Chicago zoning comparison · the downtown FAR ladder
DX-5 vs DX-7: which lets you build more?
DX-7 carries the larger envelope — FAR 7 vs 5; on a standard 25 × 125 ft Chicago lot, DX-7 permits 21 units by right against 15.
Figures read from the City-published text of Title 17, chapter 17-4, on 6 June 2026. Data snapshot generated 2026-08-24. How this data is produced and checked →
Side by side
| DX-5 Downtown Mixed-Use 5 | DX-7 Downtown Mixed-Use 7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Max FAR | 5 | 7 |
| Max height | — | — |
| Lot area per unit | 200 sf | 145 sf |
| Units on a standard 25×125 ft lot | 15 | 21 |
| Min lot area | 2,500 sf | 2,500 sf |
| Residential parking / unit | 0.45 | 0.35 |
| Max lot coverage | 90% | 95% |
| Permitted uses | multi-unit residential, mixed-use buildings, offices and ground-floor retail | multi-unit residential, mixed-use buildings, offices and ground-floor retail |
| Connected Communities bulk bonus tier | No | No |
Green marks the more permissive value. Setbacks are contextual in both districts and omitted here — see the district pages for the working scalars and the governing formulas.