services.
GC | GENERAL COMMERCIAL: Intended primarily to provide sites for a broad range of commercial uses including restaurants, offices, personal and commercial services. Sites should provide an attractive appearance with landscaping, well-designed parking, and controlled traffic movement. This district is primarily intended for development of freestanding and integrated commercial structures along arterial streets in older sections of the city that are experiencing redevelopment.
HC | HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL: Intended primarily to provide sites for commercial uses including automobile sales and services, hotels, drive-through and drive-in restaurants, offices, warehousing, and commercial services adjacent to regional roadways and highways. Strip development is discouraged.
DB | DOWNTOWN BUSINESS: Provides concentrated downtown, civic, service, office, institutional, cultural, residential, and other uses in the existing central business district. The DB district is intended to aid in the revitalization of Arlington's original downtown area, and to establish an identity for the downtown area by permitting uses that enhance its role as a unique civic and ceremonial heart of the City.
BP | BUSINESS PARK: Intended to provide and protect sites for offices, research and development facilities, support commercial services, and limited industrial activities including non-nuisance production, distribution, and storage of goods (but no raw materials processing or bulk handling) in a landscaped setting.
LI | LIGHT INDUSTRIAL: Intended to provide for the development of research, light industrial, processing, warehousing and other indoor light industrial uses, as well as supporting business and office uses. Uses permitted in this district are intended to serve community and regional needs.
IM | INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING: Intended to provide for the development of heavy industrial and manufacturing uses, as well as supporting business and office uses. Uses permitted in this district are intended to serve community and regional needs.
NMU | NEIGHBORHOOD MIXED-USE: Intended to encourage the redevelopment of traditional suburban commercial centers as higher-density, mixed-use, urban-scale districts developed as nodal centers or linear-oriented commercial retail development. The NMU area is intended to include commercial, institutional, recreational, and service facilities needed to support the surrounding neighborhoods, for example, grocery and convenience stores, drug stores, religious assembly, and personal household services. Multi-family residential and office uses are also allowed. NMU centers are generally between 5 and 20 acres in size, and limited to a maximum of 40 dwelling units per acre.
RMU | REGIONAL MIXED USE: Established to encourage and facilitate the development of large-scale, distinctive, attractive regional centers containing a concentrated mix of land uses. The centers should include major economic generators, most with a regional market draw, such as a regional shopping mall, major employer, restaurants, theaters, hotels, and dense office development. The RMU district is intended for locations in the city that have the transportation network and market potential to accommodate concentrated development. RMU centers are generally at least 20 acres or larger in size, and limited to a maximum of 100 dwelling units per acre.
Overlay and Planned Development Districts
APO | AIRPORT OVERLAY: Regulates the development of noise-sensitive land uses so as to promote compatibility between the Airport and the surrounding land uses; to prevent the encroachment of incompatible uses surrounding the Airport; and to promote the public health, safety and welfare of property users.
CDO | CONSERVATION DISTRICT OVERLAY: Intended to recognize the need to preserve, protect, and enhance the value of Arlington's residential neighborhoods. Provides a means of conserving the distinctive atmosphere or character of the areas by protecting or enhancing their significant architectural or cultural attributes.
DNO | DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY: Intended to protect and enhance the character and function of the downtown business and lodging areas, and to attract new residential development to provide energy and support to the downtown area. Mixed-use projects that encourage pedestrian activity and serve local residents and visitors are preferred.
EDO | ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT OVERLAY: Intended to create an identifiable and exciting character for the 2,700-acre entertainment area in central Arlington. New development and redevelopment in the EDO district is guided by development standards intended to promote a unifying identity for the Entertainment District as a whole through a complementary mix of land uses and physical design.
LCMUO | LAMAR/COLLINS MIXED USE OVERLAY: Intended to promote high quality, high-density, mixed-use development in this area in north Arlington. New development and redevelopment in the LCMUO district is intended to encourage pedestrian-oriented activities through a complementary mix of land uses and physical design.
LPO | LANDMARK PRESERVATION OVERLAY: Intended to provide for the protection, preservation, and enhancements of buildings, structures, sites, and areas of architectural, historical, archaeological, or cultural importance or value.
PD | PLANNED DEVELOPMENT: Provides an alternative to conventional development by permitting greater flexibility for projects to best utilize the physical features of the site in exchange for greater public benefits than would otherwise be achieved through development under the Code standards.