Is Richmond rewriting its zoning code?

Yes. Richmond has been engaged in a comprehensive zoning rewrite, publicly called the Code Refresh initiative and driven by the Richmond 300 master plan, intended to replace much of the legacy Euclidean ordinance with a simpler, more form- and transit-oriented framework. Confirm with the Department of Planning and Development Review which version of the code governs a specific parcel.

What is Richmond's UMU zoning district?

Urban Mixed Use (UMU) is a district Richmond created to enable dense, walkable mixed-use redevelopment of formerly industrial land, most notably in the Scott's Addition neighborhood, which transformed from warehouses into apartments, breweries, and offices under this designation.

How do I find the zoning for a property in Richmond, Virginia?

The Department of Planning and Development Review maintains the Zoning Ordinance and official zoning map, with parcel-level lookups available through the city's GIS resources; because the code is actively being rewritten, verify current district status directly with the department.

Richmond, Virginia · city zoning districts · 11 districts

Richmond, VA zoning map & districts

Richmond, Virginia's state capital, regulates land use under its Zoning Ordinance, administered by the Department of Planning and Development Review with the Planning Commission and City Council handling rezonings and special-use permits. The city has been engaged in a comprehensive rewrite of its zoning code — publicly referred to as the 'Code Refresh' initiative and driven by the Richmond 300 master plan — aimed at replacing large parts of the legacy Euclidean ordinance with a simpler, more form- and transit-oriented framework; a developer should confirm with the Department of Planning and Development Review whether a given parcel is still governed by the legacy code or has transitioned to the rewritten ordinance before relying on any specific district's standards.

The code Richmond Zoning Ordinance

Richmond zoning map

The interactive map needs JavaScript. See the official Zoning Parcel Mapper (City of Richmond) instead.

Residential 271
Mixed-use 145
Commercial 127
Industrial 78
Downtown / core 48
Special purpose 10

Source: Zoning Parcel Mapper (City of Richmond), 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 Zoning Parcel Mapper (City of Richmond) , retrieved 2026-08-30 — the authoritative source for current boundaries.

The Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review publishes the Zoning Ordinance and official zoning map; given the active Code Refresh rewrite, confirm directly with the department whether a specific parcel falls under the legacy ordinance or the rewritten code.

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 Richmond

Under the legacy code, Richmond created a dedicated Urban Mixed Use (UMU) district specifically to enable the redevelopment of formerly industrial areas like Scott's Addition into dense mixed-use neighborhoods, and that same corridor-rezoning approach has been applied along several of the city's transit and commercial corridors. As an independent city, Richmond administers zoning entirely on its own under Virginia's Dillon's Rule framework, with no county layer above it.

Richmond zoning districts by family

The 11 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Richmond, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the Richmond Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 3 districts
R-1	Single-Family Residential District	Lower-density single-family zoning.
R-6	Single-Family Residential District	More conventional urban single-family lot size.
R-4	Single-Family Residential District	Residential district in Richmond's numbered zoning series.
Mixed-use 3 districts
RO-1	Residential-Office District	Allows a mix of residential and small-scale office use.
RO-2	Residential-Office District	Higher-intensity tier of Richmond's Residential-Office district pairing.
TOD-1	Transit-Oriented Development District	District introduced under Richmond's ongoing zoning code rewrite to support density near transit corridors.
Commercial 3 districts
B-2	Community Business District	General commercial corridor zoning.
B-4	General Commercial District	General commercial corridor district.
OS	Office-Service District	City of Richmond Zoning Ordinance Ch.30 (July 2020 PDF, rva.gov): "DIVISION 27. OS OFFICE-SERVICE DISTRICT". Prior curated name "Open Space District" was wrong; family commercial happens to already be consistent with office-service use.
Industrial 2 districts
M-1	Light Industrial District	Light industrial and warehousing use.
M-2	Heavy Industrial District	Heavier industrial use.

Richmond zoning — common questions

Is Richmond rewriting its zoning code?: Yes. Richmond has been engaged in a comprehensive zoning rewrite, publicly called the Code Refresh initiative and driven by the Richmond 300 master plan, intended to replace much of the legacy Euclidean ordinance with a simpler, more form- and transit-oriented framework. Confirm with the Department of Planning and Development Review which version of the code governs a specific parcel.
What is Richmond's UMU zoning district?: Urban Mixed Use (UMU) is a district Richmond created to enable dense, walkable mixed-use redevelopment of formerly industrial land, most notably in the Scott's Addition neighborhood, which transformed from warehouses into apartments, breweries, and offices under this designation.
How do I find the zoning for a property in Richmond, Virginia?: The Department of Planning and Development Review maintains the Zoning Ordinance and official zoning map, with parcel-level lookups available through the city's GIS resources; because the code is actively being rewritten, verify current district status directly with the department.

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.

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