What does SC zoning mean in Frankfort?

SC (Special Capitol District) is a Frankfort zoning district applying special design and use standards around the Kentucky State Capitol complex, distinct from the general commercial and residential districts used elsewhere in the city.

How do I find the zoning for an address in Frankfort, Kentucky?

The Frankfort/Franklin County Planning Commission maintains the official zoning map and can confirm a parcel's district; GIS mapping tools covering the city and county are also available through the Commission's office.

Does Frankfort have a historic district overlay?

Yes — the Special Historic District (SH) applies additional design review standards to protect Frankfort's historic core, layered on top of the underlying base zoning district.

Frankfort, Kentucky · city zoning districts · 17 districts

Frankfort, KY zoning map & districts

As Kentucky's state capital, Frankfort is the smallest of the state's major cities by development and rezoning volume, and zoning is administered by the Frankfort/Franklin County Planning Commission. The ordinance includes several districts unique to the capital context, including a Special Capitol District (SC) that applies special design and use standards around state government facilities, alongside a Special Historic District (SH) protecting Frankfort's historic core.

The code Frankfort Zoning Ordinance

Frankfort zoning map

The interactive map needs JavaScript. See the official Frankfort City Map (ArcGIS zoning viewer) instead.

Residential 9
Commercial 4
Special purpose 4
Mixed-use 3
Industrial 2
Downtown / core 1

Source: Frankfort City Map (ArcGIS zoning viewer), retrieved 2026-08-30. Basemap: © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Find a district by address

District lookup only. No bulk standards, no parcel geometry and no ordinance citations are held for this city yet. Not a zoning verification.

Source: the official Frankfort City Map (ArcGIS zoning viewer) , retrieved 2026-08-30 — the authoritative source for current boundaries.

The Frankfort/Franklin County Planning Commission administers the zoning ordinance; parcel zoning maps and lookups are available through the Commission's office and GIS mapping tools.

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 Frankfort

Residential zoning runs from large-lot Single Family (RA) through suburban- and urban-density single-family (RB, RC) to multi-family districts (RL, RH), and the code provides Planned Commercial, Planned Mixed Use, and Planned Residential districts for larger coordinated developments.

Frankfort zoning districts by family

The 17 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Frankfort, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the Frankfort Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 7 districts
RA	Single Family Large Lot	Large-lot, low-density detached housing.
RB	Single Family Residential Suburban Density District	Standard suburban-density single-family housing.
RC	Single Family Residential Urban Density District	Higher-density single-family housing closer to downtown.
RD	Two Dwelling District	Duplex housing.
RL	Low Density Multifamily District	Lower-density apartment development.
RH	High Density Multifamily District	Higher-density apartment development.
RM	Mobile Home District	Manufactured housing communities.
Mixed-use 1 district
PO	Professional Office District	Office uses, often as a residential-commercial transition.
Commercial 3 districts
CL	Limited Commercial District	Smaller-scale commercial uses.
CH	Highway Commercial District	Auto-oriented commercial uses along major corridors.
CG	General Commercial District	General-purpose commercial uses.
Downtown / core 1 district
CB	Central Business District	Downtown Frankfort's core commercial district.
Industrial 2 districts
IG	General Industrial District	General manufacturing and industrial uses.
IC	Industrial Commercial District	Combined industrial and commercial uses.
Special purpose 3 districts
SC	Special Capitol District	Special design and use standards applied around the state capitol complex.
SH	Special Historic District	Protects Frankfort's historic core with additional design review.
AG	Agricultural District	Agricultural and very low-density rural use.

Frankfort zoning — common questions

What does SC zoning mean in Frankfort?: SC (Special Capitol District) is a Frankfort zoning district applying special design and use standards around the Kentucky State Capitol complex, distinct from the general commercial and residential districts used elsewhere in the city.
How do I find the zoning for an address in Frankfort, Kentucky?: The Frankfort/Franklin County Planning Commission maintains the official zoning map and can confirm a parcel's district; GIS mapping tools covering the city and county are also available through the Commission's office.
Does Frankfort have a historic district overlay?: Yes — the Special Historic District (SH) applies additional design review standards to protect Frankfort's historic core, layered on top of the underlying base zoning district.

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

Keep reading

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

Other Kentucky cities

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

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