What does R-20 zoning mean in Bellevue?

In Bellevue's density-based residential code, R-20 permits up to roughly 20 dwelling units per acre, a moderate-to-high multifamily density typically found near activity centers and light-rail stations rather than in single-family neighborhoods.

How do I find the zoning for a parcel in Bellevue?

Bellevue's Development Services Department publishes an online GIS zoning map searchable by address or parcel number, showing the current Land Use Code designation.

Can I build multifamily housing in the Bel-Red corridor?

Yes. The Bel-Red corridor was rezoned from light-industrial to mixed-use residential and office development to support growth around the East Link light-rail extension, and is one of Bellevue's primary areas for new multifamily construction.

Bellevue, Washington · city zoning districts · 15 districts

Bellevue, WA zoning map & districts

Bellevue's zoning is codified in the Bellevue Land Use Code and administered by the city's Development Services Department. Residential zones are labeled by allowed density — the number in each "R" designation denotes maximum dwelling units per acre — ranging from large-lot single-family neighborhoods through higher-density multifamily districts near light-rail stations. Commercial zoning ranges from small neighborhood-serving nodes to the intensively planned Downtown core, which is regulated with its own set of high-rise mixed-use standards distinct from the citywide commercial districts.

The code Bellevue Land Use Code

Bellevue zoning map

Bellevue's Development Services Department maintains an online interactive zoning map searchable by address; the code text is published as the Bellevue Land Use Code.

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

As the Eastside's largest tech-corridor city, Bellevue has directed much of its recent land-use planning toward the Bel-Red corridor, a former light-industrial area rezoned for mixed-use residential and office development around the East Link light-rail extension, alongside continued high-rise growth in Downtown Bellevue. Large single-family neighborhoods outside these growth areas remain subject to the state's 2023 middle-housing and ADU laws, which override the city's historic single-family-only restrictions on smaller lots.

Bellevue zoning districts by family

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

Key districts in the Bellevue Land Use Code — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 5 districts
SR-1	Single-Family Residential	Lowest-density tier of Bellevue's current (post-2025) single-family zoning ladder.
SR-4	Single-Family Residential	Higher-density single-family tier permitting smaller lots.
LDR-2	Low-Density Residential	Low-density residential district under Bellevue's current zoning code.
MDR-1	Medium-Density Residential	Medium-density multifamily residential district.
MUR-M	Multi-Use Residential (Medium)	Medium-intensity multi-use residential district.
Mixed-use 4 districts
MU-H	Mixed-Use (High)	High-intensity mixed-use district used in the Bel-Red corridor near light rail.
MU-M	Mixed-Use (Medium)	Medium-intensity mixed-use district.
BR-R	Bel-Red Residential	Residential district within the rezoned Bel-Red corridor.
BR-GC	Bel-Red General Commercial	General commercial district within the Bel-Red corridor.
Commercial 3 districts
CB	Community Business	Mid-scale commercial corridor district.
GC	General Commercial	Broader commercial uses along major arterials.
NB	Neighborhood Business	Small-scale, neighborhood-serving commercial district.
Downtown / core 2 districts
DT-MU	Downtown Mixed-Use	Core downtown Bellevue mixed-use, high-rise district.
UC	Urban Center	Designation covering Bellevue's most intensive core growth areas.
Industrial 1 district
LI	Light Industrial	Light industrial district.

Bellevue zoning — common questions

What does R-20 zoning mean in Bellevue?: In Bellevue's density-based residential code, R-20 permits up to roughly 20 dwelling units per acre, a moderate-to-high multifamily density typically found near activity centers and light-rail stations rather than in single-family neighborhoods.
How do I find the zoning for a parcel in Bellevue?: Bellevue's Development Services Department publishes an online GIS zoning map searchable by address or parcel number, showing the current Land Use Code designation.
Can I build multifamily housing in the Bel-Red corridor?: Yes. The Bel-Red corridor was rezoned from light-industrial to mixed-use residential and office development to support growth around the East Link light-rail extension, and is one of Bellevue's primary areas for new multifamily construction.

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

Keep reading

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

Other Washington cities

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

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