Why do Wichita and Sedgwick County share one zoning code?

Wichita and Sedgwick County jointly adopted a Unified Zoning Code administered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Department (MAPD), so the same ordinance and staff review applications whether a parcel is inside city limits or in unincorporated Sedgwick County.

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

MAPD maintains the official zoning map through the joint city-county GIS system; the Unified Zoning Code then sets that district's use and dimensional standards.

What is the Old Town zoning overlay in Wichita?

Old Town is a zoning overlay district near downtown Wichita with its own use and design standards supporting its entertainment- and mixed-use-district character, layered on top of the base zoning for parcels within its boundary.

Wichita, Kansas · city zoning districts · 14 districts

Wichita, KS zoning map & districts

Wichita and Sedgwick County share a single Unified Zoning Code, jointly administered by the Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department (MAPD), an unusual structure among major Kansas cities since city and county zoning decisions run through the same ordinance and the same planning staff regardless of whether a parcel sits inside or outside city limits. Rezoning and conditional-use applications are reviewed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission before going to the Wichita City Council or Sedgwick County Commission, depending on jurisdiction.

The code Wichita-Sedgwick County Unified Zoning Code

Wichita zoning map

The Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department (MAPD) publishes the Unified Zoning Code and zoning map, and staffs the Wichita-Sedgwick County Board of Zoning Appeals; parcel zoning is looked up through the joint city-county GIS system.

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

The unified code layers zoning overlay districts on top of its base residential, commercial, and industrial categories; Old Town, near downtown, is a longstanding example, carrying its own use and design standards for the entertainment and mixed-use district. MAPD has also run a steering committee on a Unified Zoning Code and Comprehensive Plan update, so it's worth confirming a project is being scoped against the current adopted code rather than an in-progress draft.

Wichita zoning districts by family

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

Key districts in the Wichita-Sedgwick County Unified Zoning Code — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 6 districts
RR	Rural Residential	Very-large-lot residential and agricultural district on the fringe, generally without public sewer or water.
SF-5	Single-Family 5,000	Standard 5,000-sq-ft-lot single-family district, the most common residential zone.
TF-3	Two-Family	Duplex-permitting district on full public services.
MF-18	Multi-Family 18 d.u./ac.	Moderate-density apartment district.
MF-29	Multi-Family 29 d.u./ac.	High-density apartment district.
MH	Manufactured Housing	Manufactured and mobile home park district.
Mixed-use 1 district
NO	Neighborhood Office	Small-scale office district capped at 8,000 sq ft per business.
Commercial 4 districts
GO	General Office	General office district that also permits multifamily.
NR	Neighborhood Retail	Small-format retail district, no drive-throughs.
LC	Limited Commercial	Retail and office district with limited outside display.
GC	General Commercial	Broadest commercial district, permits outside display and storage.
Downtown / core 1 district
CBD	Central Business	Wichita's downtown core district, no minimum lot size.
Industrial 2 districts
LI	Limited Industrial	Moderate-intensity manufacturing district.
GI	General Industrial	Wide range of manufacturing and industrial uses.

Wichita zoning — common questions

Why do Wichita and Sedgwick County share one zoning code?: Wichita and Sedgwick County jointly adopted a Unified Zoning Code administered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Department (MAPD), so the same ordinance and staff review applications whether a parcel is inside city limits or in unincorporated Sedgwick County.
How do I find the zoning for an address in Wichita?: MAPD maintains the official zoning map through the joint city-county GIS system; the Unified Zoning Code then sets that district's use and dimensional standards.
What is the Old Town zoning overlay in Wichita?: Old Town is a zoning overlay district near downtown Wichita with its own use and design standards supporting its entertainment- and mixed-use-district character, layered on top of the base zoning for parcels within its boundary.

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

Keep reading

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

Other Kansas cities

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

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