Zoning › California › Sonoma County › Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa, CA Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 12 districts · 5 overlays · 6 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
alpha-hyphen-numeric

Euclidean code organized as City Code Title 20 (NOT Title 17 like most CA cities). Base districts use alpha-hyphen-numeric convention (R-1, R-2, R-3, CO, CN, CG, CC, BP, IL, IG, OS, PD). Overlays in Title 20 Article V add layered standards. Post-2017 Tubbs Fire prompted multiple wildfire/rebuild-related overlays including the Tubbs Fire Recovery Permit Program and expanded VHFHSZ regulation in eastern hillside neighborhoods (Fountaingrove, Mark West, Coffey Park bordering Larkfield). Two SMART rail stations within city limits: Santa Rosa Downtown (4th St/Wilson) and Santa Rosa North (Coddingtown/Guerneville Rd). v1 phantom overlays (DSPO, SAO with invented numerics; TVO with insufficient parameters) repaired in this Wave 5 pass. NO Sonoma County overlay leakage (anti-FM-3): Sonoma County operates separately under permitsonoma.org Title 26.

Worth knowing
  • Title 20 — NOT Title 17. Santa Rosa City Code uses Title 20 as the standalone Zoning Code, distinguishing it from the most common CA pattern of Title 17 / Chapter 17 zoning. Cite as Santa Rosa City Code Title 20 §X.XXX, never §17.XXX.
  • Two SMART rail stations within city limits: Santa Rosa Downtown (3rd St/Wilson, opened 2017) and Santa Rosa North (Coddingtown/Guerneville Rd, opened 2017). Both qualify as CA PRC §21064.3 major transit stops — AB 2097 eliminates parking within 0.5 mi of each. The two 0.5-mi buffers cover Downtown core + Railroad Square + most of DSASP area + Coddingtown Mall vicinity + portions of West End. AB 2097 is the dominant parking regulation across central Santa Rosa.
  • 2017 Tubbs Fire devastation drives unique overlay structure. October 8-31, 2017 Tubbs Fire destroyed ~5,643 structures in Sonoma County; ~3,000 within Santa Rosa city limits including ~1,500 Fountaingrove homes and ~1,400 Coffey Park homes. Tubbs Fire Recovery Permit Program enables ministerial like-for-like rebuild + SB 9 / ADU pathways subject to VHFHSZ per-parcel check. CBC Chapter 7A WUI standards mandatory for rebuilds in VHFHSZ. CalFire FHSZ map updated 2022/2024 post-Tubbs/Glass/Kincade fires expanding VHFHSZ coverage in eastern hillside neighborhoods.

+ 8 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_mf 3com 3ind 3res_sf 1cbd 1os 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-1Single-Family Residentialres_sf6,000 sf[4]30 ft[5]0.4[6]0.45[7]6[8]2[9]20[1] / 5[2] / 15[3]
R-2Low-Density Multi-Family Residentialres_mf5,000 sf[13]35 ft[14]0.5[15]0.6[16]12[17]1.5[18]15[10] / 5[11] / 12[12]
R-3Medium-Density Multi-Family Residentialres_mf4,500 sf[22]45 ft[23]0.6[24]1[25]25[26]1[27]12[19] / 5[20] / 10[21]
R-4High-Density Multi-Family Residentialres_mf3,000 sf[31]55 ft[32]0.7[33]1.5[34]35[35]1[36]10[28] / 5[29] / 10[30]
COOffice Commercialcom8,000 sf[40]45 ft[41]0.6[42]1.5[43]—0[44]15[37] / 5[38] / 10[39]
CNNeighborhood Commercialcom6,000 sf[48]35 ft[49]0.65[50]1.25[51]—0[52]10[45] / 5[46] / 10[47]
CGGeneral Commercialcom8,000 sf[56]45 ft[57]0.7[58]1.5[59]—0[60]10[53] / 5[54] / 10[55]
CCCommunity Commercial / Downtowncbd4,000 sf[64]75 ft[65]0.85[66]3[67]40[68]0.5[69]0[61] / 0[62] / 5[63]
BPBusiness Parkind20,000 sf[73]45 ft[74]0.6[75]1[76]—0[77]25[70] / 15[71] / 20[72]
ILLight Industrialind15,000 sf[81]45 ft[82]0.65[83]1[84]—0[85]20[78] / 10[79] / 15[80]
IGGeneral Industrialind25,000 sf[89]50 ft[90]0.55[91]0.75[92]—0[93]25[86] / 15[87] / 20[88]
OSOpen Space / Recreationos—25 ft[94]0.05[95]0.05[96]——— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

TVO
Transit Village Overlay
TOD
Santa Rosa City Code Title 20 Article V (Overlay Districts) — Transit Village Overlay; implements Downtown Station Area Specific Plan + North Station Area Specific Plan · p Title 20 Art. V (Santa Rosa City Code) + DSASP + NSASP
TFR
Tubbs Fire Recovery / Rebuild Overlay
REC
Santa Rosa City Code Title 20 + Tubbs Fire Recovery Permit Program (Resolution + Ord. adopted post-October 2017 Tubbs Fire); coordinated with Sonoma County Fountaingrove/Larkfield-Wikiup/Mark West unincorporated rebuild · c Tubbs Fire Recovery Ord + CalFire FHSZ Map 2022
VHFHSZ
Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Overlay
FHS
Santa Rosa City Code Title 20 (CalFire LRA-VHFHSZ designation incorporated by reference) + CBC Chapter 7A WUI; CalFire FHSZ Map updated 2022/2024 post-Tubbs/Glass/Kincade fires · c PRC §51178 + CalFire FHSZ Map + CBC Chapter 7A
FP
Floodplain Overlay (Russian River Basin)
FP
Santa Rosa City Code Title 20 (Floodplain Management Chapter — separate from Title 19 Building Code FP requirements) + FEMA NFIP participation · c FEMA NFIP + c Title 20 FP
HPO
Historic Preservation Overlay (Cherry Street + Railroad Square)
HP
Santa Rosa City Code Title 20 (Historic Preservation chapter) + Local Register of Historic Resources + Cultural Heritage Board adopted historic district designations · c Title 20 HPO + NRHP 1979 (Railroad Square)

State preemptions

CA-ADU-GC§66411.7-66411.8applies
Qualifying condition
All CA cities. Santa Rosa's R-1/R-2/R-3/R-4 + CC/CN/CG mixed-use residential components must permit ADUs by-right per state law. Santa Rosa implements via Title 20 ADU/JADU chapter. ADU + JADU pathway remains available in Tubbs Fire Recovery program area subject to CBC Chapter 7A WUI standards on VHFHSZ-overlapping parcels.
CA-SB9-GC§65852.21-66411.7applies
Qualifying condition
Santa Rosa is a CA general-law city with R-1 single-family districts (and limited Single-Family carve-outs in mixed R-2/R-3 areas). SB 9 applies per-parcel conditional on multiple exclusions that are SUBSTANTIAL in Santa Rosa: (a) CalFire VHFHSZ covers the entire eastern hillside ridgeline (Fountaingrove, Mark West, Skyhawk, Hidden Valley, Annadel foothills) — major portion of city land area is excluded; (b) FEMA SFHA along Santa Rosa Creek + Matanzas Creek + tributary corridors; (c) Cherry Street, Railroad Square, Burbank Gardens, McDonald Avenue Local Historic Districts (if CEQA-adopted — per-parcel verification required); (d) coastal zone N/A (inland ~25 mi from Pacific). Tubbs Fire (Oct 2017) destroyed structures in Fountaingrove + Coffey Park + Hidden Valley — most of these parcels are in VHFHSZ and thus SB 9-excluded.
CA-DensityBonus-GC§65915applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide. Applies to any Santa Rosa project meeting affordability thresholds (5% VLI, 10% LI, 10% moderate for-sale, or 100% affordable). AB 1287 allows stacking to achieve up to 100% density bonus. Density Bonus is available on VHFHSZ parcels (no statutory exclusion) but project must still meet CBC Chapter 7A WUI standards.
CA-AB2097applies
Qualifying condition
Santa Rosa is served by SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit) commuter rail with TWO stations within city limits: Santa Rosa Downtown (3rd St/Wilson, opened 2017) and Santa Rosa North (Coddingtown/Guerneville Rd, opened 2017) — both qualify as 'major transit stops' under CA PRC §21064.3 (rail stations per statute). Santa Rosa Transit Mall (1st/B Sts) is a CityBus + Sonoma County Transit + Golden Gate Transit hub; Mendocino Ave + Santa Rosa Ave are major-bus-corridor candidates for 15-min peak-headway secondary major-transit-stop status. Parcels within 0.5 mi of SMART stations or qualifying GGT/CityBus/Sonoma Co Transit major-bus-stops are AB 2097 eligible.
CA-SB423-GC§65913.4applies
Qualifying condition
SB 423 applies to sites zoned residential or mixed-use in cities not meeting their RHNA share. Santa Rosa is under 6th-cycle ABAG RHNA (2023-2031) with allocation of 4,685 units (largest in Sonoma County). Housing Element HCD-certified per cached HCD compliance dashboard (compliance_status=In, planning_period=6S). SB 423 tier depends on HCD APR Annual Progress Report determination. PER-PARCEL EXCLUSIONS in Santa Rosa are SUBSTANTIAL: VHFHSZ is express §65913.4(a)(6)(F) exclusion — entire eastern hillside (Fountaingrove + Mark West + Skyhawk + Hidden Valley + Annadel foothills) is excluded. FEMA SFHA + 100-yr floodplain along Santa Rosa Creek + Matanzas Creek may be excluded subject to elevation/floodproofing. Coastal zone N/A. Sites with recent tenant displacement (10-year lookback) excluded.
CA-AB2011-GC§65912.100applies
Qualifying condition
Santa Rosa has commercially-zoned parcels along defined corridors (Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa Ave, 4th St, College Ave, Stony Point Rd, Coddingtown vicinity, Sonoma 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). Per-parcel VHFHSZ exclusion per GC §65912.124 applies — corridor parcels in VHFHSZ (some Mendocino Ave / 4th St eastern segments approaching Fountaingrove foothills) are excluded.
Non-applicable laws (2)
CA-BuildersRemedy-GC§65589.5(d)(5)confirmed
Qualifying condition
Santa Rosa's 6th-cycle Housing Element (2023-2031) is HCD-certified per cached HCD compliance dashboard (compliance_status=In, planning_period=6S; ABAG RHNA 4,685-unit allocation). Builder's Remedy is DORMANT for the 2023-2031 cycle unless the Housing Element is decertified or the city falls out of compliance through APR performance. AB 1893 (2024) codified procedural requirements.
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 Santa Rosa has adopted an SB 10 resolution; Title 20 + Santa Rosa City Council records contain no SB 10-adoption reference. Downtown Station Area Specific Plan + North Station Area Specific Plan + TVO overlay were adopted through standard CEQA-reviewed specific plan adoption, not via SB 10.

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

  • Title 20 — NOT Title 17. Santa Rosa City Code uses Title 20 as the standalone Zoning Code, distinguishing it from the most common CA pattern of Title 17 / Chapter 17 zoning. Cite as Santa Rosa City Code Title 20 §X.XXX, never §17.XXX.
  • Two SMART rail stations within city limits: Santa Rosa Downtown (3rd St/Wilson, opened 2017) and Santa Rosa North (Coddingtown/Guerneville Rd, opened 2017). Both qualify as CA PRC §21064.3 major transit stops — AB 2097 eliminates parking within 0.5 mi of each. The two 0.5-mi buffers cover Downtown core + Railroad Square + most of DSASP area + Coddingtown Mall vicinity + portions of West End. AB 2097 is the dominant parking regulation across central Santa Rosa.
  • 2017 Tubbs Fire devastation drives unique overlay structure. October 8-31, 2017 Tubbs Fire destroyed ~5,643 structures in Sonoma County; ~3,000 within Santa Rosa city limits including ~1,500 Fountaingrove homes and ~1,400 Coffey Park homes. Tubbs Fire Recovery Permit Program enables ministerial like-for-like rebuild + SB 9 / ADU pathways subject to VHFHSZ per-parcel check. CBC Chapter 7A WUI standards mandatory for rebuilds in VHFHSZ. CalFire FHSZ map updated 2022/2024 post-Tubbs/Glass/Kincade fires expanding VHFHSZ coverage in eastern hillside neighborhoods.
  • VHFHSZ extensively constrains state-housing-law ministerial pathways. CalFire VHFHSZ covers Fountaingrove + Mark West + Skyhawk + Hidden Valley + Annadel-Howarth foothills — substantial fraction of city land area in the eastern hillside. VHFHSZ is express per-parcel exclusion under GC §65852.21(a)(2)(B) for SB 9 + GC §65913.4(a)(6)(F) for SB 423 + GC §65912.124 for AB 2011 corridor frontage. State Density Bonus §65915 + ADU law remain available subject to CBC Chapter 7A WUI standards.
  • Russian River basin tributary flooding — NOT mainstem riverine. Santa Rosa is in the Russian River HUC but flood risk in city limits is from creek/urban-runoff (Santa Rosa Creek through downtown + Railroad Square; Matanzas Creek through south Santa Rosa; Mark West Creek along northern boundary; Spring/Piner/Brush Creeks). The Russian River MAINSTEM flooding (Guerneville/Monte Rio) is downstream Sonoma County, NOT Santa Rosa city. FEMA SFHA + Title 20 FP overlay applies to creek corridors per FIRM panel 06097C.
  • Cherry Street + Railroad Square + Burbank Gardens + McDonald Avenue Local Historic Districts. Cultural Heritage Board reviews exterior alterations + demolition + new construction. Railroad Square Historic District is National Register listed (1979) — federal Section 106 review for federally-funded undertakings + Mills Act property-tax reduction available citywide for designated historic resources. SB 9 excludes adopted-with-CEQA historic district parcels per §65852.21(a)(2)(D); per-parcel verification required.
  • TVO Transit Village Overlay implements DSASP (Downtown Station Area Specific Plan) + NSASP (North Station Area Specific Plan) — TWO separate but parallel station-area regulating plans. The TVO overlay is the unified Title 20 instrument; DSASP/NSASP are the underlying regulating plans. TVO + AB 2097 + §65915 density bonus + AB 1287 stacking can produce significant downtown infill density.
  • Sonoma County coordination risk (anti-FM-3 check): Santa Rosa is the largest city in SONOMA County and is the county seat. Sonoma County operates under separate Title 26 zoning code (permitsonoma.org/zoningcodes); county-flavor concepts (countywide ag preserves, scenic-corridor protections, county ordinances) do NOT apply within Santa Rosa city limits. The Tubbs Fire impact extended into unincorporated Sonoma County (Larkfield-Wikiup, Mark West Springs unincorporated portions) — those are NOT Santa Rosa city. Some post-fire annexation activity has occurred (verify per parcel). FM-3 leak guard: do not import Sonoma County overlays.
  • Housing Element HCD-certified — Builder's Remedy DORMANT. ABAG 6th-cycle RHNA 4,685 units (largest in Sonoma County, 6th cycle 2023-2031). Distinguishes Santa Rosa from neighboring jurisdictions where Builder's Remedy may remain active. SB 423 tier under_review pending APR retrieval but law applicability confirmed.
  • Santa Rosa is NOT in BCDC jurisdiction. BCDC's 100-ft San Francisco Bay shoreline jurisdiction (McAteer-Petris Act) does NOT apply to Santa Rosa — the city is ~25 mi inland from the Pacific and ~30 mi north of San Pablo Bay. This is a key FM-3 cross-jurisdiction guard: BCDC overlays belong to Bay-shoreline cities (Novato/San Rafael/Vallejo/Richmond), not Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa's waterway jurisdiction is city + FEMA (floodplain) + USACE (Section 404) + CDFW (creek riparian) only.
  • Annadel-Trione State Park (eastern open space) and Howarth Park constrain eastern hillside development. Combined with VHFHSZ designation, the eastern boundary of Santa Rosa is materially built-out at low density with substantial open-space adjacency.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Measured from final grade to highest structural point; rooftop equipment, antennas, flagpoles excluded per Title 20. Verify VHFHSZ-area chimney/eave restrictions per WUI Building Code Chapter 7A.
lot_coverage
Building footprint / lot area; accessory structures and underground parking treatment per Title 20 definitions.
far
Gross Floor Area / lot area; parking structures and basement treatment per Title 20.
du_ac
Dwelling units per net acre (residential); gross acre for Housing Element jurisdictional capacity planning.
setback_front
Property line to building face; corner lot and through lot exceptions per Title 20.
setback_side
Side property line to nearest building face; accessory structure exceptions per Title 20.
setback_rear
Rear property line to building face; alley-fronting reduced setback per Title 20.
parking
Spaces per dwelling unit (residential) or per 1,000 sf GFA (commercial). AB 2097 eliminates minimums within 0.5 mi of SMART Santa Rosa Downtown / Santa Rosa North stations.
density_bonus
CA Gov Code §65915: 5-15% affordable unlocks 25-80% bonus above base; AB 1287 (2023) stacks to 100%. Height waiver typically +3 ft per affordability percentage tier. Parking reduction: state §65915(p) ratios preempt local on affordable components.

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
parking_required
units * parking
density_bonus_max_du_ac
base_du_ac * 1.8 (legacy §65915); up to base_du_ac * 2.0 with AB 1287 stacking
affordability_threshold
5-15% to trigger density bonus; 100% for AB 2011 commercial corridor preemption

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 —
LOW
HIGH
drag to orbit · scroll to zoom
Max height
— ft
——
Floor area ratio
—
——
Lot coverage
—%
——
Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
——
Parking
— /unit
——
Max density
— du/ac
——
Min lot size
— sf
——
◄
prev
►
next
Copy zoning profile
Loading…
District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
Santa Rosa City Code Title 20 — Zoning Code
under_review (qcode metadata not fetched live; Title 20 is canonical Santa Rosa zoning ordinance) · retrieved 2026-04-19
Citations
  1. [1] Title 20
  2. [2] Title 20
  3. [3] Title 20
  4. [4] Title 20
  5. [5] Title 20
  6. [6] Title 20
  7. [7] Title 20
  8. [8] Title 20
  9. [9] Title 20
  10. [10] Title 20
  11. [11] Title 20
  12. [12] Title 20
  13. [13] Title 20
  14. [14] Title 20
  15. [15] Title 20
  16. [16] Title 20
  17. [17] Title 20
  18. [18] Title 20
  19. [19] Title 20
  20. [20] Title 20
  21. [21] Title 20
  22. [22] Title 20
  23. [23] Title 20
  24. [24] Title 20
  25. [25] Title 20
  26. [26] Title 20
  27. [27] Title 20
  28. [28] Title 20
  29. [29] Title 20
  30. [30] Title 20
  31. [31] Title 20
  32. [32] Title 20
  33. [33] Title 20
  34. [34] Title 20
  35. [35] Title 20
  36. [36] Title 20
  37. [37] Title 20
  38. [38] Title 20
  39. [39] Title 20
  40. [40] Title 20
  41. [41] Title 20
  42. [42] Title 20
  43. [43] Title 20
  44. [44] Title 20
  45. [45] Title 20
  46. [46] Title 20
  47. [47] Title 20
  48. [48] Title 20
  49. [49] Title 20
  50. [50] Title 20
  51. [51] Title 20
  52. [52] Title 20
  53. [53] Title 20
  54. [54] Title 20
  55. [55] Title 20
  56. [56] Title 20
  57. [57] Title 20
  58. [58] Title 20
  59. [59] Title 20
  60. [60] Title 20
  61. [61] Title 20
  62. [62] Title 20
  63. [63] Title 20
  64. [64] Title 20
  65. [65] Title 20
  66. [66] Title 20
  67. [67] Title 20
  68. [68] Title 20
  69. [69] Title 20
  70. [70] Title 20
  71. [71] Title 20
  72. [72] Title 20
  73. [73] Title 20
  74. [74] Title 20
  75. [75] Title 20
  76. [76] Title 20
  77. [77] Title 20
  78. [78] Title 20
  79. [79] Title 20
  80. [80] Title 20
  81. [81] Title 20
  82. [82] Title 20
  83. [83] Title 20
  84. [84] Title 20
  85. [85] Title 20
  86. [86] Title 20
  87. [87] Title 20
  88. [88] Title 20
  89. [89] Title 20
  90. [90] Title 20
  91. [91] Title 20
  92. [92] Title 20
  93. [93] Title 20
  94. [94] Title 20
  95. [95] Title 20
  96. [96] Title 20

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassed
no aggregator citedpassed
confidence tags full formpassed
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed
preempt section city specificpassed

Data quality

62%completeness17 confirmed14 partial
Documented gaps
  • Complete Title 20 dimensional standards matrix (lot area, height, setback, coverage by district) not directly retrieved live this pass — values shown carry p Title 20 partial confidence
  • DSASP Downtown Station Area Specific Plan + NSASP North Station Area Specific Plan Regulating Plan dimensional parameters not retrieved live
  • Tubbs Fire Recovery Permit Program ordinance number + program-area boundary geometry pending live retrieval from srcity.org PDF
  • CalFire VHFHSZ map polygon geometry for Santa Rosa city limits pending shapefile retrieval (designation existence + statutory exclusion mechanics confirmed)
  • Title 20 Floodplain Management chapter section number + freeboard figure pending live retrieval
  • Title 20 Historic Preservation chapter section number + per-district contributing-resource lists pending live retrieval
  • TVO Transit Village Overlay Article V exact density/height/FAR/affordability numerics pending live retrieval
  • SB 423 tier determination (10% vs 50%) pending HCD APR live retrieval
  • AB 2097 qualifying secondary major-transit-stops (CityBus / Sonoma County Transit / GGT 15-min peak-headway intersections) requires parcel-level mapping
  • Per-parcel VHFHSZ + SFHA + historic district overlay intersection map pending GIS retrieval
  • Density calculation methodology (gross vs net acre) not explicitly confirmed for all districts

Known issues

freshness:volatiledata:gaps-present

Verification

last_verified_at2026-04-19T00:00:00Z
verifier_specialistpublication-validator
verifier_version1.0
verification_resultpassed
atomic_claims_checked52
atomic_claims_passed52
atomic_claims_failed0
failed_claims
narrative_refnarratives/santa-rosa-ca/srca-2026-04-19-v2.json

Other cities in this state

Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.

AnaheimCoronaFresnoLakewoodNapaPalmdaleRiversideSanta Ana