Cary, NC Zoning

12 districts. 5 overlays.
This profile is an earlier edition — some fields may be incomplete. An updated profile is in progress.

Districts

com 5res_mf 3res_sf 2ind 2
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-6Low Density (6,000 sf)res_mf6,000 sf35 ft0.40.386.5220 / 20 / 8
R-10Low-Mid Density (10,000 sf)res_sf10,000 sf35 ft0.350.34.2220 / 20 / 10
R-20Mid-Low Density (20,000 sf)res_sf20,000 sf35 ft0.30.22.1225 / 20 / 10
R-30Mid-High Density (30,000 sf)res_mf30,000 sf35 ft0.250.151.4230 / 20 / 15
RMFResidential Multifamilyres_mf30,000 sf65 ft0.62.518215 / 20 / 15
NCNeighborhood Commercialcom10,000 sf45 ft0.71225 / 25 / 10
CCCommunity Commercialcom40,000 sf55 ft0.82225 / 25 / 10
OOfficecom20,000 sf65 ft0.72.5225 / 25 / 10
TRTourist/Recreationcom30,000 sf50 ft0.51.5225 / 25 / 10
IIndustrial / Light Manufacturingcom40,000 sf45 ft0.61225 / 25 / 10
ILight Industrial / Business Parkind120 sf45 ft0.50.5225 / 25 / 10
IPIndustrial Parkind150 sf55 ft0.50.5225 / 25 / 10

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

MUO
Mixed Use
spec

Applies to: Residential, Commercial, Office, Mixed-Use

height multiplier-0.05
FAR multiplier0.05
CROD
Conservation Residential
CON

Applies to: Residential, Commercial, Office, Mixed-Use

coverage adjustment (%)-10
density multiplier-0.2
lot size multiplier0.15
TO
Thoroughfare
spec

Applies to: Residential, Commercial, Office, Mixed-Use

height multiplier-0.05
FAR multiplier0.05
ANOD
Airport Noise/Hazard
AP
height cap (ft)100
WPO
Watershed Protection
spec

Applies to: Residential, Commercial, Office, Mixed-Use

coverage adjustment (%)-10
density multiplier-0.2
lot size multiplier0.15

Adopted building codes

Statewide

2021
2015
2020
2021
IECC (Residential)
2021
IECC (Commercial)
2021

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

Formulas

Definitions

height
Grade to highest point of structure.
lot_coverage
Building footprint / lot area.
far
Gross floor area / lot area.
du_ac
Dwelling units per gross acre.
setback_front
Front property line to nearest building face.
setback_side
Side property line to nearest building face.
setback_rear
Rear property line to nearest building face.
parking
Spaces per dwelling unit unless noted.

Capacity calculations

max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage
max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far
buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2
buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft
max_stories_approx
max_height_ft / 10

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
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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Research status

Data quality

90%completeness60 confirmed4 partial3 inferred
Documented gaps
  • Quirks not populated — requires markdown source review

Known issues

schema:v1-legacypriority:lowdata:gaps-present

Other cities in this state

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