Can I build a duplex on an R1-zoned lot in Bloomington?

Bloomington's UDO has expanded where duplexes are a permitted use in the city's core residential districts as part of its missing-middle housing efforts — though lot size, setback, and parking standards still apply and should be confirmed for the specific parcel with the Planning & Transportation Department.

How do I find the zoning for a property in Bloomington, Indiana?

The Planning & Transportation Department maintains a GIS zoning map searchable by address, and can confirm the current UDO district along with any student-housing or design overlay standards.

Why has Bloomington revised its residential zoning in recent years?

The city has revised its UDO to address a documented shortage of 'missing middle' housing types, expanding where duplexes are allowed in districts that historically permitted only detached single-family homes; current standards should be confirmed with the Planning & Transportation Department.

Bloomington, Indiana · city zoning districts · 16 districts

Bloomington, IN zoning map & districts

Bloomington's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is administered by the city's Planning & Transportation Department, with the Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals handling review. Home to Indiana University, Bloomington has an active missing-middle housing debate, and the city has revised its UDO in recent years to expand where duplexes and other small-scale multifamily housing are permitted in its core residential districts.

The code Bloomington Unified Development Ordinance

Bloomington zoning map

Open the official Zoning and Development Services Public Map (City of Bloomington GeoHub) — the official interactive map is the authoritative source for current district boundaries, not the summary on this page.

Bloomington's UDO text and zoning map are maintained by the Planning & Transportation Department; parcel-level zoning is confirmed via the city's GIS zoning map or by contacting the department directly.

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 Bloomington

Development near campus and downtown is shaped heavily by student-housing demand, and the city has continued to refine density and design standards in its core residential and mixed-use districts. Developers should confirm current permitted density carefully, since Bloomington's zoning has changed more actively in recent years than most peer Indiana cities.

Bloomington zoning districts by family

The 16 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Bloomington, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the Bloomington Unified Development Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 7 districts
R1	Residential Large Lot	City's current UDO code; prior list's generic 'R1 Residential Core' framing doesn't match the actual name.
R2	Residential Medium Lot	City's current UDO code and name, replacing the prior generic label.
R3	Residential Small Lot	City's current UDO code; prior list described this as 'near campus', which is not the district's defining trait.
R4	Residential Urban	Confirmed in city GIS; was missing from prior list entirely.
RH	Residential High-Density Multifamily	Confirmed in city GIS; was missing from prior list entirely.
RM	Residential Multifamily	Confirmed in city GIS; was missing from prior list entirely.
RMH	Manufactured/Mobile Home Park	Confirmed in city GIS; was missing from prior list entirely.
Mixed-use 5 districts
MN	Mixed-Use Neighborhood-Scale	Confirmed in city GIS; the entire Mixed-Use (M-series) family was absent from the prior list.
MM	Mixed-Use Medium-Scale	Confirmed in city GIS; was missing from prior list.
MC	Mixed-Use Corridor	Confirmed in city GIS; was missing from prior list.
ME	Mixed-Use Employment	Confirmed in city GIS; was missing from prior list.
MS	Mixed-Use Student Housing	Confirmed in city GIS, reflecting IU-area development; was missing.
Downtown / core 2 districts
MD-CS	Mixed-Use Downtown Courthouse Square	Confirmed in city GIS; the entire Downtown (MD-series) family was absent from the prior list.
MD-DC	Mixed-Use Downtown Core	Confirmed in city GIS; was missing from prior list.
Special purpose 2 districts
PO	Parks and Open Space	Confirmed in city GIS; was missing from prior list.
PUD	Planned Unit Development	Confirmed in city GIS; was missing from prior list.

Bloomington zoning — common questions

Can I build a duplex on an R1-zoned lot in Bloomington?: Bloomington's UDO has expanded where duplexes are a permitted use in the city's core residential districts as part of its missing-middle housing efforts — though lot size, setback, and parking standards still apply and should be confirmed for the specific parcel with the Planning & Transportation Department.
How do I find the zoning for a property in Bloomington, Indiana?: The Planning & Transportation Department maintains a GIS zoning map searchable by address, and can confirm the current UDO district along with any student-housing or design overlay standards.
Why has Bloomington revised its residential zoning in recent years?: The city has revised its UDO to address a documented shortage of 'missing middle' housing types, expanding where duplexes are allowed in districts that historically permitted only detached single-family homes; current standards should be confirmed with the Planning & Transportation Department.

Working in Indiana? 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 Indiana opens, and sooner if we need a test parcel.

Keep reading

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

Other Indiana cities

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

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