Zoning › California › Orange County › Anaheim

Anaheim, CA Zoning

Hybrid-zoning. 11 districts · 5 overlays · 7 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
hybrid
Naming convention
conventional

Anaheim Title 18 is predominantly Euclidean (RS, RM, CO, CG, CR, IL, IG base districts with conventional dimensional standards) but carries two large-footprint specific plans with form-based sub-regimes: (1) Platinum Triangle Specific Plan (§18.20) — form-based mixed-use with building-type tables and FAR/density per sub-district; (2) Disneyland Resort Specific Plan / SP 92-1 (§18.114) with adjacent Anaheim Resort / C-R Overlay (§18.116) — entertainment-hospitality specific standards. Naming is conventional (RS-1/2/3, RM-1/2/3; CO/CG/CR; IL/IG) — number is a density/intensity suffix in residential (higher = denser) and a use-type suffix in commercial/industrial (not inverse). Two Disneyland-adjacent PSAs (DRSP §18.114 + Anaheim Resort §18.116) require careful disambiguation: DRSP covers the 490-acre theme-park core (Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney, GardenWalk); Anaheim Resort Specific Plan governs the surrounding ~1,078-acre hotel/commercial-recreation district ringing the resort core (Katella Ave, Harbor Blvd, Convention Way).

Worth knowing
  • Two Disneyland-adjacent PSAs: Disneyland Resort Specific Plan (SP 92-1, §18.114, ~490 ac) and Anaheim Resort Specific Plan / C-R Overlay (§18.116, ~1,078 ac surrounding ring). Together ~1,568 acres. Both supersede base zoning and require specific-plan-level review. DisneylandForward amendments (2024) updated §18.114 heights up to 170 ft in Theme Park District.
  • Platinum Triangle Specific Plan (§18.20, ~820 acres around Honda Center + Angel Stadium + ARTIC) is a major TOD/urban-center redevelopment zone with form-based code (Table 20-F building types), mixed-use density 8–25 DU/acre, height 75–165 ft, and is the single largest AB 2097 transit-parking-waiver footprint in the city (ARTIC is a clearly qualifying major transit stop).
  • Commercial zone heights tier based on distance from single-family zones (1–6 stories / 20–75 ft depending on 20–150+ ft proximity to SF zones) per §18.08.050 — a less-common height-scaling rule.

+ 6 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_sf 3res_mf 3com 2ind 2off 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
RS-1RS-1 Single-Family Residentialres_sf10,000 sf[4]25 ft[5]0.5[6]0.5[7]4.4[8]2[9]30[1] / 5[2] / 20[3]
RS-2RS-2 Single-Family Residentialres_sf7,200 sf[13]25 ft[14]0.5[15]0.5[16]6.2[17]2[18]20[10] / 5[11] / 20[12]
RS-3RS-3 Single-Family Residentialres_sf5,000 sf[22]25 ft[23]0.5[24]0.5[25]8.7[26]2[27]20[19] / 5[20] / 20[21]
RM-1RM-1 Multiple-Family Residentialres_mf—45 ft[31]0.6[32]1.2[33]13[34]1.5[35]20[28] / 10[29] / 15[30]
RM-2RM-2 Multiple-Family Residentialres_mf—50 ft[39]0.65[40]1.45[41]14.5[42]1.5[43]20[36] / 10[37] / 15[38]
RM-3RM-3 Multiple-Family Residentialres_mf—55 ft[47]0.7[48]1.8[49]18.1[50]1.5[51]20[44] / 10[45] / 15[46]
COCO Commercial Officeoff—[55]60 ft[56]0.7[57]1.5[58]—0[59]15[52] / 10[53] / 15[54]
CGCG Commercial Generalcom—[63]45 ft[64]0.75[65]1[66]—0[67]15[60] / 10[61] / 15[62]
CRCR Commercial Recreationcom—[71]75 ft[72]0.75[73]1.25[74]—0.01[75]20[68] / 15[69] / 20[70]
ILIL Light Industrialind10,000 sf[79]45 ft[80]0.6[81]0.75[82]—0[83]25[76] / 15[77] / 20[78]
IGIG General Industrialind15,000 sf[87]50 ft[88]0.6[89]0.8[90]—0[91]30[84] / 20[85] / 25[86]

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

PTSP
Platinum Triangle Specific Plan
TOD
§18.20 · Anaheim Municipal Code §18.20 — Platinum Triangle Mixed Use (PTMU) Overlay; Platinum Triangle Master Land Use Plan

~820 acres around Honda Center and Angel Stadium; adjacent to I-5/SR-57 interchange

height_ft75–165 feet[92]
far_industrial0.5[93]
du_per_acre8–25 DU/acre[94]
min_density_du_acre8[95]
lot_coverage—[96]
parkingReduced minimums[97]
DRSP
Disneyland Resort Specific Plan (SP 92-1)
SPD
§18.114 (SP 92-1) · Anaheim Municipal Code §18.114 — Disneyland Resort Specific Plan No. 92-1; DisneylandForward Amendments (2024, Anaheim City Council Approval)

~490 acres; Theme Park District, Parking District, Southeast District, District A, plus C-R Overlay and GardenWalk Overlay

height_ft_theme_park75–190 feet[98]
height_ft_southeast115–190 feet[99]
height_ft_max_disneylandforward_2024170[100]
far—[101]
setbacks—[102]
parkingSpecific requirement tables[103]
ARSP
Anaheim Resort Specific Plan (C-R Overlay)
SPD
§18.116 · Anaheim Municipal Code §18.116 — Anaheim Resort Specific Plan No. 92-2 (Commercial Recreation Overlay)

~1,078 acres surrounding Disneyland Resort core; dominated by hotels, convention/conference facilities, restaurants, and tourist-serving commercial recreation uses

height_ft_anaheim_resort75–190 feet[104]
far_commercial—[105]
setbacks20 ft front / 15 ft side / 20 ft rear (typical)[106]
parking1 space/200 sq ft entertainment, hotel-specific ratios[107]
allowed_useshotel, restaurant, retail, entertainment, conference/convention, specialty commercial[108]
AIZ
Airport Influence Zone (John Wayne Airport / Fullerton Municipal)
AP
Orange County ALUC; Anaheim Title 18 compliance; FAA Part 77 · Orange County AELUP (John Wayne Airport); 14 CFR Part 77; Anaheim Municipal Code provisions referencing ALUC compliance

Properties within John Wayne Airport (SNA) influence area in south Anaheim; Fullerton Municipal (FUL) approach surfaces affect north/west Anaheim parcels

height_ft35–150 feet
noise_zones_dnl55–75 dB
incompatible_uses_dnl_75_plus1
sensitive_uses_prohibited_dnl_65_plus1
federal_part_77_layer1
HP
Historic Preservation (Anaheim Colony Historic District)
HP
Anaheim Municipal Code Chapter 18.xx historic designation / Anaheim Colony Historic District designation · Anaheim Municipal Code historic preservation provisions; Anaheim Colony Historic District designation

Anaheim Colony Historic District (original 1857 colony area) and other locally designated historic areas

certificate_of_appropriateness1
geographic_areaAnaheim Colony Historic District — original 1857 colony square bounded by North/South/East/West Sts (roughly)

State preemptions

CA-ADU-GC§66411.7-66411.8applies
Qualifying condition
All CA cities must permit ADUs by-right on all residential and mixed-use parcels. Anaheim implements via Ordinance 6483 (effective 2022) — allows one ADU + one JADU on SF lots (RS-1, RS-2, RS-3) and ADUs on multifamily lots (RM-1/2/3). Disneyland Resort (§18.114) and Anaheim Resort (§18.116) specific-plan areas do NOT permit residential as a primary use, so ADU by-right does not attach to those commercial-recreation parcels (but does attach to any residentially-zoned parcel statewide).
CA-SB9-GC§65852.21-66411.7applies
Qualifying condition
Anaheim is a CA charter city (charter adopted 1870/ratified 1888) with R-S single-family districts (RS-1, RS-2, RS-3). SB 9 applies per-parcel conditional on exclusions. Anaheim contains: FEMA SFHA along Santa Ana River corridor (excludes specific parcels); no CalFire VHFHSZ intersection (urban Orange County, not a WUI city); no coastal zone (inland); Anaheim Colony Historic District excludes those downtown parcels from SB 9 lot-split per GC §65852.21(a)(2); AELUP airport environs (south Anaheim, near SNA / John Wayne) may add noise-compatibility layers but do not per se exclude SB 9. Per Court of Appeal AIDS Healthcare line, SB 9 applies to charter cities for residential land use.
CA-DensityBonus-GC§65915applies
Qualifying condition
Anaheim's RM-1/RM-2/RM-3 multifamily districts and the mixed-use Platinum Triangle Specific Plan (§18.20) are subject to state density bonus. Residential projects meeting affordability thresholds qualify for 20%–80% density bonuses plus parking reductions and concessions/waivers. AB 1287 (2023) stacking up to 100% bonus applies. Density bonus cannot be denied where thresholds are met. Disneyland/Anaheim Resort SPAs (§18.114/§18.116) do not have base residential densities so do not directly receive density bonus, but Platinum Triangle PTSP does.
CA-AB2097-GC§65863.2applies
Qualifying condition
Anaheim has qualifying major transit stops: (1) Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) at 2626 E Katella Ave — serves Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink Orange County Line + Inland Empire–OC Line + 91 Line, OCTA bus; clearly qualifies as major transit stop under PRC §21064.3; (2) Anaheim Metrolink Station (historic, at 2150 E Katella) subsumed by ARTIC; (3) OCTA bus intersections with 15-min peak frequency on Harbor Blvd, Katella Ave, Lincoln Ave, State College Blvd corridors. ½-mile buffer around ARTIC covers much of Platinum Triangle, significant portions of the Anaheim Resort Specific Plan area, and adjacent Honda Center / Angel Stadium blocks.
CA-SB423-GC§65913.4applies
Qualifying condition
SB 423 tier (exempt / 10% / 50%) is set by CA HCD based on jurisdiction's RHNA progress in Annual Progress Reports (APRs). Anaheim's 6th-cycle RHNA (SCAG region, 2021–2029) is 17,453 units (source: SCAG 6th Cycle RHNA Allocation). SCAG's 6th-cycle runs 2021-10-15 through 2029-10-15. HCD SB 35/423 Determination dataset identifies tier per-city and is updated annually from APRs. HCD tier determination JS-rendered dashboard retrieval blocked on this pass; cannot confirm current tier (exempt / 10% / 50%) without direct HCD query. Anaheim's Housing Element for 6th cycle was adopted and received HCD conditional compliance — tier likely 10% or 50%, pending APR review.
Retrieval issue
HCD SB 35/423 Determination dashboard is JS-rendered and not accessible via scripted fetch within this specialist pass. Live query of https://www.hcd.ca.gov/planning-and-community-development/statewide-housing-plan-and-rhna/sb-35-determinations required.
CA-AB2011-GC§65912.100applies
Qualifying condition
Anaheim has substantial commercial corridors qualifying under AB 2011 including: Harbor Blvd, Katella Ave, Lincoln Ave, Beach Blvd (west city), Ball Rd, State College Blvd, La Palma Ave, Magnolia Ave, Brookhurst St, Euclid St. All contain commercial zoning (CG/CO/CR) fronting significant ROW widths. 100% affordable projects qualify on any commercial parcel; mixed-income projects qualify on corridor parcels meeting AB 2011 corridor criteria (>70 ft ROW, major urban arterial). Disneyland Resort (§18.114) and Anaheim Resort (§18.116) specific plans override base commercial zoning in those footprints — AB 2011 application to parcels inside SP boundaries requires careful analysis of whether specific-plan is 'base zoning' for §65912.100 purposes.
CA-BuildersRemedy-GC§65589.5(d)(5)applies
Qualifying condition
Builder's Remedy activates when city Housing Element is NOT certified by HCD. Anaheim's 6th-cycle Housing Element was adopted by City Council; HCD certification status requires query of HCD Housing Element Compliance Report (weekly-updated). Dashboard is JS-rendered and retrieval blocked this pass. As of prior public reporting (2024), Anaheim's Housing Element received HCD conditional approval pending revisions; re-certification after revisions was in progress. Per AB 1893 (2024), additional procedural requirements apply and the Builder's Remedy pathway was tightened (project cap of 20% affordable required for standard BR; 100%/low-income projects retain full BR).
Retrieval issue
HCD Housing Element Compliance Report is JS-rendered. Live query of https://www.hcd.ca.gov/planning-and-community-development/housing-open-data-tools/housing-element-implementation-and-apr-dashboard required for current compliance status.
Non-applicable laws (1)
CA-SB10-GC§65913.5not_applicable
Qualifying condition
SB 10 is opt-in local authorization, not a state preemption. Anaheim has not adopted an SB 10 resolution per review of recent City Council ordinances/resolutions. Recent Anaheim rezones (Platinum Triangle expansions, etc.) proceeded under the standard rezone process, not SB 10. No SB 10 resolution on file.

Adopted building codes

Statewide mandatory minimum

IBC
2024 CBC
IRC
2024 CRC
NEC
2023
IFC
2024
IECC (Residential)
2024 CALGreen
IECC (Commercial)
2024 CALGreen

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Quirks & notes

  • Two Disneyland-adjacent PSAs: Disneyland Resort Specific Plan (SP 92-1, §18.114, ~490 ac) and Anaheim Resort Specific Plan / C-R Overlay (§18.116, ~1,078 ac surrounding ring). Together ~1,568 acres. Both supersede base zoning and require specific-plan-level review. DisneylandForward amendments (2024) updated §18.114 heights up to 170 ft in Theme Park District.
  • Platinum Triangle Specific Plan (§18.20, ~820 acres around Honda Center + Angel Stadium + ARTIC) is a major TOD/urban-center redevelopment zone with form-based code (Table 20-F building types), mixed-use density 8–25 DU/acre, height 75–165 ft, and is the single largest AB 2097 transit-parking-waiver footprint in the city (ARTIC is a clearly qualifying major transit stop).
  • Commercial zone heights tier based on distance from single-family zones (1–6 stories / 20–75 ft depending on 20–150+ ft proximity to SF zones) per §18.08.050 — a less-common height-scaling rule.
  • AB 2097 Transit Zones eliminate parking minimums within ½ mi of ARTIC + Metrolink hub (Katella Ave) and OCTA 15-min bus intersections on Harbor Blvd, Katella Ave, Lincoln Ave, State College Blvd — affects large portions of central Anaheim, Platinum Triangle, and the Anaheim Resort area.
  • Anaheim is a CA charter city (charter adopted 1870/ratified 1888) — SB 9 still applies (residential land use) but certain SB 423/other procedural defaults may differ for charter cities; re-check at parcel level.
  • Anaheim Colony Historic District excludes historic-district parcels from SB 9 lot-split eligibility (per GC §65852.21(a)(2)) and requires Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior modifications.
  • Airport overlay: John Wayne Airport (SNA) AELUP governs south Anaheim; Fullerton Municipal (FUL) Part 77 surfaces partially intersect northwest Anaheim. No DoD AICUZ applies (nearest military installation contours do not extend into Anaheim). Federal FAA Part 77 is the operative federal height preemption.
  • Height restrictions exclude fences, walls (6 ft max), antennas per §18.04.070 definitional language.
  • Disneyland Resort (§18.114) and Anaheim Resort (§18.116) SPAs do not permit residential as a primary use, creating a carve-out where CA ADU by-right (GC §66411.7) and density bonus do not directly apply (because there is no base residential density), though AB 2011 and Builder's Remedy can still overlay on commercial parcels.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Measured to roof line or highest point of structure; excludes fences, walls (6 ft max), antennas
lot_coverage
Percentage of lot area covered by buildings (excludes parking, landscaping, open space)
du_per_acre
Dwelling units per acre calculated from minimum site area per unit divided into 43,560 sf/acre

Capacity calculations

max_du_sf
1 / min_site_area_per_du * 43560
max_units_from_lot
lot_area_sf / min_site_area_per_du

Massing explorer

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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
Anaheim Municipal Code, Title 18 — Zoning
Current amLegal supplement as of research date; individual chapters reference last amending ordinance (e.g., DisneylandForward amendments 2024 for §18.114) · retrieved 2026-04-19
Citations
  1. [1] §18.04.100
  2. [2] §18.04.100
  3. [3] §18.04.100
  4. [4] §18.04.020
  5. [5] §18.04.070
  6. [6] §18.04
  7. [7] §18.04
  8. [8] i§18.04.020
  9. [9] §18.42.030
  10. [10] §18.04.100
  11. [11] §18.04.100
  12. [12] §18.04.100
  13. [13] §18.04.020
  14. [14] §18.04.070
  15. [15] §18.04
  16. [16] §18.04
  17. [17] i§18.04.020
  18. [18] §18.42.030
  19. [19] §18.04.100
  20. [20] §18.04.100
  21. [21] §18.04.100
  22. [22] §18.04.020
  23. [23] §18.04.070
  24. [24] §18.04
  25. [25] §18.04
  26. [26] i§18.04.020
  27. [27] §18.42.030
  28. [28] §18.06.090
  29. [29] §18.06.090
  30. [30] §18.06.090
  31. [31] i§18.06.070
  32. [32] i§18.06
  33. [33] §18.06
  34. [34] §18.06.020
  35. [35] §18.42.030
  36. [36] §18.06.090
  37. [37] §18.06.090
  38. [38] §18.06.090
  39. [39] i§18.06.070
  40. [40] i§18.06
  41. [41] §18.06
  42. [42] §18.06.020
  43. [43] §18.42.030
  44. [44] §18.06.090
  45. [45] §18.06.090
  46. [46] §18.06.090
  47. [47] i§18.06.070
  48. [48] i§18.06
  49. [49] §18.06
  50. [50] §18.06.020
  51. [51] §18.42.030
  52. [52] §18.08.060
  53. [53] §18.08.060
  54. [54] §18.08.060
  55. [55] §18.08
  56. [56] §18.08.050
  57. [57] §18.08
  58. [58] §18.08.045
  59. [59] §18.42.040
  60. [60] §18.08.060
  61. [61] §18.08.060
  62. [62] §18.08.060
  63. [63] §18.08
  64. [64] §18.08.050
  65. [65] §18.08
  66. [66] §18.08.045
  67. [67] §18.42.040
  68. [68] §18.116
  69. [69] §18.116
  70. [70] §18.116
  71. [71] §18.08
  72. [72] §18.116
  73. [73] §18.116
  74. [74] §18.08.045
  75. [75] §18.42.040
  76. [76] §18.10.060
  77. [77] §18.10.060
  78. [78] §18.10.060
  79. [79] §18.10
  80. [80] §18.10.050
  81. [81] §18.10
  82. [82] §18.10
  83. [83] §18.42
  84. [84] §18.10.060
  85. [85] §18.10.060
  86. [86] §18.10.060
  87. [87] §18.10
  88. [88] §18.10.050
  89. [89] §18.10
  90. [90] §18.10
  91. [91] §18.42
  92. [92] §18.20
  93. [93] §18.20
  94. [94] §18.20
  95. [95] §18.20
  96. [96] §18.20
  97. [97] §18.20
  98. [98] §18.114
  99. [99] §18.114
  100. [100] §18.114
  101. [101] §18.114
  102. [102] §18.114
  103. [103] §18.114
  104. [104] §18.116
  105. [105] §18.116
  106. [106] §18.116
  107. [107] §18.42.040
  108. [108] §18.116

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedsource.primary_url = https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/anaheim/latest/anaheim_ca/0-0-0-65497 — canonical amLegal codified source; not an aggregator domain; fallback_url = https://www.anaheim.net/191/Planning (city Planning Department portal).
no aggregator citedpassedFull profile scanned: all citations point to Anaheim Municipal Code §-references, CA Government Code sections, federal CFR references, and city/state/federal government domains. No Zoneomics, Steadily, SitePlanGuide, SitePlanCreator, Propwire, Zonara, or Unzoned references.
confidence tags full formpassedAll confirmed claims carry c§X.XX.XXX form (e.g., c§18.04.020, c§18.04.070, c§18.04.100, c§18.06.020, c§18.08.050, c§18.08.045, c§18.20, c§18.114, c§18.116, c§18.42.030, c§18.42.040). Partial claims carry p§X.XX form; inferred claims carry i§ with explicit note. Preemption entries cite GC §X and federal CFR references explicitly.
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed5/5 overlays have non-empty params object (≥2 keys each), explicit geographic_trigger string, status, and citation. 5/5 status=confirmed. The two Disneyland-adjacent PSAs (DRSP §18.114 and Anaheim Resort §18.116) are both populated with distinct geographic_trigger, height ranges, and interactions with base districts.
preempt section city specificpassedstate_preemptions_applicable[] contains 8 per-law CA entries (ADU, SB 9, Density Bonus, AB 2097, SB 423, AB 2011, Builder's Remedy, SB 10). Each carries qualifying_condition_checked narrative specific to Anaheim (ARTIC transit hub, two Disneyland-adjacent PSAs, Anaheim Colony Historic District, Santa Ana River SFHA, charter-city status, SCAG 6th-cycle RHNA, SNA airport environs). SB 423 and Builder's Remedy marked under_review with retrieval_failure_reason narratives (HCD JS-rendered dashboards) per paired-field discipline.

Data quality

72%completeness36 confirmed24 partial18 inferred
Documented gaps
  • Minimum lot sizes for CO, CG, CR districts not extracted from code tables
  • Setback details for RM-1/2/3 and all commercial districts require direct Schedule review (§18.06.090, §18.08.060 tables)
  • Lot coverage percentages for most districts partially inferred from typical standards rather than confirmed from code tables
  • FAR values for Platinum Triangle mixed-use, DRSP (§18.114), and Anaheim Resort (§18.116) not fully extracted; vary by building type and district per specific-plan dimensional tables
  • SB 423 tier and Builder's Remedy Housing Element compliance status are `under_review` pending HCD JS-rendered dashboard retrieval

Known issues

cohort:needs-dom-retrievalfreshness:volatileblocker:hcd-ca-govdata:gaps-present

Verification

last_verified_at2026-04-19T00:00:00Z
verifier_specialist09-verification-pass
verifier_version1.0
verification_resultpassed
atomic_claims_checked48
atomic_claims_passed46
atomic_claims_failed0
atomic_claims_under_review2
failed_claims
under_review_claimsstate_preemptions_applicable[CA-SB423].applies — HCD tier dashboard retrieval blocked; state_preemptions_applicable[CA-BuildersRemedy].applies — HCD compliance report dashboard retrieval blocked
narrative_refnarratives/anaheim-ca/fleet-20260419T073130-b2-14.json

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