Overview
Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
alpha-suffix
Long Beach uses a 4-letter suffix system (N=Standard, S=Small, M=Moderate, L=Large, A=Accessory, I=Intensified, T=Townhouse, R=Restricted-height) appended to residential base districts (R-1-N, R-1-S, R-1-M, R-1-L, R-2-N, R-2-A, R-2-I, R-2-S, R-3, R-3-4, R-3-T, R-4, R-4-R, RP). Encoded lot-scale/intensity is unique among CA cities studied. RP-12 / RP-18 encode density numerically in the designation. Port of Long Beach Harbor District operates as a distinct zoning overlay administered through the Harbor Department.
Worth knowing
- 4-letter suffix system (N, S, M, L, A, I, T, R) encoding lot scale and development intensity directly in the district designation. No other CA city in this study uses this system. c§21.31.020
- R-2-A 'Accessory' zone — one unit restricted to accessory unit; predates state ADU law but achieves similar goals. State ADU law now provides broader preemption than R-2-A's original design. c§21.31.020
- R-2-I near public open space — density increase offset by park access; detached accessory buildings prohibited. c§21.31.020
+ 11 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_sf 8res_mf 5res_th 2
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-1-L | Single-Family Large | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-1-N | Single-Family Standard | res_sf | — | 28 ft[4] | 0.5[5] | — | — | — | 20[1] / 5[2] / 20[3] |
| R-1-M | Single-Family Moderate | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-1-T | Single-Family Townhouse | res_th | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-1-S | Single-Family Small | res_sf | — | — | 0.6[9] | — | — | — | 15[6] / 3[7] / 15[8] |
| R-2-N | Two-Family Standard | res_sf | — | — | 0.55[13] | — | — | — | 20[10] / 5[11] / 20[12] |
| R-2-A | Two-Family Accessory | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-2-I | Two-Family Intensified | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-2-S | Two-Family Small | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-3 | Multi-Family | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17[14] / 7[15] / 15[16] |
| R-3-4 | Four-Family | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-3-T | Townhouse Transition | res_th | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-4 | Multi-Family | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17[17] / 7[18] / 15[19] |
| R-4-R | Multi-Family Restricted Height | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RP | Residential Planned Unit Development | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
CZ
Coastal Zone
ENVHarbor
Port of Long Beach (Harbor District)
SPDOG
Oil and Gas Overlay (Petroleum)
SPDFZ
Flood Hazard / Stormwater
FPPD-30
Downtown Plan Area
PDHD
Historic Districts / Cultural Heritage
HISTAA
Airport Influence Area (Long Beach Airport)
AICUZState preemptions
CA-ADU-GC§66411.7-66411.8applies
Qualifying condition
All CA cities. Long Beach's R-1 variants (R-1-N, R-1-S, R-1-M, R-1-L, R-1-T), R-2 variants, R-3, R-3-T, R-4, R-4-R, and RP districts must permit ADUs by-right per state law. Long Beach implements via LBMC §21.45 ADU provisions. Coastal Zone parcels still require CDP but cannot be denied ADU by-right ministerial status beyond CDP review.
CA-SB9-GC§65852.21-66411.7applies
Qualifying condition
Long Beach is a CA charter city. SB 9 applies per-parcel conditional on exclusions. Long Beach has significant SB 9 exclusions: (1) Coastal Zone covers Belmont Shore, Peninsula, Naples, Alamitos Bay, Downtown shoreline, and West Long Beach beach-adjacent areas — SB 9 does not apply within Coastal Zone per GC §65852.21(a)(2)(B); (2) designated historic districts (Willmore City, California Heights, Bluff Heights, Bembridge, Carroll Park, Rose Park, Drake Park, etc.) are excluded per GC §65852.21(a)(2)(C); (3) FEMA SFHA along LA River / San Gabriel River corridors per-parcel exclusion; (4) no CalFire VHFHSZ (city is low-fire-hazard coastal plain).
CA-DensityBonus-GC§65915applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide. Applies to any Long Beach project meeting affordability thresholds (5% VLI, 10% LI, 10% moderate for-sale, or 100% affordable). AB 1287 (2023) allows stacking to achieve up to 100% density bonus. Applies in R-3, R-3-T, R-4, R-4-R, RP residential components + any mixed-use PD-30 Downtown component.
CA-AB2097applies
Qualifying condition
Long Beach is served by LA Metro A Line (renamed from Blue Line in the November 2019 / 2020 Metro rail letter-designation rebranding — see Wave 1 Compton finding where the obsolete 'Blue Line / Green Line' names were corrected; Long Beach profile uses current 'A Line' terminology). A Line runs from Downtown Long Beach (southern terminus at Downtown Long Beach Station / 1st St) north to APU/Citrus College in Azusa, passing through Willow, PCH, Anaheim St, 5th St, 1st St stations in Long Beach. Qualifying A Line stations (all 5 in Long Beach: Willow, Pacific Coast Hwy, Anaheim St, 5th St, Downtown Long Beach) are 'major transit stops' under PRC §21064.3. Long Beach Transit bus network adds qualifying 15-min peak-headway corridors along Atlantic Ave, Pacific Ave, Long Beach Blvd, 7th St, Anaheim St. Parcels within ½ mile of any qualifying stop are AB 2097 eligible. Long Beach Airport (KLGB) is not a major transit stop.
CA-SB423-GC§65913.4applies
Qualifying condition
SB 423 applies to sites zoned residential or mixed-use in cities not meeting RHNA (or HCD-non-compliant). Long Beach is under 6th-cycle RHNA (2021–2029, SCAG region, allocation 26,502 units). Whether Long Beach is SB 423-eligible at the 10% or 50% affordability trigger depends on HCD's Annual Progress Report determination. Applies to R-3, R-3-T, R-4, R-4-R, RP, and mixed-use PD-30 parcels. Coastal Zone parcels are excluded; VHFHSZ N/A; historic district parcels excluded; sites with recent tenant displacement excluded.
Retrieval issue
HCD APR dashboard is JS-rendered and not fetchable within budget. Long Beach 6th-cycle RHNA of 26,502 units is aggressive; APR progress should be checked per project.
CA-AB2011-GC§65912.100applies
Qualifying condition
Long Beach has commercially-zoned parcels along defined corridors (Long Beach Blvd, Atlantic Ave, Pacific Coast Hwy, Anaheim St, 7th St, Bellflower Blvd, Spring St, Willow St, Atlantic Ave) that qualify as 'commercial corridors' under AB 2011. 100% affordable projects by-right on any commercial site; mixed-income by-right on corridor sites (excluding industrial-only and office-only zones, with minimum density not less than jurisdiction's default).
CA-BuildersRemedy-GC§65589.5(d)(5)applies
Qualifying condition
Long Beach adopted its 6th-cycle Housing Element (2021–2029) for SCAG region. HCD certification status must be verified on HCD's Housing Element Compliance Report dashboard. If non-certified at time of project submission, Builder's Remedy is live — developers may propose ≥20% LI affordable or 100% moderate-income projects that bypass all local zoning. AB 1893 (2024) codified procedural requirements.
Retrieval issue
HCD compliance dashboard is JS-rendered and was not fetched within budget. Long Beach is a charter city with aggressive 26,502-unit RHNA; track APR status per project.
Non-applicable laws (1)
CA-SB10not_applicable
Qualifying condition
SB 10 is permissive — it authorizes but does not require cities to zone up to 10 units/parcel near transit or urban infill via simple resolution (CEQA-exempt). No evidence Long Beach has adopted an SB 10 resolution; Title 21 contains no SB 10-adoption reference. City Council has relied on standard rezone + Housing Element update cycle.
Adopted building codes
Statewide mandatory minimum
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- 4-letter suffix system (N, S, M, L, A, I, T, R) encoding lot scale and development intensity directly in the district designation. No other CA city in this study uses this system. c§21.31.020
- R-2-A 'Accessory' zone — one unit restricted to accessory unit; predates state ADU law but achieves similar goals. State ADU law now provides broader preemption than R-2-A's original design. c§21.31.020
- R-2-I near public open space — density increase offset by park access; detached accessory buildings prohibited. c§21.31.020
- R-3-T commercial-to-residential transition zone — lot-line-to-lot-line, high coverage, inward-oriented urban form. Explicitly characterized as appropriate 'in areas in transition from commercial to residential use' — unusual for a residential district. c§21.31.020
- R-4-R restricted height for MF near older/lower-density areas; 'R' suffix signals height restriction. c§21.31.020
- RP density baked into zone designation number (RP-12, RP-18 = DU/ac) rather than Table lookup. c§21.31.020
- R-1-L garage 50 ft setback from street — as far as the front of many houses on smaller lots. c§21.31.245
- 84 ft continuous wall rule for MF buildings — max wall length without ≥10 ft recess. Linear articulation rule distinct from FAR/coverage controls. c§21.31.215
- Wilmington Oil Field petroleum overlay citywide — one of the largest onshore oil fields in the US. Routine Phase I ESA and methane mitigation required. Citywide condition, not site-specific. c§21.55
- R-1-S and R-1-M both prohibit detached accessory buildings — R-1-M prohibition (despite 'moderate' size) reflects odd/shaped parcel design philosophy. c§21.31.245
- Zero lot line in three districts (R-1-M, R-1-T, R-3-T) — opposite side ≥ 2× required; adjacent structure ≥ 8 ft. c§21.31.215
- Port of Long Beach Harbor District is governed by Board of Harbor Commissioners, NOT City Planning. Title 21 does not apply to Port parcels; Port Master Plan certified by CA Coastal Commission governs. Unique city-within-a-city zoning structure.
- Coastal Zone covers much of South/West Long Beach — adds 4-8 week CDP review and Coastal Commission appeal jurisdiction. Also excludes those parcels from SB 9. c§21.54
- LA Metro A Line (renamed from Blue Line in the 2019/2020 Metro letter-designation system) terminates at Downtown Long Beach — 5 stations in the city (Willow, PCH, Anaheim St, 5th St, Downtown Long Beach). Makes downtown and A Line spine corridors fully AB 2097-eligible (no parking minimums).
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Measured from grade to highest point of structure per §21.31
- lot_coverage
- Building footprint / lot area. Includes principal + accessory structures.
- far
- du_ac
- Dwelling units per gross acre.
- impervious_cover
- setback_front
- Front property line to nearest building face per §21.31.215
- setback_side
- Side property line to nearest building face per §21.31.215
- setback_rear
- Rear property line to nearest building face per §21.31.215
- parking
- Spaces per dwelling unit unless noted; non-residential per §21.41
- zero_side_yard
- Permitted in R-1-M, R-1-T, R-3-T per §21.31.215; opposite side yard ≥ 2× required individual side yard; adjacent structure ≥ 8 ft from zero lot line.
- continuous_wall
- Max 84 ft continuous MF wall without ≥10 ft recess (10 ft each dimension) per §21.31.215
Capacity calculations
- max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage- max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far- max_units_from_density
lot_area_sf * du_ac / 43560- buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2- buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft- buildable_envelope_sf
buildable_width_ft * buildable_depth_ft- max_stories_approx
max_height_ft / 10- max_gfa_from_envelope
min(buildable_envelope_sf * max_stories_approx, max_gfa_sf)- parking_required
units * parking
Massing explorer
Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.
Sort by
Max height
— ft
——
Floor area ratio
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Lot coverage
—%
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
— /unit
——
Max density
— du/ac
——
Min lot size
— sf
——
Copy zoning profile
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
Primary source
Citations
- [1] §21.31.215
- [2] §21.31.215
- [3] §21.31.215
- [4] §21.31.215
- [5] §21.31.215
- [6] §21.31.215
- [7] §21.31.215
- [8] §21.31.215
- [9] §21.31.215
- [10] §21.31.215
- [11] §21.31.215
- [12] §21.31.215
- [13] §21.31.215
- [14] i§21.31.215
- [15] i§21.31.215
- [16] §21.31.215
- [17] i§21.31.215
- [18] i§21.31.215
- [19] §21.31.215
Research status
Publication gates
| primary url present | passed | |
|---|---|---|
| no aggregator cited | passed | |
| confidence tags full form | passed | |
| overlays have parameters trigger confidence | passed | |
| preempt section city specific | passed |
Data quality
60%completeness68 confirmed18 partial4 inferred
Documented gaps
- Full Table 31-2A (complete dimensional standards for R-1-L, R-2-A, R-2-I, R-2-S, R-3-4, R-4-R, RP) not retrieved live
- Table 31-7 (R-3/R-4 garage standards for 3+ unit projects) not retrieved live
- Table 31-2 (narrow lot <27 ft wide standards) not retrieved live
- PD-30 Downtown Plan subdistrict dimensional standards not retrieved live
- LBMC oil code chapter number + full Wilmington Oil Field setback/mitigation parameters not retrieved live
- Individual historic district boundaries and design guidelines not retrieved (Willmore City, California Heights, Bluff Heights, Bembridge, Carroll Park, Rose Park, Drake Park, etc.)
- Long Beach Airport LUCP specific CNEL contours and Part 77 surfaces not retrieved
- LBMC §21.41 parking ratios by use not retrieved as a full table
- HCD Housing Element certification status for 6th-cycle (Builder's Remedy gating) not confirmed
- HCD APR SB 423 eligibility determination not confirmed
Known issues
freshness:volatiledata:gaps-present
Verification
| last_verified_at | 2026-04-19T00:00:00Z |
|---|---|
| verifier_specialist | verification-pass |
| verifier_version | 1.0 |
| verification_result | passed |
| atomic_claims_checked | 54 |
| atomic_claims_passed | 54 |
| atomic_claims_failed | 0 |
| failed_claims | |
| narrative_ref | narratives/long-beach-ca/lb-2026-04-19-v2.json |
| metro_line_obsolescence_check | note: v1 profile and markdown contained NO Metro rail line references (neither obsolete nor current). v2 adds current 'A Line' terminology in AB 2097 preemption narrative and PD-30 overlay. No Compton-style obsolete-name bug present. |
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Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.