What is a Coordinated Development District (CDD) in Alexandria?

A CDD is a site-specific zoning designation Alexandria uses to set custom development standards for large master-planned areas, such as Carlyle and Potomac Yard, rather than applying one of the city's standard districts. Each numbered CDD has its own approved development plan governing use, density, and design.

Can I build more than a single-family house on my lot in Alexandria?

It depends on the district and the specific parcel. Alexandria has pursued citywide zoning reforms to permit more housing types beyond detached single-family in parts of the city, but by-right allowances vary by zone, so confirm current standards with the Department of Planning and Zoning.

Are there special rules for building in Old Town Alexandria?

Yes. Old Town sits within the Commercial Downtown (CD) district and is also subject to historic design review by the Board of Architectural Review, layered on top of the base zoning district's use and height standards.

Alexandria, Virginia · city zoning districts · 13 districts

Alexandria, VA zoning map & districts

Alexandria, an independent city bordering Washington, D.C. across the Potomac, regulates land use under its Zoning Ordinance, administered by the Department of Planning and Zoning with the Planning Commission and City Council handling rezonings, special use permits, and the city's frequent small-area master plan updates. Alexandria has pursued a series of citywide zoning text amendments and area-specific rezonings — most notably legalizing more housing types beyond detached single-family in its 2023-era zoning reform effort — and has used Coordinated Development District (CDD) rezonings extensively to shape large redevelopment sites like Carlyle and Potomac Yard, the latter anchored by Virginia Tech's Innovation Campus and Amazon's HQ2 expansion.

The code Alexandria Zoning Ordinance

Alexandria zoning map

The Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning publishes the Zoning Ordinance and official zoning map, with parcel-level zoning searchable through the city's online GIS mapping portal.

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

Historic Old Town Alexandria carries its own layered design-review and height-limit standards distinct from the rest of the city, administered jointly with the Board of Architectural Review. As an independent city, Alexandria administers zoning entirely on its own under Virginia's Dillon's Rule framework, with no county layer above it, and King Street's retail corridor and the waterfront carry additional overlay-style standards specific to those areas.

Alexandria zoning districts by family

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

Key districts in the Alexandria Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 6 districts
R20	Single-Family Residential District	Larger-lot single-family zoning.
R8	Single-Family Residential District	More conventional urban single-family lot size.
R5	Single-Family Residential District	Smaller-lot tier in the numbered single-family residential series.
RA	Apartment District	Lower-density multifamily apartment zoning.
RB	Townhouse District	Townhouse-oriented residential zoning.
RM	Multifamily Residential District	General multifamily residential district.
Mixed-use 3 districts
OC	Office Commercial District	Office-oriented commercial district.
CRMU/H	Commercial Residential Mixed Use (High) Zone	Mixed-use district applied in higher-density areas like Eisenhower East and Potomac Yard.
CDD	Coordinated Development District	Site-specific rezoning tool used for large master-planned redevelopments; mapped as numbered sub-districts (CDD #1-31).
Commercial 1 district
CG	Commercial General District	General commercial corridor zoning.
Downtown / core 1 district
CD	Commercial Downtown District	Old Town's core commercial district, subject to added historic design review.
Industrial 1 district
W-1	Waterfront Mixed Use Zone	Waterfront mixed-use zoning along the Potomac, including Old Town's waterfront.
Special purpose 1 district
POS	Public Open Space	Public parkland and open-space district.

Alexandria zoning — common questions

What is a Coordinated Development District (CDD) in Alexandria?: A CDD is a site-specific zoning designation Alexandria uses to set custom development standards for large master-planned areas, such as Carlyle and Potomac Yard, rather than applying one of the city's standard districts. Each numbered CDD has its own approved development plan governing use, density, and design.
Can I build more than a single-family house on my lot in Alexandria?: It depends on the district and the specific parcel. Alexandria has pursued citywide zoning reforms to permit more housing types beyond detached single-family in parts of the city, but by-right allowances vary by zone, so confirm current standards with the Department of Planning and Zoning.
Are there special rules for building in Old Town Alexandria?: Yes. Old Town sits within the Commercial Downtown (CD) district and is also subject to historic design review by the Board of Architectural Review, layered on top of the base zoning district's use and height standards.

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

Keep reading

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

Other Virginia cities

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

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