What does R-20 zoning mean in Stamford?

R-20 is Stamford's largest-lot single-family residential classification, requiring a minimum of 20,000 square feet per lot; it's applied mainly in low-density North Stamford neighborhoods.

How is Stamford zoning organized differently from other CT cities?

Stamford's single-family districts are numbered by minimum lot size (R-7.5 through R-20), separately from its density-based multifamily districts, and the city's charter creates a Zoning Board that combines regulatory and site-plan authority instead of the split Zoning Commission / Board of Appeals structure most Connecticut towns use.

How do I look up the zoning for a Stamford address?

Stamford's Land Use Bureau publishes the official zoning map, and the city's GIS parcel viewer returns a lot's district, lot-size minimum, and any overlay by address.

Stamford, Connecticut · city zoning districts · 11 districts

Stamford, CT zoning map & districts

Stamford's Land Use Bureau administers the Stamford Zoning Regulations under a charter-created Zoning Board that combines regulatory adoption and site-plan review authority, rather than the split Zoning Commission / Board of Appeals structure most Connecticut towns use. Stamford's single-family residential districts are organized primarily by minimum lot size — R-7.5 in denser southern neighborhoods, up to R-20 in low-density North Stamford — while separate multifamily districts like R-5 and RM-1 are organized by density rather than lot size, making the district letter/number, not just the underlying use, the first filter on buildable density.

The code Stamford Zoning Regulations

Stamford zoning map

Open the official Stamford, CT Zoning (ArcGIS Experience app, City of Stamford GIS) — the official interactive map is the authoritative source for current district boundaries, not the summary on this page.

Stamford's Land Use Bureau maintains the zoning map and regulations text; the city's GIS portal returns a parcel's district by address or map/lot number.

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.

How zoning works in Stamford

Downtown and the South End (Harbor Point) have absorbed most of the city's high-rise and mixed-use growth over the past two decades, driven by dense multifamily and commercial districts layered with design-review requirements rather than a wholesale rewrite of the base code. Stamford's affordable-housing stock has fluctuated near the Conn. Gen. Stat. §8-30g exemption threshold in recent years, so developers relying on the state appeals process for a set-aside project should confirm the city's current-year status before assuming it applies.

Stamford zoning districts by family

The 11 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Stamford, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the Stamford Zoning Regulations — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 5 districts
R-5	Multiple Family Medium Density	Medium-density multifamily district, not a single-family lot-size classification.
R-7 1/2	One Family Residence	Corrected from 'R-7.5' — Stamford's official code uses fraction notation 'R-7 1/2', not a decimal.
R-10	One Family Residence	10,000 sq ft minimum lot.
R-20	One Family Residence	20,000 sq ft minimum lot; applied mainly in low-density North Stamford.
RM-1	Multiple Family Low Density	Lower-density multifamily district.
Commercial 2 districts
C-N	Neighborhood Business	Small-scale retail and service uses serving surrounding residential areas.
C-G	General Commercial	Added: confirmed current general commercial district.
Downtown / core 1 district
CC	Central City	Added: Stamford's downtown core district, filling a missing family.
Industrial 2 districts
M-G	General Industrial	General manufacturing and industrial-service uses.
M-L	Light Industrial	Added: confirmed current light-industrial district.
Special purpose 1 district
P-D	Planned Development	Added: confirmed current planned-development district.

Stamford zoning — common questions

What does R-20 zoning mean in Stamford?: R-20 is Stamford's largest-lot single-family residential classification, requiring a minimum of 20,000 square feet per lot; it's applied mainly in low-density North Stamford neighborhoods.
How is Stamford zoning organized differently from other CT cities?: Stamford's single-family districts are numbered by minimum lot size (R-7.5 through R-20), separately from its density-based multifamily districts, and the city's charter creates a Zoning Board that combines regulatory and site-plan authority instead of the split Zoning Commission / Board of Appeals structure most Connecticut towns use.
How do I look up the zoning for a Stamford address?: Stamford's Land Use Bureau publishes the official zoning map, and the city's GIS parcel viewer returns a lot's district, lot-size minimum, and any overlay by address.

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Keep reading

← Connecticut zoning — who holds the zoning power in Connecticut, under which enabling statute, and the reforms that override local rules.

Other Connecticut cities

The zoning reference → — every state, plus city-level district guides like this one.

Stamford zoning summaries on this page are provided for information, not legal advice. Confirm every project against the current adopted code for the jurisdiction.