Is Great Falls subject to Montana's 2023 duplex and ADU laws?

Yes — as a city with more than 5,000 residents, Great Falls must allow duplexes anywhere single-family homes are permitted (SB 323) and at least one accessory dwelling unit on single-family lots (SB 528), regardless of what the base zoning district otherwise specifies.

How do I find the zoning for a parcel in Great Falls?

The Planning & Community Development Department maintains the city's zoning map and ordinance text and can confirm the district for a specific address.

Does Malmstrom Air Force Base affect zoning near Great Falls?

Yes — land within the base's approach and airspace compatibility zones carries additional height and use restrictions on top of standard zoning, so projects near the base should be checked against those overlay standards early in site selection.

Great Falls, Montana · city zoning districts · 6 districts

Great Falls, MT zoning map & districts

Great Falls zones under its own municipal ordinance, administered by the city's Planning & Community Development Department, with the City-County Planning Board reviewing rezonings before City Commission action. As a city with more than 5,000 residents in a larger county, Great Falls is subject to the state's 2023 duplex-by-right and ADU-by-right mandates (SB 323 and SB 528) and falls within the population threshold that triggers the Montana Land Use Planning Act's (SB 382) growth-policy and zoning-update timeline, meaning the city has been working through a state-mandated update to its zoning regulations.

The code City of Great Falls Zoning Ordinance

Great Falls zoning map

The Planning & Community Development Department maintains the zoning map and ordinance text and coordinates with the City-County Planning Board on rezonings.

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

The city's zoning map follows a conventional gradient from low-density residential through commercial corridors to industrial land concentrated along its rail lines and near Malmstrom Air Force Base's approach zones, where military airspace compatibility standards apply to height and use in addition to base zoning.

Great Falls zoning districts by family

The 6 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Great Falls, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the City of Great Falls Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 3 districts
R-1	Single-Family Residential	Base single-family district; duplexes allowed by right under state law.
R-2	Limited Multiple-Family Residential	Duplexes and smaller multi-family.
R-3	General Multiple-Family Residential	Apartments and multi-family buildings.
Commercial 1 district
C-1	General Commercial	General commercial and retail uses.
Industrial 2 districts
M-1	Light Industrial	Light manufacturing and warehousing.
M-2	Heavy Industrial	Heavier industrial uses.

Great Falls zoning — common questions

Is Great Falls subject to Montana's 2023 duplex and ADU laws?: Yes — as a city with more than 5,000 residents, Great Falls must allow duplexes anywhere single-family homes are permitted (SB 323) and at least one accessory dwelling unit on single-family lots (SB 528), regardless of what the base zoning district otherwise specifies.
How do I find the zoning for a parcel in Great Falls?: The Planning & Community Development Department maintains the city's zoning map and ordinance text and can confirm the district for a specific address.
Does Malmstrom Air Force Base affect zoning near Great Falls?: Yes — land within the base's approach and airspace compatibility zones carries additional height and use restrictions on top of standard zoning, so projects near the base should be checked against those overlay standards early in site selection.

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

Keep reading

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

Other Montana cities

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

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