Zoning reference

Denton, TX zoning districts

29 districts, 29 with a written citation. Each row says what the district permits by primary use.

Denton, TX zoning is governed by the Denton Development Code (DDC), codified as Chapter 35 (SubPart B, "Land Development Code") of the City of Denton Code of Ordinances and hosted on Municode (library.municode.com/tx/denton) and the city's LaserFiche/website. Denton adopted a comprehensive 2019 rewrite ("2019 DDC") that consolidated the historic district names into a shorter set (RR, R1–R7, MN/MD/MR, SC/HC, GO/LI/HI/PF, PD, MPC). However, the city's own GIS zoning layer still labels parcels with the LEGACY district codes supplied here (NR-#, RD-5, RC, A, NRMU/NRMU-12, MF-1, DR-1/2, DC-G/N, RCR-1/2, RCC-N/D, CM-E/G, EC-C/I, IC-E/G, PD, MPC). Those legacy districts are defined in the legacy DDC Ch. 35, Subch. 5 "Zoning Districts and Limitations" (§§35.5.1 Rural, 35.5.2 Neighborhood/Residential, 35.5.3 Downtown, 35.5.4 Community Mixed Use Centers, 35.5.5 Regional Mixed Use Centers, 35.5.6 Employment Center, 35.5.7 Industrial Center), and their conversion to the current districts is fixed by Appendix B, Table 9.2-A "Zoning District Transition Table" in the current DDC. Allowed uses live in Table 5.2-A "Table of Allowed Uses." This authoring interprets each legacy GIS code from its legacy §35.5.x purpose statement and grounds the tri-state permission via the Appendix B crosswalk to the current district plus that district's Table 5.2-A row (verified against the cityofdenton.com DocumentCenter View/427 print dated July 2, 2026, pp. 272–277).

How to read the permissions

By right — allowed without discretionary approval. Conditional use — allowed only with a specific approval. Not permitted — not allowed as a primary use. Not resolved — the ordinance does not settle it in a way we would state as fact.

These describe the district. A specific parcel can also be affected by overlays, corridors, flood zones and site conditions.

District Residential Commercial Industrial
A
Agricultural (A)
agricultural
By right Not permitted Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.1 Rural Districts — Agricultural (A): 'recently annexed property into the city limits of Denton. Current zoning is designated as Agricultural pending future zoning case.' A holding district; Appendix B Table 9.2-A groups Rural Areas→RR; single-family/agriculture by-right, commercial and industrial prohibited pending rezoning.
CM-E
Community Mixed Use Employment (CM-E)
commercial
Conditional use By right By right
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.4 Community Mixed Use Centers — Community Mixed Use Employment (CM-E): 'services, employment and institutional facilities... locations for new office blocks and campus style office development... one to three stories.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps CM-E→SC/HC; office/commercial by-right, residential conditional. SC/HC Industrial-Uses columns: Manufacturing Low-Impact P (by-right), Artisan Manufacturing P (by-right); Medium-Impact blank in SC/HC. industrial_permission corrected from 'conditional' to 'by-right' (light industrial is by-right in SC/HC).
CM-G
Community Mixed Use General (CM-G)
commercial
Conditional use By right By right
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.4 Community Mixed Use Centers — Community Mixed Use General (CM-G): 'necessary shopping, services, recreation, employment and institutional facilities... buildings ranging from one to three stories.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps CM-G→SC (Suburban Corridor)/HC (Highway Corridor); Table 5.2-A allows retail/commercial by-right, residential (work/live, multifamily) conditional. SC/HC Industrial-Uses columns: Manufacturing Low-Impact P (by-right), Artisan Manufacturing P (by-right) — Medium-Impact blank in SC/HC (permitted only at GO/LI). industrial_permission corrected from 'conditional' to 'by-right' (light industrial is by-right in SC/HC; the prior 'low-impact manufacturing conditional (SUP)' misstated the mechanism).
DC-G
Downtown Commercial General (DC-G)
mixed use
By right By right Conditional use
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.3 Downtown Districts — Downtown Commercial General (DC-G): 'the central core of downtown Denton... urban with much activity... buildings may reach up to eight stories.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps DC-G→MD (Mixed-Use Downtown Core, within DTIP) / MN; Table 5.2-A allows residential and commercial by-right, artisan/low-impact manufacturing conditional (SUP).
DC-N
Downtown Commercial Neighborhood (DC-N)
mixed use
By right By right Conditional use
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.3 Downtown Districts — Downtown Commercial Neighborhood (DC-N): 'urban setting containing a mix of jobs and housing... buildings may reach up to five stories.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps DC-N (grouped WITH DC-G on one row)→MD within the Downtown Implementation Plan (DTIP) area / MN outside DTIP — the crosswalk text is corrected from the prior 'DC-N→MN' to the actual 'DC-N, DC-G → MD within DTIP / MN outside DTIP.' Table 5.2-A: residential and commercial by-right; MD Industrial-Uses Artisan Manufacturing P, Low-Impact Manufacturing S; MN Industrial-Uses Artisan Manufacturing P, Craft Alcohol Production S — light/artisan industrial permitted, heavier SUP-gated. industrial_permission corrected from 'prohibited' to 'conditional' to match DC-G under the identical mapping.
DR-1
Downtown Residential 1 (DR-1)
residential mid
By right Conditional use Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.3 Downtown Districts — Downtown Residential 1 (DR-1): 'traditionally residential portions of downtown... expect to see more new residential projects.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A groups DR-1→R7 (Downtown Compatibility Area). Table 5.2-A (R7): residential by-right via single-family / townhome / duplex / triplex / fourplex (P), Multifamily Dwelling S (SUP); limited retail conditional (General Retail <5,000 sf S, Medical/Administrative Office P+); industrial blank (prohibited). residential by-right (via the SFD/townhome/plex P cells; multifamily requires SUP); commercial conditional; industrial prohibited.
DR-2
Downtown Residential 2 (DR-2)
residential mid
By right Conditional use Conditional use
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.3 Downtown Districts — Downtown Residential 2 (DR-2): 'traditionally residential portions of downtown... higher density standards... buildings may reach up to three or four stories.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps DR-2→MN (Mixed-Use Neighborhood); residential by-right, limited neighborhood commercial conditional. MN Industrial-Uses column of Table 5.2-A: Artisan Manufacturing P (by-right), Food Processing <2,500 sf P+, Craft Alcohol Production S — light/artisan industrial permitted, heavier SUP-gated, so industrial_permission corrected from 'prohibited' to 'conditional' (the MN column of its own cited table permits artisan manufacturing by-right).
EC-C
Employment Center Commercial (EC-C)
office
Conditional use By right Conditional use
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.6 Employment Center Districts — Employment Center Commercial (EC-C): 'broad variety of workplaces and complimentary uses... focus on office and professional businesses.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps EC-C→GO (General Office); Table 5.2-A allows office/commercial by-right, multifamily conditional (SUP). GO Industrial-Uses column of Table 5.2-A: Manufacturing Low-Impact P (by-right), Manufacturing Medium-Impact S (SUP), Artisan Manufacturing P, Food/Beverage Processing P+, Data Center Warehouse P (Modular is blank in GO; S only in LI/HI/PF), Industrial Laundry S — light industrial is BY-RIGHT and heavier industrial SUP-gated (heavy manufacturing blank). industrial_permission corrected from 'prohibited' to 'conditional' (the prior 'heavy industrial prohibited' is true, but light industrial is by-right in GO, so the outright 'prohibited' understated the GO column of its own cited table); reported as the aggregate 'conditional' (low-impact by-right, medium SUP, heavy prohibited).
EC-I
Employment Center Industrial (EC-I)
industrial
Not permitted By right By right
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.6 Employment Center Districts — Employment Center Industrial (EC-I): 'variety of workplaces... slightly more light manufacturing and low impact industrial uses... than EC-C.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps EC-I→LI (Light Industrial); Table 5.2-A allows light industrial and commercial by-right, residential prohibited.
ETJ
Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ — not a zoning district)
unzoned
Lower confidence — verify against the ordinance before relying on it.
Not resolved Not resolved Not resolved
ETJ is a GIS mapping label for land within Denton's extraterritorial jurisdiction, outside the corporate city limits. Under Texas Local Government Code (Ch. 42 ETJ; Ch. 212 subdivision authority) a Texas municipality may not apply zoning in its ETJ, so no Denton Development Code base district or use entitlement attaches. Not a Ch. 35 zoning district — tri-state permissions null (subdivision/plat rules may still apply).
IC-E
Industrial Center Employment (IC-E)
industrial
Not permitted By right By right
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.7 Industrial Center Districts — Industrial Center Employment (IC-E): 'many of the same work processes and employment types as Industrial Center General... manufacturing, warehousing and distributing, indoor and outdoor storage, and a wide range of commercial and industrial operations' plus amenities (hotels, motels, recreation). Appendix B Table 9.2-A groups EC-I/IC-E→LI (Light Industrial); light industrial and commercial by-right, residential prohibited.
IC-G
Industrial Center General (IC-G)
industrial
Not permitted By right By right
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.7 Industrial Center Districts — Industrial Center General (IC-G): 'a variety of work processes and employment such as manufacturing, warehousing and distributing, indoor and outdoor storage, and a wide range of commercial and industrial operations.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps IC-G→HI (Heavy Industrial); Table 5.2-A allows industrial by-right, residential prohibited. HI commercial cells: General Retail <5,000 sf P, General Retail >15,000 sf P+, Administrative Office P, automotive repair (major) and wrecking P (sales/leasing is P only in HC), Warehouse P (restaurant, hotel, bank, personal services blank). commercial_permission corrected from 'conditional' to 'by-right' — retail/office/automotive/warehouse commercial uses are permitted by-right (P), not SUP-gated; only hospitality/finance/personal-service commercial is prohibited, so the prior 'conditional/limited' misstated the mechanism.
MF-1
Multi-Family-1 (MF-1)
residential high
By right Conditional use Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, Subch. 5 — Multi-Family-1 (MF-1): 'multi-family district designated as a holdover by Council action February 5, 2002.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A groups MF-1→R7 (Downtown Compatibility Area). Table 5.2-A (R7): residential by-right via single-family / townhome / duplex / triplex / fourplex (P), Multifamily Dwelling S (SUP); commercial — Medical Office P+ and Administrative/Professional Office P+ by-right, General Retail <5,000 sf S (SUP); industrial blank (prohibited). commercial_permission corrected from 'prohibited' to 'conditional' (office is by-right, retail is SUP in R7 — the same R7 target as DR-1 and NRMU-12, resolving the prior same-target inconsistency); residential by-right, industrial prohibited.
MPC
Master Planned Community (MPC)
planned development
Lower confidence — verify against the ordinance before relying on it.
Not resolved Not resolved Not resolved
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35 — Master Planned Community (MPC): a large mixed-use community district governed by an adopted master plan. Appendix B Table 9.2-A (July 2, 2026 print) retains MPC→MPC. Entitlements are established site-specifically by the adopted MPC plan, not a base use table; permissions null pending the parcel's adopted MPC.
NR-1
Neighborhood Residential 1 (NR-1)
residential low
By right Not permitted Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.2 Neighborhood/Residential — Neighborhood Residential 1 (NR-1): 'residential densities... average one home per acre.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps NR-1→R1; Table 5.2-A allows Single-Family Detached by-right, retail/office and industrial uses blank (prohibited).
NR-2
Neighborhood Residential 2 (NR-2)
residential low
By right Not permitted Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.2 Neighborhood/Residential — Neighborhood Residential 2 (NR-2): 'primarily residential development... average two homes per acre.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps NR-2→R2; Table 5.2-A allows single-family by-right, retail/office and industrial prohibited.
NR-3
Neighborhood Residential 3 (NR-3)
residential low
By right Not permitted Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.2 Neighborhood/Residential — Neighborhood Residential 3 (NR-3): 'the predominant zoning category of residential development in Denton... average three homes per acre.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps NR-3→R3. Table 5.2-A (R3): Single-Family Detached P (by-right); General Retail blank (prohibited); Administrative/Professional/Government Office S+ (SUP); Day Care S; RV Park S; industrial blank (prohibited). commercial_permission kept 'prohibited' as the conservative aggregate because retail is blank, but note the conflict: office is SUP-permitted (S+), not blank — see caveat. Confidence downgraded from high to medium: the commercial field does not cleanly match a single Table 5.2-A cell (retail blank vs office SUP), so it is a conservative aggregate, not a direct cell confirmation.
NR-4
Neighborhood Residential 4 (NR-4)
residential low
By right Not permitted Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.2 Neighborhood/Residential — Neighborhood Residential 4 (NR-4): 'primarily residential with some allowances for duplex-style development... average four homes per acre.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps NR-4→R4. Table 5.2-A (R4): Single-Family Detached P (by-right); Duplex and Townhome S (SUP), NOT permitted-by-right; Administrative Office S+ (SUP); General Retail blank (prohibited); industrial blank (prohibited). residential_permission by-right survives via Single-Family Detached (P); commercial_permission kept 'prohibited' as the conservative aggregate (retail blank) though admin office is SUP-permitted — see caveat. Confidence downgraded from high to medium: 'single-family/duplex by-right' in the original citation was wrong (duplex/townhome are SUP), and the office/retail split is a conservative aggregate rather than a clean cell match.
NR-6
Neighborhood Center Residential 6 (NR-6)
residential mid
By right Conditional use Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.2 Neighborhood/Residential — Neighborhood Center Residential 6 (NR-6): 'encourage an appropriate mix of housing types with some supportive commercial uses... about six houses per acre.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps NR-6→R6; residential by-right, the 'supportive commercial' is limited/SUP-gated (conditional), industrial prohibited.
NRMU
Neighborhood Residential Mixed Use (NRMU)
mixed use
By right By right Conditional use
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.2 Neighborhood/Residential — Neighborhood Residential Mixed Use (NRMU): 'the heart of the Neighborhood Center... neighborhood-oriented retail, office and service development with allowances for townhomes, civic uses and limited multi-story apartments... moderate and higher intensity multi-family.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps NRMU→MN (Mixed-Use Neighborhood); residential and neighborhood commercial by-right. MN Industrial-Uses column of Table 5.2-A: Artisan Manufacturing P (by-right), Food Processing <2,500 sf P+, Craft Alcohol Production S (SUP) — light/artisan industrial is permitted and heavier industrial SUP-gated, so industrial_permission=conditional (NOT prohibited; the original 'industrial prohibited' contradicted the MN column of its own cited table). Confidence downgraded from high to medium: the industrial field is a conservative aggregate over the MN artisan/light-manufacturing cells rather than a single clean cell match.
NRMU-12
Neighborhood Residential Mixed Use 12 (NRMU-12)
residential mid
By right Conditional use Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.2 Neighborhood/Residential — Neighborhood Residential Mixed Use 12 (NRMU-12): 'mixed use development... allows low to moderate intensity multi-family housing... average twelve units per acre.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A groups NRMU-12→R7 (Downtown Compatibility Area). Table 5.2-A (R7): residential by-right via single-family / townhome / duplex / triplex / fourplex (P), Multifamily Dwelling S (SUP — so multi-family is NOT by-right); limited neighborhood commercial conditional (Medical/Administrative Office P+, General Retail <5,000 sf S); industrial blank (prohibited). residential_permission by-right survives via the SFD/townhome/plex P cells; commercial conditional (office by-right, retail SUP); industrial prohibited.
PD
Planned Development District (PD)
planned development
Lower confidence — verify against the ordinance before relying on it.
Not resolved Not resolved Not resolved
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, Subch. 5 / Subch. 3 — Planned Development (PD): 'master planned developments that... meet higher standards of scrutiny... before the P&Z Commission and the City Council.' Entitlements are governed by the site-specific adopted PD ordinance/concept plan, not a base use table; Appendix B Table 9.2-A retains PD→PD (conditions governed by the 2019 DDC). Permissions null pending the parcel's adopted PD.
RC
Rural Commercial (RC)
agricultural
Lower confidence — verify against the ordinance before relying on it.
By right Not permitted Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.1 Rural Districts — Rural Commercial (RC): 'locations of small rural commercial operations such as general stores, established fruit stands and places where some hand made goods can be purchased.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A groups RC (Rural Areas)→RR (Residential Rural). RR's Table 5.2-A column PROHIBITS General Retail entirely (only Bed & Breakfast, Veterinary, Recreation/club-type uses are P), so the legacy rural general-store/fruit-stand use is NONCONFORMING under the current RR crosswalk. commercial_permission corrected from 'by-right' to 'prohibited' to reflect the RR target and to match RD-5 and A, which share the identical RR target (resolving the prior same-target inconsistency); residential single-family/agriculture by-right; industrial prohibited. Confidence lowered to low: the legacy code name implies commercial but its current crosswalk target contradicts that intent — the tri-state reflects RR (cited), not the legacy name.
RCC-D
Regional Center Commercial Downtown (RCC-D)
commercial
By right By right By right
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.5 Regional Mixed Use Centers — Regional Center Commercial Downtown (RCC-D): 'major commercial hubs for Denton... much commercial activity... serve the entire region... up to eight stories.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps RCC-D→MR (Mixed-Use Regional); commercial and residential by-right. MR Industrial-Uses column of Table 5.2-A: Manufacturing Low-Impact P (by-right), Artisan Manufacturing P (by-right), Warehouse S, Data Center S — low-impact/artisan industrial is BY-RIGHT, so industrial_permission corrected from 'conditional' to 'by-right' (heavier uses SUP-gated).
RCC-N
Regional Center Commercial Neighborhood (RCC-N)
commercial
By right By right By right
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.5 Regional Mixed Use Centers — Regional Center Commercial Neighborhood (RCC-N): 'neighborhood scale retail and commercial uses... shopping, services, recreation, employment and institutional facilities... up to five stories.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps RCC-N→MR (Mixed-Use Regional); commercial and residential by-right. MR Industrial-Uses column of Table 5.2-A: Manufacturing Low-Impact P (by-right), Artisan Manufacturing P (by-right), Warehouse S, Data Center S — low-impact/artisan industrial is BY-RIGHT (not SUP-gated), so industrial_permission corrected from 'conditional' to 'by-right' (the prior 'low-impact industrial conditional (SUP)' misstated the mechanism; heavier uses like warehouse/data center are SUP).
RCR-1
Regional Center Residential 1 (RCR-1)
mixed use
By right By right Conditional use
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.5 Regional Mixed Use Centers — Regional Center Residential 1 (RCR-1): 'more intense residential areas... a wealth of supportive shops and services.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps RCR-1→MN (Mixed-Use Neighborhood); residential and supportive commercial by-right. MN Industrial-Uses column of Table 5.2-A: Artisan Manufacturing P (by-right), Food Processing <2,500 sf P+, Craft Alcohol Production S — industrial_permission corrected from 'prohibited' to 'conditional' (the MN column permits artisan manufacturing by-right, heavier industrial SUP-gated).
RCR-2
Regional Center Residential 2 (RCR-2)
mixed use
By right By right Conditional use
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.5 Regional Mixed Use Centers — Regional Center Residential 2 (RCR-2): 'urban, containing a mix of jobs and housing... focus on multi-family housing... up to four stories.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A maps RCR-2→MN (Mixed-Use Neighborhood); residential and neighborhood commercial by-right. MN Industrial-Uses column of Table 5.2-A: Artisan Manufacturing P (by-right), Food Processing <2,500 sf P+, Craft Alcohol Production S — industrial_permission corrected from 'prohibited' to 'conditional.' Confidence downgraded from high to medium: the industrial field is a conservative aggregate over the MN artisan/light-manufacturing cells, not a single clean cell match.
RD-5
Rural Residential (RD-5)
agricultural
By right Not permitted Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.1 Rural Districts — Rural Residential (RD-5): 'areas of very low density residential development and agricultural lands.' Appendix B Table 9.2-A groups RD-5 (Rural Areas)→RR (Residential Rural); Table 5.2-A allows single-family and general agriculture by-right, retail/office and industrial prohibited.
RD-5X
Rural Residential — reference designation (RD-5X)
agricultural
By right Not permitted Not permitted
Denton Development Code (legacy) Ch. 35, §35.5.1 Rural Districts. Per Appendix B Table 9.2-A, RD-5X = 'previously un-zoned parcels designated for reference as RD-5X,' grouped with the Rural Areas (A, RD-5, RC)→RR; treated as Rural Residential — single-family/agriculture by-right, commercial and industrial prohibited.

Sources

  • Denton Development Code (legacy), Ch. 35 Subch. 5 'Zoning Districts and Limitations' — district purpose statements, City of Denton Planning & Development Dept.: https://pdf4pro.com/view/zoning-districts-subchapter-5-denton-5a95b9.html (mirror of the City's 'Zoning Districts Subchapter 5' handout)
  • Denton Development Code, Subch. 5 zoning-district sections via Municode/elaws mirror: §35.5.1 Rural (denton-tx.elaws.us/code/dc_subch5_sec35.5.1), §35.5.2 Neighborhood/Residential (…sec35.5.2), §35.5.4 Community Mixed Use Centers (…sec35.5.4), §35.5.5 Regional Mixed Use Centers (…sec35.5.5); §§35.5.1–35.5.7 range confirmed in gas-well provisions
  • Denton Development Code (current), Appendix B 'Zoning District Transition Table' (Table 9.2-A), print date July 2, 2026 — legacy→current district crosswalk: https://www.cityofdenton.com/DocumentCenter/View/427/Denton-Development-Code-PDF ; also https://library.municode.com/tx/denton/codes/development_code?nodeId=CITY_DENTONDECO_APXBZODITRTA
  • Denton Development Code (current), Table 5.2-A 'Table of Allowed Uses' (July 2, 2026 print, pp. 272–277) — P=permitted, P+=permitted with standards, S=special use permit, blank=prohibited; coordinate-exact extraction of the Industrial-Uses columns for GO/MN/MD/MR/SC/HC/HI/R3/R4/R7/RR/LI. Legistar comparison copy: https://denton-tx.legistar.com/View.ashx?GUID=DEFE3323-EC06-43BC-8C9B-183512D1C38E&ID=9470197&M=F
  • Denton Development Code index on Municode: https://library.municode.com/tx/denton/codes/development_code

Table verified against the sources above on 2026-07-19. Ordinances change, so check the current code before relying on any row for a decision.

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