How do I find the zoning district for a parcel in Nashua, NH?

Nashua's Planning & Zoning Division maintains the official zoning map and the ordinance text; staff there can confirm a parcel's district and any downtown form-based standards that may apply.

Does Nashua have special downtown zoning standards?

Nashua has pursued downtown-focused zoning updates along its Main Street corridor to encourage mixed-use infill, alongside its conventional use-based ordinance elsewhere; confirm current standards with the Planning & Zoning Division.

Can I add an ADU on my Nashua property?

Yes. New Hampshire's statewide ADU law (RSA 674:73) requires Nashua to permit at least one accessory dwelling unit by right on lots with a single-family home, subject to the city's own dimensional and parking standards.

Nashua, New Hampshire · city zoning districts · 13 districts

Nashua, NH zoning map & districts

Nashua regulates land use under the City of Nashua Zoning Ordinance, adopted under New Hampshire's RSA 674 enabling statute and administered by the city's Planning & Zoning Division alongside a Planning Board for subdivisions and site plans and a Zoning Board of Adjustment for variances and special exceptions. As the state's second-largest city, Nashua has pursued downtown-focused zoning updates along the Main Street corridor aimed at encouraging mixed-use infill.

The code City of Nashua Zoning Ordinance

Nashua zoning map

Nashua's Planning & Zoning Division maintains the zoning map and ordinance text; the Nashua Regional Planning Commission provides regional planning context used by the city's Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment.

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

The city sits within the Nashua Regional Planning Commission's service area, and like every New Hampshire municipality it must comply with the state's 2022 accessory dwelling unit law (RSA 674:73), which guarantees at least one ADU by right on single-family lots.

Nashua zoning districts by family

The 13 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Nashua, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the City of Nashua Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 5 districts
R-40	Rural Residence	Largest-lot residential zone in Nashua's ladder.
R-9	C Suburban Residence	Tightest of the suburban-tier residential zones.
R-A	A Urban Residence	Entry tier of Nashua's urban residence districts.
R-B	B Urban Residence	Mid tier of the urban residence series; missing from the prior dataset.
R-C	C Urban Residence	Densest tier of the urban residence series; missing from the prior dataset.
Commercial 3 districts
LB	Local Business	Neighborhood-scale commercial zone.
GB	General Business	Standard arterial commercial district.
HB	Highway Business	Auto-oriented commercial along highway frontage.
Downtown / core 2 districts
D1	Downtown 1	Core downtown district; official code has no hyphen ('D1', not 'D-1').
D3	Downtown 3	Downtown-adjacent tier; official code has no hyphen ('D3', not 'D-3').
Industrial 3 districts
AI	Airport Industrial	Industrial tier around Nashua's airport; missing from the prior dataset.
PI	Park Industrial	Campus-format industrial park zoning.
GI	General Industrial	Standard industrial district.

Nashua zoning — common questions

How do I find the zoning district for a parcel in Nashua, NH?: Nashua's Planning & Zoning Division maintains the official zoning map and the ordinance text; staff there can confirm a parcel's district and any downtown form-based standards that may apply.
Does Nashua have special downtown zoning standards?: Nashua has pursued downtown-focused zoning updates along its Main Street corridor to encourage mixed-use infill, alongside its conventional use-based ordinance elsewhere; confirm current standards with the Planning & Zoning Division.
Can I add an ADU on my Nashua property?: Yes. New Hampshire's statewide ADU law (RSA 674:73) requires Nashua to permit at least one accessory dwelling unit by right on lots with a single-family home, subject to the city's own dimensional and parking standards.

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

Keep reading

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

Other New Hampshire cities

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

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