How do I find the zoning for an address in Salem, Oregon?

Contact the Planning Division within Salem's Community Development Department, or use the city's online GIS mapping tool, to confirm the zoning district and any overlays for a specific parcel.

What's the process to request a zoning variance in Salem?

Variance and conditional use requests go through Salem's Planning Division for staff review, with larger or contested applications heard by the Planning Commission or a hearings officer before any appeal to City Council.

Salem, Oregon · city zoning districts · 12 districts

Salem, OR zoning map & districts

As Oregon's state capital, Salem administers its zoning through the Salem Zoning Code, implemented by the city's Planning Division and reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council for larger actions. Zoning districts range from single-family residential through multi-family, commercial, and industrial categories, with the downtown core governed by its own central business district standards.

The code Salem Zoning Code

Salem zoning map

The interactive map needs JavaScript. See the official DataSalem - Zoning Designation map instead.

Mixed-use 8
Special purpose 7
Residential 5
Industrial 5
Commercial 3
Downtown / core 2

Source: DataSalem - Zoning Designation map, retrieved 2026-08-30. Basemap: © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Find a district by address

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

Source: the official DataSalem - Zoning Designation map , retrieved 2026-08-30 — the authoritative source for current boundaries.

Salem's zoning map and code are available through the city's Planning Division within the Community Development Department, which handles zoning verification requests for specific addresses.

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 Salem

Salem has been the site of ongoing debate over expansion of its urban growth boundary, tied directly to the city's state-mandated housing production targets — a live constraint for any developer assembling a larger residential or mixed-use site here.

Salem zoning districts by family

The 12 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Salem, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the Salem Zoning Code — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 3 districts
RS	Single Family Residential	Salem's base single-family residential district.
RM1	Multiple Family Residential 1	Entry tier of Salem's multifamily series.
RM2	Multiple Family Residential 2	Mid-tier multifamily density, denser than RM1.
Mixed-use 2 districts
SWMU	South Waterfront Mixed-Use	Place-specific mixed-use district along Salem's south waterfront.
MU-I	Mixed Use-I	Entry tier of Salem's numbered mixed-use series.
Commercial 3 districts
CO	Commercial Office	Office-only commercial district.
CR	Retail Commercial	Standard retail-commercial district.
CG	General Commercial	Broader-format commercial corridor district.
Downtown / core 2 districts
CB	Central Business District	Salem's primary downtown core district.
WSCB	West Salem Central Business District	West Salem's own downtown district, distinct from the main CB.
Industrial 2 districts
IP	Industrial Park	Campus-format employment-lands district.
IG	General Industrial	Standard general-purpose industrial district.

Salem zoning — common questions

How do I find the zoning for an address in Salem, Oregon?: Contact the Planning Division within Salem's Community Development Department, or use the city's online GIS mapping tool, to confirm the zoning district and any overlays for a specific parcel.
Is Salem's urban growth boundary a constraint on new development?: Yes. Salem's UGB has been the subject of recurring expansion debates tied to the city's state-mandated housing production targets, which affects the supply of developable land at the city's edges.
What's the process to request a zoning variance in Salem?: Variance and conditional use requests go through Salem's Planning Division for staff review, with larger or contested applications heard by the Planning Commission or a hearings officer before any appeal to City Council.

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

Keep reading

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

Other Oregon cities

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

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