Where can I put a zoo or aquarium in Fairfax County, VA?

Fairfax County, VA, excluding the incorporated towns, which run their own zoning.

Zoo or Aquarium

It depends in 7 districts

District	Properties loaded	Code	What says so
C-7 Varies Depends: special permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a) allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b) when the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a) allows here Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a), Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b): If the use includes the keeping of animals outside of a completely enclosed building, it must comply with the following standards: (a) The minimum lot area is ten acres; … Except for light poles, all structures must be located a minimum of 50 feet from all lot lines.	105 no ZIP in the county's record (24), 20120 (2), 20121 (3), 22003 (1), 22033 (10), 22044 (12), 22102 (9), 22150 (13), 22182 (31)	SP	Sec. 4101 Read from the use table: Table 4101.1, row "Zoo or Aquarium", column "C-7", reads "SP". Sec. 4101.1 says: E. An “SP” in a cell of Table 4101.1 or Table 4101.2 indicates that the use can be established only with BZA approval of a special permit in accordance with subsection 8101.3 and the related use standards.
C-8 Varies Depends: special permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a) allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b) when the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a) allows here Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a), Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b): If the use includes the keeping of animals outside of a completely enclosed building, it must comply with the following standards: (a) The minimum lot area is ten acres; … Except for light poles, all structures must be located a minimum of 50 feet from all lot lines.	1,213 no ZIP in the county's record (118), 20120 (32), 20121 (10), 20124 (1), 20151 (46), 20164 (1), 20170 (9), 20171 (4), 20190 (1), 22003 (41), 22030 (16), 22031 (16), 22033 (2), 22039 (1), 22041 (73), 22042 (135), 22043 (12), 22044 (13), 22046 (29), 22060 (3), 22066 (102), 22079 (21), 22101 (40), 22102 (7), 22124 (2), 22150 (21), 22151 (2), 22181 (3), 22182 (14), 22302 (2), 22303 (46), 22306 (121), 22307 (2), 22309 (223), 22310 (8), 22312 (36)	SP	Sec. 4101 Read from the use table: Table 4101.1, row "Zoo or Aquarium", column "C-8", reads "SP". Sec. 4101.1 says: E. An “SP” in a cell of Table 4101.1 or Table 4101.2 indicates that the use can be established only with BZA approval of a special permit in accordance with subsection 8101.3 and the related use standards.
PDC / Secondary Varies Depends: only if shown on an approved development plan and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 2105.4.C(1) and Sec. 4101.1.B; special exception, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a) allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 2105.4.C(1) and Sec. 4102.5.BB when the use stays within the limits in Sec. 2105.4.C(1) and Sec. 4101.1.B Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a), Sec. 2105.4.C(1)(a), Sec. 2105.4.C(1)(b), Sec. 4101.1.B, Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b), Sec. 2105.4.C(1)(c), Sec. 2105.4.C(1)(d), Sec. 2105.4.C(1)(b)1, Sec. 2105.4.C(1)(b)2, Sec. 2105.4.C(1)(b)3: If the use includes the keeping of animals outside of a completely enclosed building, it must comply with the following standards: (a) The minimum lot area is ten acres; … Secondary uses are only permitted in a PDC District containing one or more principal uses. … The gross floor area of all secondary uses may not exceed 75 percent of the total gross floor area in the development, unless modified by the Board to implement the Comprehensive Plan. … If the cell containing the “✓” is in a column under the subheading “Secondary,” the use can only be established with one or more principal uses. … Except for light poles, all structures must be located a minimum of 50 feet from all lot lines. … Secondary uses must be designed as an integrated component of the planned development and must be designed to maintain and protect the character of adjacent properties. … Except for accessory outdoor dining in accordance with subsection 4102.7.L, any outdoor component of a commercial use must be shown on the final development plan. … Balconies, porches, decks, breezeways, stoops, and stairs that may be covered but have at least one open side; and … Breezeways that may be covered but have two open ends. … For the purpose of this subsection (b), an open side or open end has no more than 50 percent of the total area between the side(s), roof, and floor enclosed with railings, walls, or architectural features.	no parcels loaded	✓/SE	Sec. 4101 Read from the use table: Table 4101.2, row "Zoo or Aquarium", column "PDC / Secondary", reads "✓/SE". Sec. 4101.1 says: C. A “✓/SE” in a cell of Table 4101.2 indicates that the use can be established only when it complies with Section 2105 and related use standards as follows: (1) The use must be identified on an approved PRC development plan and, if applicable, a PRC plan in the PRC District, or on an approved final development plan in any other P district; or (2) The use may be established with approval of a special exception by the Board when the use is not specifically identified on a final development plan, development plan, or PRC plan, as applicable. When a use is being considered for approval as a special exception, the related special exception or special permit use standards apply. (3) However, when a use is being considered for approval on a development plan in the PRC District or a final development plan in any other P district, the special exception or special permit use standards are used as a guide. (4) When a standard is identified as required in all instances of a particular use, it is mandatory.
PDH / Secondary Varies Depends: only if shown on an approved development plan and the use is a type or location that Sec. 2105.2.C(1)(b)2 allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 2105.2.C(1) and Sec. 4101.1.B; special exception, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB and Sec. 2105.2.C(1) allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 2105.2.C(1) and Sec. 4102.5.BB when the use is a type or location that Sec. 2105.2.C(1)(b)2 allows here Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a), Sec. 2105.2.C(1)(a), Sec. 2105.2.C(1)(b)2, Sec. 4101.1.B, Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b), Sec. 2105.2.C(1)(b), Sec. 2105.2.C(1)(c), Sec. 2105.2.C(1)(b)1, Sec. 2105.2.C(1)(c)1, Sec. 2105.2.C(1)(c)2: If the use includes the keeping of animals outside of a completely enclosed building, it must comply with the following standards: (a) The minimum lot area is ten acres; … Secondary uses in the commercial classification in Table 4101.2 are only permitted in a PDH District that has a minimum of 50 residential dwelling units. … When located within the same building as residential uses, commercial uses are limited to the first and second floors. … If the cell containing the “✓” is in a column under the subheading “Secondary,” the use can only be established with one or more principal uses. … Except for light poles, all structures must be located a minimum of 50 feet from all lot lines. … Secondary uses in the commercial classification must be designed as an integrated component of the planned development and must be designed to maintain and protect the residential character of the planned development and adjacent residential neighborhoods. To accomplish these purposes: … The Board may modify the limitations of subsection 2105.2.C.(1)(a) and (b) in accordance with either of the following: … Except for accessory outdoor dining in accordance with subsection 4102.7.L, any outdoor component of a commercial use must be shown on the final development plan. … When the Comprehensive Plan recommends additional commercial land area, square footage, or to otherwise implement the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. … When the commercial land area serves two or more contiguous PDH Districts and the conceptual and final development plan shows the layout, uses, and intensity of the commercial land area. In these instances, the land areas devoted to commercial uses may be based on the total number of dwelling units in the contiguous PDH Districts.	no parcels loaded	✓/SE	Sec. 4101 Read from the use table: Table 4101.2, row "Zoo or Aquarium", column "PDH / Secondary", reads "✓/SE". Sec. 4101.1 says: C. A “✓/SE” in a cell of Table 4101.2 indicates that the use can be established only when it complies with Section 2105 and related use standards as follows: (1) The use must be identified on an approved PRC development plan and, if applicable, a PRC plan in the PRC District, or on an approved final development plan in any other P district; or (2) The use may be established with approval of a special exception by the Board when the use is not specifically identified on a final development plan, development plan, or PRC plan, as applicable. When a use is being considered for approval as a special exception, the related special exception or special permit use standards apply. (3) However, when a use is being considered for approval on a development plan in the PRC District or a final development plan in any other P district, the special exception or special permit use standards are used as a guide. (4) When a standard is identified as required in all instances of a particular use, it is mandatory.
PTC Varies Depends: if shown on an approved development plan, otherwise special exception, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a) allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b) when the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a) allows here Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a), Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b): If the use includes the keeping of animals outside of a completely enclosed building, it must comply with the following standards: (a) The minimum lot area is ten acres; … Except for light poles, all structures must be located a minimum of 50 feet from all lot lines.	533 no ZIP in the county's record (67), 22102 (432), 22182 (34)	✓/SE	Sec. 4101 Read from the use table: Table 4101.2, row "Zoo or Aquarium", column "PTC", reads "✓/SE". Sec. 4101.1 says: C. A “✓/SE” in a cell of Table 4101.2 indicates that the use can be established only when it complies with Section 2105 and related use standards as follows: (1) The use must be identified on an approved PRC development plan and, if applicable, a PRC plan in the PRC District, or on an approved final development plan in any other P district; or (2) The use may be established with approval of a special exception by the Board when the use is not specifically identified on a final development plan, development plan, or PRC plan, as applicable. When a use is being considered for approval as a special exception, the related special exception or special permit use standards apply. (3) However, when a use is being considered for approval on a development plan in the PRC District or a final development plan in any other P district, the special exception or special permit use standards are used as a guide. (4) When a standard is identified as required in all instances of a particular use, it is mandatory.
R-1 Varies Depends: special permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a) allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b) when the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a) allows here Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a), Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b): If the use includes the keeping of animals outside of a completely enclosed building, it must comply with the following standards: (a) The minimum lot area is ten acres; … Except for light poles, all structures must be located a minimum of 50 feet from all lot lines.	26,110 no ZIP in the county's record (1,933), 20120 (98), 20121 (30), 20124 (80), 20151 (54), 20170 (711), 20171 (1,356), 20190 (27), 20191 (74), 20194 (237), 22003 (800), 22015 (434), 22027 (57), 22030 (566), 22031 (1,068), 22032 (475), 22033 (532), 22039 (1,063), 22042 (316), 22043 (110), 22044 (35), 22066 (2,705), 22079 (1,110), 22101 (1,579), 22102 (1,905), 22124 (3,260), 22150 (429), 22151 (1), 22152 (104), 22153 (197), 22180 (203), 22181 (892), 22182 (2,744), 22303 (1), 22306 (5), 22309 (6), 22310 (236), 22312 (55), 22315 (622)	SP	Sec. 4101 Read from the use table: Table 4101.1, row "Zoo or Aquarium", column "R-1", reads "SP". Sec. 4101.1 says: E. An “SP” in a cell of Table 4101.1 or Table 4101.2 indicates that the use can be established only with BZA approval of a special permit in accordance with subsection 8101.3 and the related use standards.
R-E Varies Depends: special permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a) allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b) when the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a) allows here Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(a), Sec. 4102.5.BB(4)(b): If the use includes the keeping of animals outside of a completely enclosed building, it must comply with the following standards: (a) The minimum lot area is ten acres; … Except for light poles, all structures must be located a minimum of 50 feet from all lot lines.	7,380 no ZIP in the county's record (1,087), 20171 (8), 20190 (47), 20191 (68), 20194 (1), 20195 (1), 22039 (5), 22066 (3,320), 22079 (1,082), 22101 (4), 22102 (639), 22124 (340), 22181 (424), 22182 (353), 22308 (1)	SP	Sec. 4101 Read from the use table: Table 4101.1, row "Zoo or Aquarium", column "R-E", reads "SP". Sec. 4101.1 says: E. An “SP” in a cell of Table 4101.1 or Table 4101.2 indicates that the use can be established only with BZA approval of a special permit in accordance with subsection 8101.3 and the related use standards.

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This answer is good through July 1, 2026 — that is the date the ordinance we hold runs to, as published by Fairfax County. We last checked with the county on September 14, 2026 and found nothing newer. That is a check on that date, not a promise about today.

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What this does not cover

369,385 properties are loaded, in 67 ZIP codes (20120, 20121, 20124, 20151, 20152, 20153, 20164, 20170, 20171, 20172, 20190, 20191, 20192, 20194, 20195, 20196, 22003, 22009, 22015, 22027, 22030, 22031, 22032, 22033, 22035, 22039, 22041, 22042, 22043, 22044, 22046, 22060, 22066, 22079, 22082, 22101, 22102, 22106, 22124, 22150, 22151, 22152, 22153, 22159, 22160, 22161, 22180, 22181, 22182, 22183, 22185, 22203, 22204, 22206, 22207, 22213, 22302, 22303, 22304, 22306, 22307, 22308, 22309, 22310, 22311, 22312, 22315). Properties outside those ZIPs are not counted here at all. A further 14,528 carry no street address in the county’s own parcel record, so they fall in no ZIP above — they are still loaded and still counted in the 369,385.
A further 130,979 properties carry a parcel zone code this page cannot match to a single column of the use table: (none), AC, AC;CS, AC;CS;M;PR;R, AC;RMU, AC;RMU;T, AC;RS, AE, AE;RMU;RS, AE;RS (2 variants, e.g. AE;RS-10), AE;T, AW, AW;RS (2 variants, e.g. AW;RS-10), AW;T and 63 more.
2,474 of those lie in TWO OR MORE districts at once. Their code below holds every district the parcel really shares area with, joined by a semicolon — AC;CS, AC;CS;M;PR;R-1;RMU;RS-10;RS-12.5, AC;RMU, AC;RMU;T, AC;RS-10 and 346 more. The ordinance does not say the larger share wins, so we do not pick one: the parcel is shown as straddling and is not counted under either district.
10,070 of those carry a code that looks like one of the districts above and is not one. CC, CO, CP, CS, R-10, R-15 and 7 more — these are separate zone classifications in their own right, not the same zone with something added, and the use table has no column for them. We do not fold them in.
(none) above means a parcel we could not place inside any zoning district on the county's zoning map — 1,697 of them. We hold no zone on the parcel record we fetch from the county, so this is our reading of its map rather than a blank in its data.
Owner filters. This county publishes no ownership record we can read, so we cannot tell you who owns anything here — not that nobody matches. It does publish sale history and assessed values, and we hold both, so the two filters below work here even though the owner ones cannot. Owned for: under 2 years 26,000+; 2-5 years 41,000+; 5-10 years 71,000+; 10-20 years 79,000+; 20-30 years 70,000+; 30+ years 58,000+. 21,000+ properties have no transfer date we can read and are in no bucket. 39,399 are worth more as land than as building — the county’s own land assessment is at least 50% of its total. 287 properties carry no pair of assessments and are left out of that count rather than treated as zero, which would make every one of them look like bare land.
Sale history and assessed values from Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration records, retrieved October 5, 2026.
14,528 of the properties above are listed as “no ZIP in the county’s record” in the ZIP breakdowns. 14,528 carry no street address at all in the county’s data and 0 carry a street but no city or ZIP — so we cannot place them in a ZIP, and we do not guess one. They are still counted in the district totals.
119 of them (0.0%) carry a ZIP that does not start 220 or 201 or 221 or 223 — the prefixes covering 99% of the addresses this county publishes. These are the county’s own values, shown as published; some are neighbouring ZIPs along the county line. We have not audited them, and we neither correct them nor drop them, so the count you see is the count that exists.
Overlay districts are not modeled here. An overlay can change what a property allows.
Some cells in this ordinance state two outcomes without saying what separates them; those are shown with their code and their source, and not guessed at.

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