What is a PD district in Dallas zoning?

A PD (Planned Development) district is a site-specific zoning ordinance adopted for an individual tract or area, with its own use and dimensional standards that override Chapter 51A's base district rules. Dallas has hundreds of numbered PDs, so checking for one is a required step before relying on base zoning.

How do I find the zoning for a property in Dallas?

The Development Services Department's GIS zoning map shows the base district and flags whether the parcel is inside a numbered Planned Development. The specific PD ordinance text then needs to be looked up separately in Chapter 51A of the Development Code.

What does MF-2(A) zoning mean in Dallas?

MF-2(A) is one of Dallas's multifamily apartment districts, permitting lower-density apartment development than higher-numbered MF districts like MF-3(A) or MF-4(A). The letter suffix designates a specific area/height regulation set tied to the district.

Dallas, Texas · city zoning districts · 13 districts

Dallas, TX zoning map & districts

Dallas zones under Chapter 51A of its Development Code, administered by the Development Services Department, but the base zoning map is only the starting point: hundreds of individually adopted Planned Development (PD) districts overlay specific tracts and neighborhoods citywide, each with its own site-specific use and dimensional standards that supersede the base district. Any feasibility check in Dallas has to confirm whether a parcel sits inside a numbered PD before relying on the base zoning designation.

The code Dallas Development Code, Chapter 51A

Dallas zoning map

Dallas's GIS zoning map (maintained by the Development Services Department) shows the base district and any applicable PD number for a parcel; the PD ordinance text itself must be pulled separately from the city's Development Code for the specific PD number.

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

The city's 2024 update to its ForwardDallas comprehensive plan is steering future rezonings toward missing-middle housing and transit-oriented mixed use near DART rail stations, and Dallas has an active mixed-use (MU) and multifamily (MF) rezoning pipeline along major corridors. Downtown development is governed separately under the CBD district plus its own set of downtown-specific PDs.

Dallas zoning districts by family

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

Key districts in the Dallas Development Code, Chapter 51A — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 5 districts
R-7.5(A)	Single Family District	Single-family district with a 7,500-square-foot minimum lot size.
D(A)	Duplex District	Two-family (duplex) development.
TH-2(A)	Townhouse District	Attached townhouse development; city GIS has no bare 'TH' code, only numbered TH-1/2/3(A) tiers.
MF-2(A)	Multifamily District	Lower-density apartment district.
MF-3(A)	Multifamily District	Mid-density apartment district, common along corridors.
Mixed-use 1 district
MU-2	Mixed Use District	Combines residential, office, and retail on one site; city GIS has no bare 'MU' code, only MU-1/2/3.
Commercial 3 districts
CR	Community Retail District	Neighborhood-serving retail and services.
CS	Commercial Service District	Service-commercial uses including light auto and contractor uses.
GR	General Retail District	Broader retail uses at higher intensity than CR.
Downtown / core 1 district
CA-1(A)	Central Area District	Downtown Dallas core district; city GIS has no 'CBD' code, downtown parcels are zoned CA-1(A)/CA-2(A).
Industrial 2 districts
LI	Light Industrial District	Warehousing and light manufacturing.
IM	Industrial Manufacturing District	Heavier manufacturing and industrial uses.
Special purpose 1 district
PD	Planned Development District	Site-specific negotiated zoning; each PD is individually numbered and dominates the city's zoning map.

Dallas zoning — common questions

What is a PD district in Dallas zoning?: A PD (Planned Development) district is a site-specific zoning ordinance adopted for an individual tract or area, with its own use and dimensional standards that override Chapter 51A's base district rules. Dallas has hundreds of numbered PDs, so checking for one is a required step before relying on base zoning.
How do I find the zoning for a property in Dallas?: The Development Services Department's GIS zoning map shows the base district and flags whether the parcel is inside a numbered Planned Development. The specific PD ordinance text then needs to be looked up separately in Chapter 51A of the Development Code.
What does MF-2(A) zoning mean in Dallas?: MF-2(A) is one of Dallas's multifamily apartment districts, permitting lower-density apartment development than higher-numbered MF districts like MF-3(A) or MF-4(A). The letter suffix designates a specific area/height regulation set tied to the district.

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Keep reading

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

Other Texas cities

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

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