Overview
Worth knowing
- Madison exceeded Wisconsin state law on housing reform without preemption trigger: eliminated owner-occupancy for ADUs (2024), increased max ADU size 800→1,000 sf (2025), removed ADU bedroom caps (2025), removed backyard space requirements (2025), legalized duplexes citywide (2025).
- TOD overlay includes historic district properties—nationally unusual and contentious; delayed two weeks for public debate before approval January 2023.
- Minimum 2-story height floor in TOD (unusual; most TOD overlays add maximums only); ensures transit corridors develop as walkable rather than one-story suburban retail.
+ 4 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_sf 17spec 7mu 6off 4com 3ind 3ag 3cbd 1
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR-C1 | Suburban Residential - Consistent 1 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SR-C2 | Suburban Residential - Consistent 2 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SR-C3 | Suburban Residential - Consistent 3 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SR-V1 | Suburban Residential - Varied 1 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SR-V2 | Suburban Residential - Varied 2 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TR-C1 | Traditional Residential - Consistent 1 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TR-C2 | Traditional Residential - Consistent 2 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TR-C3 | Traditional Residential - Consistent 3 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TR-C4 | Traditional Residential - Consistent 4 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TR-V1 | Traditional Residential - Varied 1 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TR-V2 | Traditional Residential - Varied 2 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TR-U1 | Traditional Residential - Urban 1 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TR-U2 | Traditional Residential - Urban 2 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TR-R | Traditional Residential - Rustic | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TR-P | Traditional Residential - Planned | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| LMX | Limited Mixed-Use | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| NMX | Neighborhood Mixed-Use | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TSS | Traditional Shopping Street | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| MXC | Mixed-Use Center | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| CC-T | Commercial Corridor - Transitional | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| CC | Commercial Center | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RMX | Regional Mixed-Use | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| THV | Tiny House Village | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| DC | Downtown Core | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| UOR | Urban Office Residential | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| UMX | Urban Mixed-Use | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| DR1 | Downtown Residential 1 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| DR2 | Downtown Residential 2 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| TE | Traditional Employment | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SE | Suburban Employment | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SEC | Suburban Employment Center | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| EC | Employment Campus | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| IL | Industrial - Limited | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| IG | Industrial - General | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| A | Agricultural | ag | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| UA | Urban Agricultural | ag | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| CN | Conservancy | ag | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| PR | Parks and Recreation | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| AP | Airport | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| CI | Campus Institutional | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| PD | Planned Development | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| PMHP | Planned Mobile Home Park | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| ME | Nonmetallic Mineral Extraction | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| MC | Mission Camp District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
WP
Wellhead Protection Overlay
ENVMapped wellhead protection areas around municipal water supply wells
| scope | Restricts uses and activities that could contaminate groundwater supply |
|---|---|
| specifics | Specific use restrictions and standards tied to wellhead protection zones [partial — full parameters not extracted] |
W
Wetland Overlay
ENVMapped wetland areas
| scope | Regulates development within and adjacent to wetlands |
|---|
TOD
Transit Oriented Development Overlay
TOD1/4 mile on each side of east-west Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route and other high-frequency transit routes. Includes parcels within historic preservation districts and National Register historic districts.
| additional_units | Additional dwelling units permitted as permitted use in residential, mixed-use, and select employment districts |
|---|---|
| height_bonus | Additional building height as permitted use in some multi-family and mixed-use districts |
| open_space | Removes usable open space requirements for residential dwelling units |
| parking | Removes minimum automobile parking requirements; adds maximum parking limits |
| min_height | Minimum 2-story building height required in multi-family, mixed-use, and employment districts for vertical activation |
| design | Site layout and design regulations; buildings must be close to and easily accessible from public sidewalks |
| adu_standards | Separate ADU standards within TOD from other residential districts [confirmed] |
Floodplain Overlay
Floodplain Overlay
FPFEMA-mapped flood hazard areas
| scope | Standard floodplain development standards |
|---|---|
| freeboard | Madison-specific freeboard requirements [partial — not extracted] |
Alcohol Overlay
Alcohol Overlay
LQSpecific areas with alcohol-related use restrictions (e.g., near schools, certain neighborhood areas)
| scope | Restricts or conditions alcohol-related uses beyond base district permissions [partial — full parameters not extracted] |
|---|
HIST-{designation}
Historic Districts
HPDesignated by Landmarks Commission for properties with historic significance
| review | Certificate of Appropriateness from Landmarks Commission required |
|---|---|
| scope | Exterior changes, additions, new construction in historic districts |
| designated_districts | HIST-L (Designated Landmark — individual properties); HIST-MH (Mansion Hill Historic District — downtown area); HIST-TL (Third Lake Ridge Historic District — east side); HIST-UH (University Heights Historic District — near UW-Madison); HIST-MB (Marquette Bungalows Historic District — east side); HIST-FS (First Settlement Historic District — downtown original area) |
Adopted building codes
Modified as WI Uniform Dwelling Code
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- Madison exceeded Wisconsin state law on housing reform without preemption trigger: eliminated owner-occupancy for ADUs (2024), increased max ADU size 800→1,000 sf (2025), removed ADU bedroom caps (2025), removed backyard space requirements (2025), legalized duplexes citywide (2025).
- TOD overlay includes historic district properties—nationally unusual and contentious; delayed two weeks for public debate before approval January 2023.
- Minimum 2-story height floor in TOD (unusual; most TOD overlays add maximums only); ensures transit corridors develop as walkable rather than one-story suburban retail.
- THV — Tiny House Village — is a dedicated standalone zoning district for tiny house communities; highly unusual nationally.
- WP wellhead protection overlay covers meaningful portion of city; shown in Assessor property look-up due to Madison's reliance on groundwater wells on isthmus.
- ADU production sluggish despite policy changes: only 2 ADUs approved 2021, 21 permits 2023–2024 combined. Cost ($200k–$300k) is primary barrier, not zoning.
- PD zones excluded from 2025 duplex legalization; site-specific rules differ from citywide blanket change.
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Grade to roof peak or highest point of structure. §Chapter 28
- lot_coverage
- Building footprint / lot area. Principal structure only unless specified.
- far
- du_ac
- Dwelling units per gross acre.
- impervious_cover
- 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.
- adu_max_size
- Max 1,000 sf per 2025 Housing Forward update. No bedroom cap as of 2025.
- adu_owner_occupancy
- Eliminated 2024. No owner-occupancy requirement.
Capacity calculations
- max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage- max_units_from_density
lot_area_sf * du_ac / 43560- duplex_eligibility
All residential zones except PD as of 2025 Housing Forward; duplexes permitted in all zones where single-family allowed
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
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Floor area ratio
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Lot coverage
—%
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
— /unit
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Max density
— du/ac
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Min lot size
— sf
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Copy zoning profile
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Research status
Data quality
50%completeness45 confirmed12 partial8 inferred
Documented gaps
- Full base district dimensional tables (height, setbacks, FAR, lot coverage, parking ratios, min lot size) require direct Chapter 28 extraction
- Overlay district parameters (WP, W, Floodplain, Alcohol) confirmed for existence; specific standards require Chapter 28 subchapter extraction
- Historic district Chapter 41 substantive standards require full chapter read
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.