What does TR-U2 zoning mean in Madison?

TR-U2 is a Traditional Residential - Urban district under Madison's 2013 Chapter 28 rewrite, allowing higher-density housing including small multifamily buildings in established, walkable neighborhoods. It sits at the denser end of the Traditional Residential family compared to the TR-C (Consistent) subtypes.

How do I find the zoning for a Madison address?

Madison's Planning Division maintains an online interactive zoning map tied to the city's parcel data that returns the current Chapter 28 district for any address. The full Chapter 28 code text is published alongside it through DPCED.

Does Madison allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs)?

Yes — Madison permits accessory dwelling units in most residential districts under its Chapter 28 framework, subject to size and design standards specific to the district. Requirements vary somewhat between the Traditional Residential and Suburban Residential district families.

Madison, Wisconsin · city zoning districts · 15 districts

Madison, WI zoning map & districts

Madison completed a comprehensive rewrite of Chapter 28 in 2013, replacing its older Euclidean code with a district framework organized around building form and neighborhood context rather than use alone. Residential land is split between Traditional Residential (TR) districts, modeled on the city's pre-war grid neighborhoods, and Suburban Residential (SR) districts for postwar subdivisions; each family runs from lower-intensity "Consistent" (C) subtypes to higher-intensity "Urban" (U) or "Varied" (V) subtypes. Mixed-use land is handled through a graduated set of districts — Neighborhood Mixed-Use (NMX), Traditional Shopping Street (TSS), Commercial Center (CC), and Urban Mixed-Use (UMX) — with Downtown Core (DC) and Mixed-Use Center (MXC) districts covering the isthmus core.

The code Madison General Ordinances, Chapter 28 (Zoning Code)

Madison zoning map

Open the official Zoning Districts - current (City of Madison Open Data) — the official interactive map is the authoritative source for current district boundaries, not the summary on this page.

Madison's Planning Division publishes an interactive zoning map and the current Chapter 28 code text through the city's Department of Planning, Community and Economic Development.

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 Madison

Zoning is administered by the Planning Division within the Department of Planning, Community and Economic Development (DPCED), with the Plan Commission and Common Council acting on rezonings and conditional uses. The city has continued incremental upzoning near the isthmus and along transit corridors since the 2013 rewrite, and permits accessory dwelling units in most residential districts as part of that framework.

Madison zoning districts by family

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

Key districts in the Madison General Ordinances, Chapter 28 (Zoning Code) — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 5 districts
TR-C4	Traditional Residential - Consistent 4	Higher-intensity traditional-neighborhood single/two-family district.
TR-U1	Traditional Residential - Urban 1	Small-lot, mixed housing-type district in established urban neighborhoods.
TR-U2	Traditional Residential - Urban 2	Higher-density traditional-neighborhood district allowing small multifamily buildings.
SR-C2	Suburban Residential - Consistent 2	Standard postwar single-family subdivision district.
SR-V1	Suburban Residential - Varied 1	Suburban district allowing a mix of housing types beyond detached single-family.
Mixed-use 3 districts
NMX	Neighborhood Mixed-Use	Small-scale neighborhood commercial nodes with residential above.
TSS	Traditional Shopping Street	Walkable retail-corridor district with upper-floor residential or office.
UMX	Urban Mixed-Use	Mid-intensity mixed-use district along urban corridors.
Commercial 1 district
CC	Commercial Center	Larger-format commercial nodes and shopping centers.
Downtown / core 2 districts
DC	Downtown Core	Highest-intensity district covering Madison's downtown/isthmus core.
DR1	Downtown Residential 1	Downtown residential district adjacent to the core; confirmed live on the current zoning map (MXC is not).
Industrial 2 districts
IL	Industrial - Limited	Lighter industrial, flex, and office-warehouse uses.
EC	Employment Campus	Larger office/research and employment-park development.
Special purpose 2 districts
A	Agricultural District	Undeveloped or farmed land at the urban edge, pending future rezoning.
PD	Planned Development	Negotiated district for large or complex sites outside the standard district list.

Madison zoning — common questions

What does TR-U2 zoning mean in Madison?: TR-U2 is a Traditional Residential - Urban district under Madison's 2013 Chapter 28 rewrite, allowing higher-density housing including small multifamily buildings in established, walkable neighborhoods. It sits at the denser end of the Traditional Residential family compared to the TR-C (Consistent) subtypes.
How do I find the zoning for a Madison address?: Madison's Planning Division maintains an online interactive zoning map tied to the city's parcel data that returns the current Chapter 28 district for any address. The full Chapter 28 code text is published alongside it through DPCED.
Does Madison allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs)?: Yes — Madison permits accessory dwelling units in most residential districts under its Chapter 28 framework, subject to size and design standards specific to the district. Requirements vary somewhat between the Traditional Residential and Suburban Residential district families.

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

Keep reading

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

Other Wisconsin cities

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

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