The reference
Chicago zoning map: every district, explained
Search an address or click any district below for its zoning class — all 53 Chicago base districts, each carrying its FAR, height and setback figures cited to Title 17 of the Municipal Code.
Zoom in for district codes
- Planned Manufacturing (PMD)
- Parks & Open Space (POS)
- Planned Development (PD)
- Downtown (DC/DR/DS/DX)
- Residential (RS/RT/RM)
- Business (B)
- Commercial (C)
- Manufacturing (M)
- Transportation (T)
- Other / unclassified
Zoning district boundaries: City of Chicago Data Portal. Basemap: © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.
A published summary is never the authority. The adopted ordinance and the city's official zoning map govern, and both change — verify the district and every standard on your parcel before you rely on it.
Districts on this page were read from different sources and on different dates — each district page states its own. Confirm against the current adopted code before relying on a figure. Data snapshot generated 2026-08-24. How this data is produced and checked →
Holding an address rather than a district? What can I build on my lot → · FAR calculator → · Chicago is one city in the reference — see every state →
How Chicago zoning works
Chicago's zoning ordinance (Title 17 of the Municipal Code) sorts land into district families — RS detached houses, RT two-flats and townhouses, RM apartments, B business streets, C commercial corridors, D downtown, M manufacturing. The letters set the allowed uses; the number suffix sets the bulk — how much floor area, height and density a lot gets. Browse all 53 classes as text below, each carrying its governing numbers with § citations, flagged verified or approximation.
RS — Residential Single-Unit
Detached-house districts. Most of Chicago’s bungalow belt and side streets.
RT — Residential Two-Flat & Townhouse
The two-flat, townhouse and small-apartment districts.
RM — Residential Multi-Unit
Mid-size to large apartment districts.
B — Business
Neighborhood and community shopping streets — storefronts with apartments above.
C — Commercial
Commercial corridors, from neighborhood retail to auto-oriented and employment uses.
D — Downtown
The Loop and its surroundings — the high-FAR residential and mixed-use core.
M — Manufacturing
Industrial districts, from business parks to heavy industry.
District comparisons
The pairs people actually weigh — upzonings, corridor choices, and “what’s the difference” splits.
- RS-1 vs RS-2
- RS-2 vs RS-3
- RS-3 vs RT-4
- RT-3.5 vs RT-4
- RT-4 vs RM-4.5
- RM-4.5 vs RM-5
- RM-5 vs RM-5.5
- RM-5.5 vs RM-6
- RM-6 vs RM-6.5
- RT-4 vs B2-2
- RM-5 vs B3-3
- B1-1 vs B1-2
- B1-2 vs B1-3
- B2-2 vs B2-3
- B3-2 vs B3-3
- B3-3 vs B3-5
- C1-1 vs C1-2
- C1-2 vs C1-3
- B1-2 vs B2-2
- B2-2 vs B3-2
- B3-2 vs C1-2
- C1-2 vs C2-2
- C2-2 vs C3-2
- C1-3 vs M1-2
- DR-3 vs DX-3
- DX-5 vs DX-7
- DX-12 vs DX-16
- M1-1 vs M2-2
- M2-2 vs M3-3
The ordinances that bend these rules
- Connected Communities / TOD — parking cuts and ARO-tiered density, FAR and height bonuses on transit-served lots.
- ADUs & coach houses — where Chicago allows a second unit, and under what limits.
- Affordable Requirements Ordinance — how the ARO threads through zoning entitlements and bonuses.