Arlington County, VA · Arlington County Zoning Ordinance (ACZO)
S-D is Arlington County's special development district for unique sites requiring site-specific planning and design standards (ACZO §4.3). By-right: 35ft/3 stories SFD; 45ft/3 stories other uses, FAR 1.0, 56% lot coverage. Development governed by approved site plans.
Development standards in S-D
Maximum height
45 ft
Maximum stories
3
Maximum lot coverage
56%
Read from Arlington County Zoning Ordinance (ACZO), effective through 2026-06-13.
Permitted uses in S-D
ConditionalMixed Use Development Per approved site plan
Not AllowedSTR - Short-Term Rentals No accessory homestay row appears in the ACZO S district use tables; per the table key a blank cell is not permitted (ACZO §12.9.12).
"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.