What is the Unified Development Code in Memphis?

The Unified Development Code (UDC) is the single zoning and subdivision ordinance that governs both the City of Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County, administered jointly by the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development. It replaced separate city and county zoning ordinances with one shared code.

Does historic district status affect zoning review in Memphis?

Yes. Parcels within a locally designated historic district are subject to additional design review for exterior alterations, demolitions, and new construction under the UDC, beyond the base district's standard zoning requirements.

How do I find the zoning for an address in Memphis or Shelby County?

The Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development's zoning atlas, available through its Develop901 site, shows the current UDC district for any parcel in the city or unincorporated county. The division's staff can also confirm classifications directly.

Memphis, Tennessee · city zoning districts · 15 districts

Memphis, TN zoning map & districts

Memphis and Shelby County are zoned under a single Unified Development Code (UDC), administered jointly by the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, which covers both the City of Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County under one set of standards rather than separate city and county ordinances. The Land Use Control Board and the Memphis City Council (or Shelby County Board of Commissioners, for unincorporated parcels) act on rezonings and text amendments, with the Board of Adjustment handling variances.

The code Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code

Memphis zoning map

The Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development (branded Develop901) publishes the Unified Development Code text and an interactive zoning atlas covering both the City of Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County.

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

The UDC also incorporates historic preservation review for parcels within designated historic districts, triggering additional design review for exterior work beyond standard base-zoning requirements. Because the UDC applies uniformly across both city and unincorporated county land, a developer moving a site from unincorporated Shelby County into Memphis city limits through annexation does not face a change in the underlying zoning framework, only a change in which government body administers it.

Memphis zoning districts by family

The 15 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Memphis, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 7 districts
R-6	Residential Single Family 6	One of Memphis's graduated single-family lot-size tiers.
R-8	Residential Single Family 8	Mid-tier single-family lot-size district.
R-10	Residential Single Family 10	Larger-lot single-family tier.
RU-1	Duplex Residential	Duplex-scale residential district, the lowest-density tier of Memphis's RU (Residential Urban) series.
RU-2	Townhouse Residential	Attached townhouse development.
RU-3	Multi-Family Residential	Low- to moderate-density apartment and multifamily development.
RU-4	Multi-Family Residential	Higher-density apartment development.
Mixed-use 3 districts
CMU-1	Commercial Mixed-Use 1	Lowest-intensity tier of Memphis's CMU series; smaller-scale neighborhood commercial and mixed-use.
CMU-2	Commercial Mixed-Use 2	Mid-intensity commercial mixed-use corridor district.
CMU-3	Commercial Mixed-Use 3	Highest-intensity CMU tier, the broadest commercial mix outside downtown.
Downtown / core 1 district
CBD	Central Business District	Downtown Memphis's high-intensity office, employment, and residential district.
Industrial 2 districts
EMP	Employment	Office, flex, and light-industrial employment district.
IH	Heavy Industrial	Memphis's heaviest industrial tier.
Special purpose 2 districts
CA	Conservation Agriculture	Conserves agricultural land and undeveloped natural amenities at Memphis's fringe.
R-B	Bluffview Residential	Special single-family district covering Memphis's bluff-top riverfront neighborhoods near the South Central Business Improvement District.

Memphis zoning — common questions

What is the Unified Development Code in Memphis?: The Unified Development Code (UDC) is the single zoning and subdivision ordinance that governs both the City of Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County, administered jointly by the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development. It replaced separate city and county zoning ordinances with one shared code.
Does historic district status affect zoning review in Memphis?: Yes. Parcels within a locally designated historic district are subject to additional design review for exterior alterations, demolitions, and new construction under the UDC, beyond the base district's standard zoning requirements.
How do I find the zoning for an address in Memphis or Shelby County?: The Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development's zoning atlas, available through its Develop901 site, shows the current UDC district for any parcel in the city or unincorporated county. The division's staff can also confirm classifications directly.

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.

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