What does MX-3 zoning mean in Boise?

MX-3 is Mixed-Use Active, one of five Mixed-Use districts (MX-1 through MX-5) added in Boise's 2023 Development Code rewrite. It permits a mix of residential, commercial, and office uses at higher intensity than MX-1 or MX-2, typically along active commercial corridors.

How do I find the zoning for an address in Boise?

Use Boise Planning and Development Services' online zoning map or Development Tracker tool, which shows base zoning district and any applicable overlay (such as Hillside, Historic Design, or a neighborhood character overlay) for a given parcel.

Did Boise change its zoning code recently?

Yes — Boise adopted a complete rewrite of its zoning code in 2023, its first since 1966, replacing the old use-based system with the current form-based Boise Development Code and its new Mixed-Use (MX) district family.

Boise, Idaho · city zoning districts · 14 districts

Boise, ID zoning map & districts

Boise adopted a wholesale rewrite of its zoning code in 2023 — its first full rewrite since 1966 — replacing the old use-based ordinance with the current Boise Development Code (Title 11, Boise City Code), administered by Planning and Development Services. The new code organizes residential districts by lot size and building form (R-1A through R-3) and introduces a family of form-based Mixed-Use districts (MX-1 through MX-5, plus MX-U for university-adjacent areas and MX-H for the health/hospital district) that permit residential, commercial, and office uses together at graduated intensities, including an MX-4 TOD Node district aimed at areas near planned high-frequency transit.

The code Boise Development Code (Title 11, Boise City Code)

Boise zoning map

Boise Planning and Development Services publishes the Development Code text and an interactive zoning map (including overlay districts); parcel zoning is confirmed through the Development Tracker / zoning map tools on the city's Planning and Development Services site.

There is no link to the official map here yet — confirm current district boundaries directly with the Boise 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 Boise

A dense layer of character and design overlays — including the Hyde Park, North End, Sycamore, and Big Sky overlays, plus Historic Design, Hillside Development, Boise River System, and Wildland Urban Interface overlays — adds design review or additional development standards on top of base zoning in specific neighborhoods, so a parcel's effective entitlement often depends on overlay status as much as its base MX or R district.

Boise zoning districts by family

The 14 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Boise, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the Boise Development Code (Title 11, Boise City Code) — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 5 districts
R-1A	Residential Large Lot	Lowest-density single-family district.
R-1B	Residential Suburban	Standard suburban single-family lot sizes.
R-1C	Residential Traditional	Smaller-lot single-family, typical of Boise's older traditional neighborhoods.
R-2	Residential Compact	Compact single-family and small-lot/attached housing.
R-3	Residential Urban	Higher-density urban residential, permitting multifamily forms.
Mixed-use 4 districts
MX-1	Mixed-Use Neighborhood	Small-scale neighborhood-serving mixed-use nodes.
MX-2	Mixed-Use General	General-purpose mixed-use corridor district.
MX-3	Mixed-Use Active	Higher-intensity mixed-use along active commercial corridors.
MX-4	Mixed-Use TOD Node	Transit-oriented development district for areas planned around high-frequency transit.
Downtown / core 1 district
MX-5	Mixed-Use Downtown	Boise's highest-intensity downtown core district.
Industrial 2 districts
I-1	Industrial Light	Light industrial and flex/warehouse uses.
I-2	Industrial Heavy	Heavy industrial uses.
Special purpose 2 districts
A-1	Open Land Very Low Density	Low-density residential alongside large-footprint uses like parks, schools, golf courses, and agriculture.
A-2	Open Land Reserve	Reserve/open-land district for undeveloped or agricultural land at the city's edge.

Boise zoning — common questions

What does MX-3 zoning mean in Boise?: MX-3 is Mixed-Use Active, one of five Mixed-Use districts (MX-1 through MX-5) added in Boise's 2023 Development Code rewrite. It permits a mix of residential, commercial, and office uses at higher intensity than MX-1 or MX-2, typically along active commercial corridors.
How do I find the zoning for an address in Boise?: Use Boise Planning and Development Services' online zoning map or Development Tracker tool, which shows base zoning district and any applicable overlay (such as Hillside, Historic Design, or a neighborhood character overlay) for a given parcel.
Did Boise change its zoning code recently?: Yes — Boise adopted a complete rewrite of its zoning code in 2023, its first since 1966, replacing the old use-based system with the current form-based Boise Development Code and its new Mixed-Use (MX) district family.

Working in Idaho? Get on the list.

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 Idaho opens, and sooner if we need a test parcel.

Keep reading

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

Other Idaho cities

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

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