What does R-10 zoning mean in Lihue?

Kauai's residential districts are numbered by approximate permitted density rather than minimum lot size — R-10 is a higher-density residential district than R-1 or R-2, common in neighborhoods close to Lihue town.

How do I find the zoning for a parcel in Lihue?

Look up the parcel's TMK number on the County of Kauai Planning Department's GIS zoning map, or contact the Planning Department's Lihue office directly.

Why is so much industrial and commercial zoning concentrated in Lihue?

Lihue hosts Kauai's main airport, its primary harbor at Nawiliwili, and the county seat, so the county has concentrated its General Commercial (CG) and Industrial (I) districts there rather than spreading larger-footprint uses across the island's more resort- and agriculture-oriented towns.

Lihue, Hawaii · city zoning districts · 10 districts

Lihue, HI zoning map & districts

Lihue is Kauai's county seat and primary commercial center, zoned under the Kauai County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and administered by the County of Kauai Planning Department. Residential districts follow a density-based numbering convention (R-1 through R-20) rather than Oahu's minimum-lot-size approach, with the number generally corresponding to permitted dwelling units per acre — R-1 is the lowest-density district and R-20 the highest.

The code Kauai County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance

Lihue zoning map

The County of Kauai Planning Department publishes the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and GIS zoning map; parcel zoning is confirmed by TMK number through the Planning Department's Lihue office.

There is no link to the official map here yet — confirm current district boundaries directly with the Lihue planning or zoning department.

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 Lihue

Lihue's commercial core, county offices, Kauai's main airport, and its primary harbor at Nawiliwili are concentrated around a mix of Commercial (CG, CN, CR) and Industrial (I) zoning, making Lihue the island's default location for larger-footprint commercial and light-industrial development that wouldn't fit the more resort- or agriculture-oriented zoning found elsewhere on Kauai.

Lihue zoning districts by family

The 10 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Lihue, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the Kauai County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 6 districts
R-1	Rural (1 unit/acre)	Dataset mislabeled as 'Residential'; Kauai's R-1 code is actually the Rural district, distinct from Residential.
R-2	Residential (2 units/acre)	Confirmed current district.
R-4	Residential (4 units/acre)	Confirmed current district.
R-6	Residential (6 units/acre)	Confirmed current district.
R-10	Residential (10 units/acre)	Confirmed current district.
R-20	Residential (20 units/acre)	Confirmed current district.
Commercial 2 districts
C-G	Commercial General	Kauai publishes this hyphenated as 'C-G', not 'CG'.
C-N	Commercial Neighborhood	Kauai publishes this hyphenated as 'C-N', not 'CN'.
Industrial 1 district
I-G	Industrial General	Dataset's bare 'I' is not a real code; actual codes are I-G and I-L.
Special purpose 1 district
A	Agricultural	Confirmed current district.

Lihue zoning — common questions

What does R-10 zoning mean in Lihue?: Kauai's residential districts are numbered by approximate permitted density rather than minimum lot size — R-10 is a higher-density residential district than R-1 or R-2, common in neighborhoods close to Lihue town.
How do I find the zoning for a parcel in Lihue?: Look up the parcel's TMK number on the County of Kauai Planning Department's GIS zoning map, or contact the Planning Department's Lihue office directly.
Why is so much industrial and commercial zoning concentrated in Lihue?: Lihue hosts Kauai's main airport, its primary harbor at Nawiliwili, and the county seat, so the county has concentrated its General Commercial (CG) and Industrial (I) districts there rather than spreading larger-footprint uses across the island's more resort- and agriculture-oriented towns.

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The parcel layer lands in the order demand does. Illinois went first because that's where the deals were; the next state is decided by who tells us what they're trying to underwrite. Tell us where you're building and what you wanted to run — you'll hear from us when Hawaii opens, and sooner if we need a test parcel.

Keep reading

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

Other Hawaii cities

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

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