Establishment of Zones
Santa Clara City Code § 18.06.020
in effectA. General. The City is divided into zones to allow for the orderly, planned development of the City and to implement the General Plan. Table 1-1 (Zones Implementing the General Plan), below identifies all of the zones adopted by the City. All zones shall be listed and appropriately designated on the City’s Official Zoning Map.
B. Base Zones. Every parcel shall have a base zone that establishes the primary type and intensity of land use allowed, along with development standards and regulations for that particular type and intensity of land use.
C. Overlay/Combining Zones. An overlay/combining zone supplements the base zone for the purpose of establishing special land use allowances or limitations or development standards and regulations for a particular area in addition to the provisions of the underlying base zone. In the event of conflict between the base zone regulations and the overlay/combining zone regulations, the provisions of the overlay/ combining zone shall apply.
Table 1-1 ZONES IMPLEMENTING THE GENERAL PLAN
Table 1-1 ZONES IMPLEMENTING THE GENERAL PLAN
| Zoning Map Symbol | Zone Name | Allowable Density or Intensity | Corresponding | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Plan Land | |||||
| Use Designations | |||||
| Residential Zones | |||||
| R1-6L | Single-Family Residential | 0.1 - 10 DU/AC | Very Low Density Residential | ||
| R1-8L | Single-Family Residential, Larger Parcel | 0.1 - 10 DU/AC | Very Low Density Residential | ||
| R2 | Low-Density Residential | 8 - 19 DU/AC | Low Density Residential | ||
| R3 | Medium-Density Residential | 20 - 36 DU/AC | Medium Density Residential | ||
| R4 | High-Density Residential | 37 - 50 DU/AC | Medium Density Residential | ||
| R5 | Very-High-Density Residential | 51 - 100 DU/AC | Very High Density Residential | ||
| PH-R5 | Patrick Henry Very-High- Density Residential | 51 – 100 DU/AC | Very High Density Residential | ||
| R6 | Transit Neighborhood Residential | 60 - 350 DU/AC | Transit Neighborhood | ||
| UV | Urban Village | 100-149 DU/AC | Urban Village (Patrick Henry Drive Plan) | ||
| VR | Village Residential | 60 - 149 DU/AC | Village Residential (Patrick Henry Drive Plan) | ||
| UC | Urban Center | 120 - 250 DU/AC | Urban Center (Patrick Henry Drive Plan) | ||
| HD-Flex | High Density Flex | 60 - 149 DU/AC | High Density Flex (Patrick Henry Drive Plan) | ||
| 2.0 FAR | |||||
| Commercial Zones | |||||
| C-C | Commercial-Community | 0.5 FAR | Community Commercial | ||
| C-N | Commercial- Neighborhood | 0.4 FAR | Neighborhood Commercial | ||
| C-R | Commercial-Regional | 0.6 FAR | Regional Commercial | ||
| Mixed-Use Zones | |||||
| MUNC | Mixed Use-Neighborhood Commercial | 20 - 36 DU/AC | Neighborhood Mixed Use | ||
| 0.1 FAR minimum | |||||
| MUCC | Mixed Use Community Commercial | 20 - 36 DU/AC | Community Mixed Use | ||
| 0.1 FAR minimum | |||||
| MURC | Mixed Use-Regional Commercial | 37 - 50 DU/AC | Regional Mixed Use | ||
| 0.15 FAR minimum | |||||
| MU-VHD | Mixed Use-Very High Density Residential | 51-120 DU/AC | Very High Density Mixed Use; Santa Clara Station Very High Density Residential | ||
| 0.2 FAR minimum | |||||
| Office and Industrial Zones | |||||
| LO-RD | Low-Intensity Office/R&D | 1.0 FAR | Low-Intensity Office/R&D | ||
| HO-RD | Office/R&D-High Intensity | 2.0 FAR | High-Intensity Office/R&D | ||
| LI | Industrial-Light | 0.6 FAR | Light Industrial | ||
| HI | Industrial-Heavy | 0.45 FAR | Heavy Industrial | ||
| Special Purpose Zones | |||||
| OS | Parks/Open Space | N/A | Parks/Open Space | ||
| PQP | Public/Quasi Public | N/A | Public/Quasi Public | ||
| HT | Historic Combining | N/A | N/A | ||
| PD | Planned Development | N/A | N/A | ||
| Planned Development – Master Community | N/A | N/A | |||
| LSAP | 8 - 19 DU/AC | Low Density Residential |
| Zoning Map Symbol | Zone Name | Allowable Density or Intensity | Corresponding | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Plan Land | |||||
| Use Designations | |||||
| Lawrence Station Area Plan | 20 - 36 DU/AC | Medium Density Residential | |||
| 37 - 50 DU/AC | High Density Residential | ||||
| 51-100 DU/AC | Very High Density Residential | ||||
| N/A | Parks/Open Space | ||||
| N/A | Public/Quasi Public |
Source: City of Santa Clara Zoning Code (santaclaraca.gov PDF)URL: https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-city/departments-a-f/community-development/planning-division/zoningFetched: 10/24/2026
