Baton Rouge, Louisiana · city zoning districts · 18 districts
Baton Rouge, LA zoning map & districts
Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish share a single consolidated city-parish government, and the Unified Development Code (UDC) governs zoning across both the city and the surrounding parish. The UDC's Chapter 8 organizes districts by predominant character — Predominately Single Family Residential, Predominately Multi-Family, Neighborhood, Office, Commercial, Warehousing, Industrial, and Special Purpose — and layers a separate system of four citywide Character Areas (Downtown, Urban/Walkable, Suburban, Rural) that guide design expectations within each zoning district.
The code Unified Development Code (UDC)
Baton Rouge zoning map
The City-Parish Planning Commission (Planning Commission of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge) administers the UDC; the official zoning map and Chapter 8 district text are published through the Commission's office and the city-parish GIS portal.
There is no link to the official map here yet — confirm current district boundaries directly with the Baton Rouge 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 Baton Rouge
The code includes a dedicated Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) district for walkable, mixed-use master-planned communities, plus specialized districts like Commercial Gaming (CG) and General Airport (GA) tailored to Baton Rouge's specific development patterns. Several older districts (A5, B, B1, C1, C2, CW, CW2) are marked inactive in the current code but may still appear on legacy zoning maps.
Baton Rouge zoning districts by family
The 18 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Baton Rouge, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.
| Code | District | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Residential 9 districts | ||
| A1 | Single Family Residential | Low-density single-family development, maximum 4.1 units per acre. |
| A2 | Single Family Residential | Low-density single-family development, maximum 5.8 units per acre, smaller lots than A1. |
| A2.1 | Zero Lot Line Residential | Zero lot line single-family dwellings; requires a wall or solid fence buffer adjoining A1/A2 districts. |
| A2.9 | Two-Family | Duplex and semi-detached residences. |
| A3.1 | Limited Residential | Medium-density multi-family and residential-character institutional uses, up to 11.5 units per acre. |
| A3.2 | Medium Density Multi-Family Residential | Multi-family development up to 17.4 units per acre. |
| A3.3 | High Density Multi-Family Residential | Multi-family development up to 29 units per acre. |
| A4 | General Residential | High-density multi-family up to 43.6 units per acre; must be within an Urban/Walkable Character Area or a Regional/Employment Center. |
| RE/A1 | Residential Estate/Agriculture One | Low-density single-family on minimum one-acre lots. |
| Mixed-use 2 districts | ||
| GOL | General Office Low Rise | Office uses with at least 50 percent of building area devoted to office space. |
| GOH | General Office High Rise | Large office buildings, permitting some residential and commercial uses alongside office space. |
| Commercial 3 districts | ||
| NC | Neighborhood Commercial | Retail and personal services scaled to serve surrounding residential areas. |
| LC1 | Light Commercial One | Commercial and multi-family uses; buildings limited to 15,000 gross square feet per lot. |
| HC1 | Heavy Commercial One | Commercial and multi-family uses; buildings limited to 250,000 gross square feet per lot. |
| Downtown / core 1 district | ||
| C5 | Business | Permits a variety of uses within the Downtown Character Area without setback or parking requirements. |
| Industrial 2 districts | ||
| M1 | Light Industrial | Light manufacturing, fabricating, processing, and wholesale distribution near the Major Street Plan. |
| M2 | Heavy Industrial | Heavier manufacturing, fabricating, and processing uses. |
| Special purpose 1 district | ||
| TND | Traditional Neighborhood Development | Walkable, master-planned mixed-use and residential development on unified sites up to 2.5 acres. |
Baton Rouge zoning — common questions
- What does A2.1 zoning mean in Baton Rouge?
- A2.1 is a Zero Lot Line Residential district under the Baton Rouge UDC, permitting low-density single-family homes built to one side property line. A six-foot wall or solid fence is required where an A2.1 site adjoins A1 or A2 districts.
- How do I find the zoning for an address in Baton Rouge?
- The City-Parish Planning Commission maintains the official zoning map for both Baton Rouge and unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish; parcel lookups are available through the Commission's GIS portal.
- What are Baton Rouge's Character Areas?
- Character Areas — Downtown, Urban/Walkable, Suburban, and Rural — are a citywide overlay in the UDC that guides development intensity and design expectations, layered on top of the base zoning district a parcel already carries.
Keep reading
← Louisiana zoning — who holds the zoning power in Louisiana, under which enabling statute, and the reforms that override local rules.
Other Louisiana cities
- Bossier City 13 districts
- Kenner 15 districts
- Lafayette 16 districts
- Lake Charles 12 districts
- New Orleans 18 districts
- Shreveport 17 districts
The zoning reference → — every state, plus city-level district guides like this one.
Baton Rouge zoning summaries on this page are provided for information, not legal advice. Confirm every project against the current adopted code for the jurisdiction.