Zoning Report
St. Paul, MN Zoning
Saint Paul has a detailed, district-based zoning code supported by separate chapters for general standards, land use definitions, district use rules, and approval procedures. The available sources show a wide range of residential districts from one-family to multiple-family, plus traditional neighborhood, business, and special districts, with many projects routed through staff zoning review, site plan review, or public hearing processes depending on scale and relief requested. Recent city materials also indicate an active effort to reduce barriers for adding housing, especially accessory dwelling units and small-scale residential infill.
Last researched May 2026
Zoning Districts in St. Paul, MN
RL One-Family Large Lot
Low-density one-family residential district with large-lot standards.
Allowed uses: One-family dwelling, Home occupation, Community residential facility (6 residents), Day care, School, library, park, church
R1 One-Family
One-family residential district with lower minimum lot area than RL.
Allowed uses: One-family dwelling, Home occupation, Community residential facility (6 residents), Day care, School, library, park, church
R2 One-Family
One-family residential district with moderate lot standards.
Allowed uses: One-family dwelling, Home occupation, Community residential facility (6 residents), Day care, School, library, park, church
R3 One-Family
One-family residential district with smaller lot standards than R2.
Allowed uses: One-family dwelling, Home occupation, Community residential facility (6 residents), Day care, School, library, park, church
R4 One-Family
Small-lot one-family residential district and baseline standard for one-family dwellings in less restrictive residential districts.
Allowed uses: One-family dwelling, Home occupation, Community residential facility (6 residents), Day care, School, library, park, church
RT1 Two-Family
Two-family district that allows all lower-density residential uses plus duplexes.
Allowed uses: All R1-R4 uses, Two-family dwelling
RT2 Townhouse
District for two-family, townhouse, and small multifamily forms.
Allowed uses: All RT1 uses, Three- and four-family dwelling, Townhouse, Community residential facility
RM1 Multiple Family
Lower-scale multifamily district.
Allowed uses: All RT2 uses, Multiple-family dwelling
RM2 Multiple Family
Mid-scale multifamily district allowing taller apartment forms and some supportive service uses.
Allowed uses: All RM1 uses, Multiple-family dwelling, Nursing home, Accessory retail service and office uses, Elderly housing support services
RM3 Multiple Family
Highest-intensity residential district in the provided sources, intended for larger multifamily buildings.
Allowed uses: Most RM2 uses except 1-2 family dwellings, Multiple-family dwelling
T1-T3 Traditional Neighborhood Districts
Traditional neighborhood districts intended to support neighborhood-scaled housing and mixed neighborhood forms. The sources specifically confirm one-family dwellings and ADUs in these districts, but do not provide full use and dimensional tables.
Allowed uses: One-family dwelling in T1-T2 (with cited standards), Accessory dwelling units in T1-T3
BC Community Business (Converted) District
Business district identified in the ADU guidance as one of the districts where ADUs may be permitted under specific code references.
Allowed uses: Accessory dwelling units (per city ADU page)
F1 Ford District
Special district identified in the ADU guidance as allowing accessory dwelling units under its district use table.
Allowed uses: Accessory dwelling units (per city ADU page)
Recent Zoning Changes
The clearest recent zoning changes in the source set relate to housing flexibility and process updates. ADU rules were liberalized in 2022 and again in 2023, and Planning Commission procedures were updated effective February 12, 2026 to route matters previously heard by certain committees to the full Planning Commission.
Zoning Guides
Full investor analysis
Deal-fit, approval path & risk flags for St. Paul, MN
Get the complete report with feasibility by project type, approval complexity, constraint flags, and policy direction — generated from St. Paul, MN's own zoning code and board records.
Get the full St. Paul, MN report →This summary is AI-generated from public municipal sources and is not legal, engineering, or land-use advice. Always verify zoning with St. Paul, MN officials before making decisions.