Is Knoxville zoning the same as Knox County zoning?

No. Knoxville-Knox County Planning provides shared planning staff, but the City of Knoxville and Knox County maintain separate zoning ordinances, separate legislative bodies, and separate rezoning processes. A parcel's applicable rules depend on whether it sits inside city limits or in unincorporated Knox County.

Who handles zoning variances in Knoxville?

The City of Knoxville's Board of Zoning Appeals hears variance requests and appeals of administrative zoning decisions for parcels within city limits, working alongside the Plans Review and Development office that administers day-to-day zoning review.

Knoxville, Tennessee · city zoning districts · 10 districts

Knoxville, TN zoning map & districts

Knoxville is served by Knoxville-Knox County Planning, a joint planning staff that supports both the city and Knox County, but the two governments retain separate zoning ordinances and separate legislative bodies: Knoxville City Council acts on city rezonings, and the Knox County Commission acts on county rezonings, each following recommendations from its own planning commission process. The city's Plans Review and Development office handles day-to-day zoning administration and permitting, and a Board of Zoning Appeals hears variance requests.

The code City of Knoxville Zoning Code

Knoxville zoning map

Knoxville-Knox County Planning maintains the zoning map and code text for both jurisdictions, and the City of Knoxville's Plans Review and Development office administers day-to-day zoning review and the Board of Zoning Appeals process for city parcels.

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

Because city and county zoning are legally distinct even though the planning staff is shared, a parcel's classification and the applicable approval process depend on whether it sits inside Knoxville's city limits or in unincorporated Knox County, and developers working near the city's edge should confirm jurisdiction before assuming which zoning ordinance and review body applies.

Knoxville zoning districts by family

The 10 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Knoxville, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the City of Knoxville Zoning Code — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 2 districts
RN-1	Single Family Residential Neighborhood	One of Knoxville's most common single-family neighborhood tiers.
RN-2	Single Family Residential Neighborhood	A second, closely related single-family neighborhood tier.
Mixed-use 2 districts
SW-1	South Waterfront Form District 1	Form-based code subdistrict for the South Waterfront redevelopment area; city GIS has no bare 'SW' code.
CU-1	Cumberland Avenue Form District 1	Form-based code subdistrict along the Cumberland Avenue corridor near UT; city GIS has no bare 'CU' code.
Commercial 2 districts
C-G-1	General Commercial 1	Mixed retail, personal service, office, and residential uses.
C-G-2	General Commercial 2	Similar heterogeneous commercial mix, pedestrian-oriented variant.
Industrial 1 district
I-G	General Industrial	Knoxville's general-purpose industrial district.
Special purpose 3 districts
AG	General Agricultural District	Preserves farmland and prevents incompatible encroachment.
OS	Parks and Open Space	Parks, greenways, and preserved open land.
INST	Institutional District	Covers hospital, university, and other institutional campuses.

Knoxville zoning — common questions

Is Knoxville zoning the same as Knox County zoning?: No. Knoxville-Knox County Planning provides shared planning staff, but the City of Knoxville and Knox County maintain separate zoning ordinances, separate legislative bodies, and separate rezoning processes. A parcel's applicable rules depend on whether it sits inside city limits or in unincorporated Knox County.
Who handles zoning variances in Knoxville?: The City of Knoxville's Board of Zoning Appeals hears variance requests and appeals of administrative zoning decisions for parcels within city limits, working alongside the Plans Review and Development office that administers day-to-day zoning review.
How do I find the zoning for an address in Knoxville?: Knoxville-Knox County Planning maintains the official zoning map covering both jurisdictions; the City of Knoxville's Plans Review and Development office can confirm the applicable district and permitting requirements for a specific city parcel.

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

Keep reading

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

Other Tennessee cities

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

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