What does RMF zoning mean in Spokane?

RMF (Residential Multi-Family) allows apartment-scale, higher-density multifamily development, in contrast to the lower-density RSF (single-family) and RTF (two-family) residential zones.

How do I check zoning for a property in Spokane?

Spokane's online GIS zoning map viewer lets you search by address or parcel number and returns the current zoning designation along with the comprehensive plan land-use category.

Does Spokane allow duplexes on single-family lots?

Yes. Spokane extended middle-housing allowances — duplexes and, in many cases, more units — into former single-family zones, in several respects ahead of statewide HB 1110 compliance deadlines.

Spokane, Washington · city zoning districts · 15 districts

Spokane, WA zoning map & districts

Spokane's zoning is set out in Spokane Municipal Code Title 17C (Land Use Standards) and administered by the city's Planning Services division. The code organizes growth around a "Centers and Corridors" strategy adopted with the city's comprehensive plan, concentrating higher-density and mixed-use development along designated arterial corridors and neighborhood or town centers while keeping lower-density residential zoning across most of the city's interior neighborhoods.

The code Spokane Zoning Ordinance

Spokane zoning map

The City of Spokane's online GIS parcel and zoning map viewer, maintained by Planning Services, shows the current zone for any address; the code text is published as SMC Title 17C.

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

Spokane has been an active adopter of the state's middle-housing requirements, extending duplex-through-sixplex allowances into former single-family zones ahead of some HB 1110 compliance deadlines. Industrial land use remains significant along the BNSF/Union Pacific rail corridors through the city and in the West Plains area near Spokane International Airport, reflecting Spokane's historical role as the rail and manufacturing hub for the Inland Northwest.

Spokane zoning districts by family

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

Key districts in the Spokane Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 4 districts
R1	Low Density Residential	Spokane's base detached single-family district under the current Title 17C code.
R2	Low Density Residential	Second low-density residential tier.
RHD	High Density Residential	Higher-density multifamily residential district.
RMF	Medium Density Residential	Apartment-scale multifamily district.
Mixed-use 2 districts
CC1	Center and Corridor 1	Lower-intensity node in Spokane's Centers and Corridors mixed-use series.
CC2	Center and Corridor 2	Mid-intensity node in the Centers and Corridors mixed-use series.
Commercial 4 districts
O	Office	Office district buffering residential and commercial areas.
OR	Office Residential	Transitional office/residential district.
NR	Neighborhood Retail	Small-scale, walkable commercial nodes serving surrounding neighborhoods.
CB	Community Business	Commercial corridor district along designated arterials.
Downtown / core 2 districts
DTC	Downtown Core	Spokane's most intensive downtown district.
DTG	Downtown General	General downtown district surrounding the core.
Industrial 2 districts
LI	Light Industrial	Warehousing, light manufacturing, and distribution uses.
HI	Heavy Industrial	Rail- and freight-dependent heavy manufacturing along rail corridors and West Plains.
Special purpose 1 district
RA	Residential Agricultural	Low-density rural-residential/agricultural district at the city's edge.

Spokane zoning — common questions

What does RMF zoning mean in Spokane?: RMF (Residential Multi-Family) allows apartment-scale, higher-density multifamily development, in contrast to the lower-density RSF (single-family) and RTF (two-family) residential zones.
How do I check zoning for a property in Spokane?: Spokane's online GIS zoning map viewer lets you search by address or parcel number and returns the current zoning designation along with the comprehensive plan land-use category.
Does Spokane allow duplexes on single-family lots?: Yes. Spokane extended middle-housing allowances — duplexes and, in many cases, more units — into former single-family zones, in several respects ahead of statewide HB 1110 compliance deadlines.

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.

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