Fairfax County, VA · Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance
R-A provides land for agricultural operations and protects them from urban development. Max 0.2 DU/acre (1 per 5 acres). Min lot 5 acres. Height 35ft. Front 60ft, side 50ft, rear 50ft. Found in the rural western portions of Fairfax County. Section 2102.1.
Development standards in R-A
Front setback
Single-family dwellings and manufactured homes: At least 60 ft
2102
Other principal uses: At least 60 ft for a building up to 35 ft tall, 62 ft up to 40 ft, 71 ft up to 45 ft, 80 ft up to 50 ft, 88 ft up to 55 ft, 97 ft up to 60 ft; no figure above that height
2102
Side setback
Single-family dwellings and manufactured homes: At least 50 ft
2102
Other principal uses: At least 50 ft for a building up to 30 ft tall, 54 ft up to 35 ft, 62 ft up to 40 ft, 71 ft up to 45 ft, 80 ft up to 50 ft, 88 ft up to 55 ft, 97 ft up to 60 ft; no figure above that height
2102
Rear setback
Single-family dwellings and manufactured homes: At least 50 ft
2102
Other principal uses: At least 50 ft for a building up to 30 ft tall, 54 ft up to 35 ft, 62 ft up to 40 ft, 71 ft up to 45 ft, 80 ft up to 50 ft, 88 ft up to 55 ft, 97 ft up to 60 ft; no figure above that height
2102
Maximum height
Single-family dwellings and manufactured homes: At most 35 ft
2102
Other principal uses: At most 60 ft
2102
Maximum FAR
Other principal uses, public uses: At most 0.15
2102
Other principal uses, uses other than residential or public: At most 0.1
2102
Single-family dwellings and manufactured homes: No requirement
2102
Max density
At most 0.2 dwellings per acre “Density, maximum 0.2 du or manufactured homes/ac”
2102
Minimum lot size
At least 217,800 sq ft
2102
Minimum lot width
At least 200 ft “[1] Lot width may be modified in accordance with subsection 5100.2.K.”
2102
Maximum lot coverage
At most 25% “Single-family detached dwellings, manufactured homes, and any non-agricultural uses, accessory uses, and structures may occupy no more than 25 percent of the lot area.”
2102
Minimum open space
No requirement
2102
Each row above is the ordinance’s own rule, written out in words and cited to its section. Where a figure depends on what you build (the kind of building, a conventional or cluster subdivision, an interior or corner lot, or the building’s height), each case is its own line; where it depends on the building height, the cited table says how that height is measured.
Read from Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance, effective through 2026-07-01. We last checked with the publisher on 2026-09-14 and found nothing newer -- a check on that date, not a promise about today.
How complete is this market? Across 239,083 parcels we answer 96.1% of the 6 questions this site is built to answer, each with a source you can check. The rest are shown as “not recorded” rather than filled in — we would rather be short than wrong. A further 13,550 properties inside the county line are zoned by an incorporated town with its own ordinance, not by the county, so this county ordinance does not govern them and they are not counted above or below — which is why we publish this market as Fairfax County (excl. Vienna and Herndon). Look one of those up and we will tell you which town governs it.
Permitted uses in R-A
AllowedSingle-Family Residential Table 4101.1 lists “Dwelling, Single-Family Detached” as P in the R-A column. P = permitted by right; SE = special exception; SP = special permit; A = accessory only; AP = administrative permit (Table 4101.1).
DependsAgricultural Uses Varies Depends: by right, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.2.A(1) allows here Table 4101.1 lists “Agricultural Operation” as P in the R-A column. P = permitted by right; SE = special exception; SP = special permit; A = accessory only; AP = administrative permit (Table 4101.1).
DependsAccessory Dwelling Units Varies Depends: administrative permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.7.B allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.7.B; special permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.7.B allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.7.B; this table cell allows the use in more than one way (administrative permit or special permit), and the use standards in Sec. 4102.7.B set which way applies Table 4101.1 lists “Accessory Living Unit” as AP/SP in the R-A column. P = permitted by right; SE = special exception; SP = special permit; A = accessory only; AP = administrative permit (Table 4101.1).
DependsHome Occupation Varies Depends: administrative permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.7.H allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.7.H; special permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.7.H allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.7.H; this table cell allows the use in more than one way (administrative permit or special permit), and the use standards in Sec. 4102.7.H set which way applies Table 4101.1 lists “Home-Based Business” as AP/SP in the R-A column. P = permitted by right; SE = special exception; SP = special permit; A = accessory only; AP = administrative permit (Table 4101.1).
Not AllowedSTR - Short-Term Rentals Table 4101.1 has no entry for “Short-Term Lodging” in the R-A column. The table's own legend: a blank cell indicates the use cannot be established in that zoning district (Table 4101.1).
Not AllowedCommercial / Retail Table 4101.1 has no entry for “Retail Sales, General” in the R-A column. The table's own legend: a blank cell indicates the use cannot be established in that zoning district (Table 4101.1).
"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.
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