San Marcos, Texas zoning

A plain-language summary of the San Marcos zoning ordinance, organized by district and topic. Source: the official ordinance on City-hosted San Marcos Development Code (Ord. 2025-01 flipbook and PDF), last reviewed July 3, 2026.

Zoning districts

FDResidential
Future Development District
Temporary holding district for newly annexed or not yet developed land, and the interim zoning for newly annexed territory under Sec. 4.1.4.1. Primarily agricultural character with houses on 2 acre minimum lots.
SF-RResidential
Single Family Rural Residential District
Single family homes in larger lot subdivisions in a rural setting, with one acre (43,560 square foot) minimum lots and 0.8 units per gross acre.
SF-6Residential
Single Family District - 6
Single family detached houses on 6,000 square foot minimum lots at up to 5.5 units per gross acre. Uses that would substantially interfere with the residential nature of the district are not allowed.
SF-4.5Residential
Single Family District - 4.5
Single family detached houses on 4,500 square foot minimum lots at up to 7.5 units per gross acre. Uses that would substantially interfere with the residential nature of the district are not allowed.
ND-3Residential
Neighborhood Density - 3
Infill district for single family detached houses plus zero lot line houses, at up to 10 units per gross acre. Rezoning to ND-3 is subject to the single family preservation analysis in Sec. 4.1.2.5.
ND-3.2Residential
Neighborhood Density - 3.2
Infill district for single family detached houses with smaller lots and detached zero lot line houses, at up to 12 units per gross acre. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer.
ND-3.5Residential
Neighborhood Density - 3.5
Residential infill district allowing houses, zero lot line houses, cottage courts, duplexes, townhouses, and small multi-family, at up to 16 units per gross acre. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer.
ND-4Residential
Neighborhood Density - 4
Small scale multi-family and townhouse district with limited neighborhood commercial on corners only, up to 3 stories. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer.
N-CMMixed use
Neighborhood Commercial
Pedestrian oriented mixed use corridor district near residential areas, formerly named N-MS. Shopfront, live/work, townhouse, and small multi-family building types up to 3 stories.
CD-1Special purpose
Character District - 1
Open space preservation district protecting the most sensitive natural resources, with 20 percent maximum impervious cover and no stated residential density.
CD-2Residential
Character District - 2
Rural single family and agricultural character district with 10 acre house lots and 0.1 units per gross acre. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer.
CD-2.5Residential
Character District - 2.5
Single family detached character district at up to 8 units per gross acre, applied where the land use pattern is one or two family with some housing type mixture.
CD-3Residential
Character District - 3
One and two family character district allowing houses, cottage courts, duplexes, and zero lot line houses at up to 10 units per gross acre.
CD-4Mixed use
Character District - 4
Mixed residential character district with single family, two family, townhouse, courtyard, and apartment building types plus limited corner commercial, up to 3 stories and 50 feet.
CD-5Mixed use
Character District - 5
Walkable mixed use character district for residential, retail, service, and commercial uses with restricted auto-oriented uses, 2 story minimum and 5 story maximum height.
CD-5DMixed use
Character District - 5 Downtown
Downtown mixed use character district with restricted auto-oriented uses, 2 story minimum and 5 story maximum height, and a 3 story cap inside the downtown historic district.
PASpecial purpose
Planning Area District
Large scale walkable planning district allocated among character and special districts by percentage under Table 4.18, with a regulating plan required under Sec. 4.4.3.9.
CMCommercial
Commercial District
Commercial gateway district along major corridors, formerly named EC (Employment Center), with live/work, general commercial, and mixed use shopfront building types up to 4 stories.
BPCommercial
Business Park District
Commercial and lightest industrial district intended to operate in a clean and quiet manner, up to 3 stories and 36 feet with 50 foot buffers next to residential. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer.
HCCommercial
Heavy Commercial District
Auto-oriented and other heavy commercial uses expected to operate in a relatively clean and quiet manner, up to 4 stories and 62 feet.
LIIndustrial
Light Industrial District
Manufacturing and light industrial district intended to limit encroachment of non-industrial development, up to 4 stories and 62 feet on 7,000 square foot minimum lots.
HIIndustrial
Heavy Industrial District
High impact manufacturing and industrial district for uses not compatible with nearby residential or commercial areas, up to 4 stories and 62 feet.
MHResidential
Manufactured Home District
Manufactured housing developments at up to 9 units per gross acre with lot or space standards for interior and corner placement.
ARResidential
Agricultural Ranch District (legacy)
Large tract agricultural preservation district with 5 acre (217,800 square foot) minimum parcels. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
SF-11Residential
Single Family District - 11 (legacy)
Low density detached single family homes on lots of at least 11,000 square feet. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
MRResidential
Manufactured Home and Residential District (legacy)
Manufactured homes and site built homes on individual lots. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
DResidential
Duplex Residential District (legacy)
Low density duplex district on 11,000 square foot lots. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
DRResidential
Duplex Restricted Residential District (legacy)
Medium density restricted duplex district on 5,400 square foot lots with occupancy restrictions under Sec. 9.3.4.4. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
THResidential
Townhouse Residential District (legacy)
Attached townhouses on 2,500 square foot lots at up to 12 units per gross acre with occupancy restrictions under Sec. 9.3.4.4. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
PH-ZLResidential
Patio Home, Zero-Lot-Line Residential District (legacy)
Patio homes and zero lot line homes on 4,000 square foot lots with occupancy restrictions under Sec. 9.3.4.4. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
MF-12Residential
Multiple-Family Residential District (12 units) (legacy)
Multifamily district at up to 12 units per gross acre on parcels up to 7 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
MF-18Residential
Multiple-Family Residential District (18 units) (legacy)
Multifamily district at up to 18 units per gross acre on parcels up to 7 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
MF-24Residential
Multi-Family Residential District (24 units) (legacy)
Multifamily district at up to 24 units per gross acre on parcels from 12,000 square feet to 7 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
MUMixed use
Mixed Use District (legacy)
Legacy mixed use district on parcels from 6,000 square feet to 20 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
PSpecial purpose
Public and Institutional District (legacy)
Public and institutional uses such as schools, government facilities, and utilities. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
OPCommercial
Office Professional District (legacy)
Professional office district on parcels from 6,000 square feet to 5 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
NCCommercial
Neighborhood Commercial District (legacy)
Small scale legacy commercial district on parcels from 6,000 square feet to 5 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
CCCommercial
Community Commercial District (legacy)
Mid scale legacy commercial district on 6,000 square foot minimum lots. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
GCCommercial
General Commercial District (legacy)
Broadest legacy commercial district on 6,000 square foot minimum lots. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
VMUMixed use
Vertical Mixed Use District (legacy)
Legacy vertical mixed use district at up to 40 units per gross acre on parcels from 4,000 square feet to 20 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
PDDSpecial purpose
Planned Development District (existing)
Existing planned development districts remain in effect under the code in force when each was adopted (Sec. 9.2.2.8). The 2025 Development Code creates no new PDD; each PDD is governed by its adopting ordinance and approved plan. The GIS layer records the ordinance number for many PDD polygons.
SCSpecial purpose
SmartCode (converted label)
Former SmartCode zones were renamed and converted by Sec. 4.1.2.9: downtown T4 to CD-4, T5 to CD-5D, and CS to P; other SmartCode areas T3 to CD-3, T4 to CD-4, and T5 to CD-5. Some GIS polygons still carry the SC label.

Code	Name	Category	Summary
FD	Future Development District	Residential	Temporary holding district for newly annexed or not yet developed land, and the interim zoning for newly annexed territory under Sec. 4.1.4.1. Primarily agricultural character with houses on 2 acre minimum lots.
SF-R	Single Family Rural Residential District	Residential	Single family homes in larger lot subdivisions in a rural setting, with one acre (43,560 square foot) minimum lots and 0.8 units per gross acre.
SF-6	Single Family District - 6	Residential	Single family detached houses on 6,000 square foot minimum lots at up to 5.5 units per gross acre. Uses that would substantially interfere with the residential nature of the district are not allowed.
SF-4.5	Single Family District - 4.5	Residential	Single family detached houses on 4,500 square foot minimum lots at up to 7.5 units per gross acre. Uses that would substantially interfere with the residential nature of the district are not allowed.
ND-3	Neighborhood Density - 3	Residential	Infill district for single family detached houses plus zero lot line houses, at up to 10 units per gross acre. Rezoning to ND-3 is subject to the single family preservation analysis in Sec. 4.1.2.5.
ND-3.2	Neighborhood Density - 3.2	Residential	Infill district for single family detached houses with smaller lots and detached zero lot line houses, at up to 12 units per gross acre. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer.
ND-3.5	Neighborhood Density - 3.5	Residential	Residential infill district allowing houses, zero lot line houses, cottage courts, duplexes, townhouses, and small multi-family, at up to 16 units per gross acre. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer.
ND-4	Neighborhood Density - 4	Residential	Small scale multi-family and townhouse district with limited neighborhood commercial on corners only, up to 3 stories. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer.
N-CM	Neighborhood Commercial	Mixed use	Pedestrian oriented mixed use corridor district near residential areas, formerly named N-MS. Shopfront, live/work, townhouse, and small multi-family building types up to 3 stories.
CD-1	Character District - 1	Special purpose	Open space preservation district protecting the most sensitive natural resources, with 20 percent maximum impervious cover and no stated residential density.
CD-2	Character District - 2	Residential	Rural single family and agricultural character district with 10 acre house lots and 0.1 units per gross acre. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer.
CD-2.5	Character District - 2.5	Residential	Single family detached character district at up to 8 units per gross acre, applied where the land use pattern is one or two family with some housing type mixture.
CD-3	Character District - 3	Residential	One and two family character district allowing houses, cottage courts, duplexes, and zero lot line houses at up to 10 units per gross acre.
CD-4	Character District - 4	Mixed use	Mixed residential character district with single family, two family, townhouse, courtyard, and apartment building types plus limited corner commercial, up to 3 stories and 50 feet.
CD-5	Character District - 5	Mixed use	Walkable mixed use character district for residential, retail, service, and commercial uses with restricted auto-oriented uses, 2 story minimum and 5 story maximum height.
CD-5D	Character District - 5 Downtown	Mixed use	Downtown mixed use character district with restricted auto-oriented uses, 2 story minimum and 5 story maximum height, and a 3 story cap inside the downtown historic district.
PA	Planning Area District	Special purpose	Large scale walkable planning district allocated among character and special districts by percentage under Table 4.18, with a regulating plan required under Sec. 4.4.3.9.
CM	Commercial District	Commercial	Commercial gateway district along major corridors, formerly named EC (Employment Center), with live/work, general commercial, and mixed use shopfront building types up to 4 stories.
BP	Business Park District	Commercial	Commercial and lightest industrial district intended to operate in a clean and quiet manner, up to 3 stories and 36 feet with 50 foot buffers next to residential. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer.
HC	Heavy Commercial District	Commercial	Auto-oriented and other heavy commercial uses expected to operate in a relatively clean and quiet manner, up to 4 stories and 62 feet.
LI	Light Industrial District	Industrial	Manufacturing and light industrial district intended to limit encroachment of non-industrial development, up to 4 stories and 62 feet on 7,000 square foot minimum lots.
HI	Heavy Industrial District	Industrial	High impact manufacturing and industrial district for uses not compatible with nearby residential or commercial areas, up to 4 stories and 62 feet.
MH	Manufactured Home District	Residential	Manufactured housing developments at up to 9 units per gross acre with lot or space standards for interior and corner placement.
AR	Agricultural Ranch District (legacy)	Residential	Large tract agricultural preservation district with 5 acre (217,800 square foot) minimum parcels. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
SF-11	Single Family District - 11 (legacy)	Residential	Low density detached single family homes on lots of at least 11,000 square feet. No polygons currently appear in the city zoning GIS layer. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
MR	Manufactured Home and Residential District (legacy)	Residential	Manufactured homes and site built homes on individual lots. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
D	Duplex Residential District (legacy)	Residential	Low density duplex district on 11,000 square foot lots. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
DR	Duplex Restricted Residential District (legacy)	Residential	Medium density restricted duplex district on 5,400 square foot lots with occupancy restrictions under Sec. 9.3.4.4. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
TH	Townhouse Residential District (legacy)	Residential	Attached townhouses on 2,500 square foot lots at up to 12 units per gross acre with occupancy restrictions under Sec. 9.3.4.4. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
PH-ZL	Patio Home, Zero-Lot-Line Residential District (legacy)	Residential	Patio homes and zero lot line homes on 4,000 square foot lots with occupancy restrictions under Sec. 9.3.4.4. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
MF-12	Multiple-Family Residential District (12 units) (legacy)	Residential	Multifamily district at up to 12 units per gross acre on parcels up to 7 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
MF-18	Multiple-Family Residential District (18 units) (legacy)	Residential	Multifamily district at up to 18 units per gross acre on parcels up to 7 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
MF-24	Multi-Family Residential District (24 units) (legacy)	Residential	Multifamily district at up to 24 units per gross acre on parcels from 12,000 square feet to 7 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
MU	Mixed Use District (legacy)	Mixed use	Legacy mixed use district on parcels from 6,000 square feet to 20 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
P	Public and Institutional District (legacy)	Special purpose	Public and institutional uses such as schools, government facilities, and utilities. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
OP	Office Professional District (legacy)	Commercial	Professional office district on parcels from 6,000 square feet to 5 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
NC	Neighborhood Commercial District (legacy)	Commercial	Small scale legacy commercial district on parcels from 6,000 square feet to 5 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
CC	Community Commercial District (legacy)	Commercial	Mid scale legacy commercial district on 6,000 square foot minimum lots. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
GC	General Commercial District (legacy)	Commercial	Broadest legacy commercial district on 6,000 square foot minimum lots. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
VMU	Vertical Mixed Use District (legacy)	Mixed use	Legacy vertical mixed use district at up to 40 units per gross acre on parcels from 4,000 square feet to 20 acres. This is a Chapter 9 legacy district: no new legacy district may be added to the Official Zoning Map and no boundary may be expanded (Sec. 4.1.2.8).
PDD	Planned Development District (existing)	Special purpose	Existing planned development districts remain in effect under the code in force when each was adopted (Sec. 9.2.2.8). The 2025 Development Code creates no new PDD; each PDD is governed by its adopting ordinance and approved plan. The GIS layer records the ordinance number for many PDD polygons.
SC	SmartCode (converted label)	Special purpose	Former SmartCode zones were renamed and converted by Sec. 4.1.2.9: downtown T4 to CD-4, T5 to CD-5D, and CS to P; other SmartCode areas T3 to CD-3, T4 to CD-4, and T5 to CD-5. Some GIS polygons still carry the SC label.

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