Arlington County, VA · Arlington County Zoning Ordinance (ACZO)
C-3 is a general commercial district with greater intensity, density and height than C-1 and C-2 (ACZO §7.19). Height 75ft for commercial uses, 35ft for residential. Floor area governed by ordinance spacing requirements.
Development standards in C-3
Maximum height
75 ft
Read from Arlington County Zoning Ordinance (ACZO), effective through 2026-06-13.
Permitted uses in C-3
AllowedRetail (General)
AllowedRestaurant
AllowedOffice
ConditionalHotel Special exception required
AllowedSTR - Short-Term Rentals By-right (P) in the ACZO accessory use tables, subject to an accessory homestay permit issued by the zoning administrator (ACZO §12.9.12). Host must be the primary resident and present during the guest stay. Entire-home rentals (host absent) are not permitted.
"Conditional" means the use generally requires a public hearing or special-exception approval — a very different timeline and risk profile from a by-right permit.
This is the zone. What about the parcel?
Zone rules are the starting point — the answer for a specific property also depends on lot
size, overlays, existing improvements and site conditions. Run a free address lookup to see
what applies to one property.
Standards as recorded by ZoneScore: Arlington County Zoning Ordinance (ACZO), Effective June 13, 2026
Values are read from the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance (ACZO). Where a district allows more density through site plan approval than by right, both are shown -- they are very different entitlement paths.