Vancouver, WA Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 17 districts · 5 overlays · 4 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
density-numeric (residential R-N where N ≈ max du/ac); letter-code (commercial/industrial)

Vancouver WA R-2..R-50 residential codes are density-encoded (suffix = approximate max du/ac). This is opposite convention from Worcester MA (RS-10 = 10,000 SF lot). Commercial/industrial use letter suffixes (CX/CN/WX/OCI/IL/IG).

Worth knowing

+ 3 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_mf 6res_sf 4ind 2res_th 1cbd 1com 1mu 1off 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-2Large Lot Residential — 2.5 acres_sf / /
R-4Single-Family Residential — Low Densityres_sf / /
R-6Single-Family Residential — Medium-Low Densityres_sf / /
R-9Single-Family Residential — Medium Densityres_sf / /
R-17Mixed Residential — Medium Densityres_mf / /
R-18Townhouse / Garden Apartment — Medium Densityres_th / /
RM-seriesMultifamily Residential — Low-Medium Densityres_mf / /
R-22Urban Multifamily — Medium Densityres_mf / /
R-30High-Density Multifamilyres_mf / /
R-35Very High-Density Urban / TODres_mf / /
R-50Very High-Density Urban / TOD — Premiumres_mf / /
CXCity Center / Downtown Mixed-Usecbd / /
CNNeighborhood Commercialcom / /
WXWaterfront Mixed-Usemu / /
OCIOffice Commercial Industrialoff / /
ILLight Industrialind / /
IGGeneral Industrialind / /

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

SMP
Shoreline Master Program
shoreline_environmental
VMC §20.550–§20.570
FP
Floodplain Overlay District
hazard_floodplain
VMC §20.740.120
HP
Historic Reserve / Heritage Overlay District
historic_preservation
VMC §20.510, §20.640.040
COR
Fourth Plain Corridor Overlay District
corridor_design
VMC §20.580
TOD
Transit-Oriented Development Overlay
transit_oriented
VMC §20.550

State preemptions

WA-HB-1110-middle-housingapplies
Effect
4-plex by-right in all SF residential zones (R-2, R-4, R-6, R-9, R-17); 6-plex by-right within ½ mi of 'major transit stop' (RCW 81.104.015) if ≥2 units affordable; cannot require lots larger than SF minimum; parking capped at 1/unit (0 within ½ mi major transit)
WA-HB-1337-ADUsapplies
Effect
≥2 ADUs per lot in all residential zones; no owner-occupancy; no off-street parking within ½ mi of transit; cannot cap detached ADU below 1,000 SF; connection/impact fees limited
WA-E2SHB-1220-comp-plan-housingapplies
Effect
Must plan for / accommodate permanent supportive housing + emergency shelters; shelters must be allowed in at least one zone; cannot prohibit transitional/PSH in residential zones
WA-SB-5184-lot-splittingapplies
Effect
Lot splits enabled to support HB 1110 unit counts on existing SF lots

Adopted building codes

Statewide; update sched May 2026

2021
2021
2023
2021
IECC (Residential)
2021
IECC (Commercial)
2021

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

Quirks & notes

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
Copy zoning profile
Loading…
District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
current supplement (exact date under_review; municipal.codes 403 blocks scripted retrieval) · retrieved 2026-04-18

Research status

Publication gates

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

Known issues

freshness:volatile

Other cities in this state

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