Zoning › Arkansas › Johnson County › Clarksville

Clarksville, AR Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 12 districts · 2 overlays · 7 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
—

Classic Euclidean: Article 2 enumerates a single roster of 12 base districts (R-1, R-2, R-2(AH), R-3, R-4, R-O, C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1, I-2, A-1). Article 3 organizes regulations by district group (Residential / Commercial / Industrial / Agricultural). Use tables in Section 3.1.2 (residential) and parallel C / I sections are conventional P/SPC/NP matrices. Limited form-based elements appear in C-1 Downtown District Design Standards (Sec. 3.2.2): build-to zone 0'-12' from front property line, no parking in front, specific architectural element standards (marquees, awnings, balconies, projected bays). Default annexation zoning is R-1 (Sec. 2.3 option A).

Worth knowing
  • {"quirk": "ALL BUILDING HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS REMOVED CITYWIDE \u2014 Ord. 22-890 (9/12/2022) removed every district-level maximum building height. The only structural height ceiling in Clarksville is the Article 9 airport-overlay surface slope. This is unusual for a small Arkansas city and gives all base districts (residential, commercial, industrial) unlimited vertical massing potential subject only to airport airspace constraint and Article 9 markings/lighting requirements.", "status": "confirmed"}
  • {"quirk": "Rogers Street Overlay District REPEALED 2023-12-11 (Ord. 23-928) \u2014 overlay history is preserved in the amendment list at the front of the 5-2025 code but the overlay itself is no longer codified. Be aware that older zoning maps may still show the Rogers Street Overlay; the current zoning code does not regulate it.", "status": "confirmed"}
  • {"quirk": "Default annexation zoning is R-1 \u2014 under Sec. 2.3 Option A, any property annexed into the city is zoned R-1 (Single-Family Residential) by default unless action is taken. This makes Clarksville one of the few AR cities with an explicit annexation-default rule, which constrains rezoning expectations for newly annexed parcels.", "status": "confirmed"}

+ 5 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_sf 4com 2ind 2res_mf 1off 1mu 1spec 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-1Single-Family Residentialres_sf7,500 sf[3]—[4]————25[1] / — / 25[2]
R-2Low Density Residentialres_sf——[7]————25[5] / — / 25[6]
R-2(AH)Affordable Housing Districtres_sf——[9]————25[8] / — / —
R-3Medium Density Residentialres_mf——[12]————20[10] / — / 25[11]
R-4Manufactured Home Districtres_sf——[15]————20[13] / — / 20[14]
R-OResidential Officeoff——[18]————25[16] / — / 25[17]
C-1Central Business District (Downtown)mu2,500 sf[21]—[22]————0[19] / — / 0[20]
C-2Neighborhood Commercial and Quiet Businesscom5,000 sf[25]—[26]————25[23] / — / 25[24]
C-3Highway Commercialcom5,000 sf[29]—[30]————25[27] / — / 25[28]
I-1Light Industrial Districtind—[32]—[33]————40[31] / — / —
I-2General Industrial Districtind—[35]—[36]————25[34] / — / —
A-1Agricultural Districtspec43,560 sf[37]—[38]————— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

AOD
Airport Protection (Clarksville Municipal Airport)
SPEC
Clarksville Zoning Code Article 9 (Airport Protection) §§9.1 through 9.4

Land beneath approach, transitional, horizontal, and conical surfaces of the Clarksville Municipal Airport (airport elevation 485.0 feet above mean sea level). Mapped on the Clarksville Municipal Airport Zoning Map kept on file by the Joint Airport Zoning Board.

FPO
Floodplain Overlay (Construction within Floodplain Area)
SPEC
Clarksville Zoning Code Sec. 5.10 (Construction within Floodplain Area)

FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Area (Zone A/AE) along Arkansas River, Spadra Creek, and tributary corridors. Updated flood map hosted at clarksvillear.gov; interactive flood map via hazards-fema ArcGIS viewer.

State preemptions

Act 313 of 2025 (HB 1503) — ADU by-rightapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide preemption: every Arkansas municipality must allow at least one ADU by right on any lot containing a single-family home in any single-family zoning district, with administrative approval only, ADU size capped at lesser of 75% of primary dwelling floor area or 1,000 sf, zero parking required, and a $250 cap on combined municipal application fees. Clarksville's R-1 (Single-Family), R-2 (Low Density Residential), R-2(AH) (Affordable Housing), R-3 (Medium Density Residential), R-4 (Manufactured Home), and R-O (Residential Office) all permit single-family detached use per Sec. 3.1.2 use table — all six SF-permitting districts are in scope.
Source
zoning/us/arkansas/preemptions.json rule ar-act-313-2025-adu-by-right; effective date 2026-01-01 (past today's review date 2026-05-18, status in_force); Clarksville Sec. 3.1.2 Residential District Use Table (R-1/R-2/R-2(AH)/R-3/R-4/R-O all P or SPC for Single-Family Detached).
Effect
On any qualifying single-family lot in R-1, R-2, R-2(AH), R-3, R-4, R-O: Clarksville must approve one ADU administratively (no Planning Commission action), may not require parking, may not enforce size restrictions beyond the state cap, and may not charge >$250 in combined application fees. Clarksville's 5-2025 zoning code does not codify an ADU-by-right pathway — Act 313 supersedes by operation of law as of 2026-01-01.
Act 1035 of 2023 — STR partial preemptionapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide: city may not ban owner-occupied STRs in any zoning district where single-family residential use is permitted, may not cap STR permits more strictly than its general lodging framework, may not require minimum rental durations exceeding 28 days, and may not require STR-only discretionary permits. Clarksville's 5-2025 zoning code does not enumerate STR as a separately regulated use in the residential use table (Sec. 3.1.2). No pre-2011 STR ordinance of record.
Source
zoning/us/arkansas/preemptions.md §ACA §14-54-1604; Clarksville Zoning Code Sec. 3.1.2 (no STR-specific entry); city's lodging framework presumed general.
Effect
Clarksville may register STRs and collect equivalent hotel-occupancy tax; may not ban owner-occupied STRs in R-1 through R-O districts or impose STR-only discretionary review.
Act 757 of 2023 — Building permit / inspection shot clockapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide procedural preemption applicable to all AR municipalities including Clarksville. Permit administration through Clarksville City Hall (Building Department) at (479) 754-6486 must conform to 20-business-day initial / 10-business-day re-review timelines and accept qualified third-party private-provider inspections.
Source
zoning/us/arkansas/preemptions.md §HB 1503 / Act 757 of 2023.
Effect
Procedural compliance required; substantive zoning not preempted.
Act 594 of 2023 — Exactions / impact fees (Nollan-Dolan codification)applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide: exactions and impact fees must satisfy essential-nexus and rough-proportionality. Clarksville's subdivision code (separate document) and zoning special-permit conditions must satisfy the post-Act 594 standard.
Source
zoning/us/arkansas/preemptions.md §Act 594 of 2023.
Effect
Clarksville fees and exactions must be supported by nexus-and-proportionality study; otherwise challengeable.
Act 1012 of 2023 — Down-zoning noticeapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide. Clarksville's University District (around University of the Ozarks campus) and downtown corridor host vested subdivision plats; any down-zoning triggers heightened notice.
Source
zoning/us/arkansas/preemptions.md §Act 1012 of 2023.
Effect
Heightened notice required for down-zonings affecting platted/vested projects.
ACA §§20-25-102 / 20-25-113 — Manufactured housing field preemptionapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide field preemption of manufactured-home construction/installation standards. Clarksville's R-4 (Manufactured Home Residential) district must accept HUD-code compliant homes. R-4 manufactured-home subdivisions require min 5 acres + 5,000 sf/du; R-4 manufactured-home parks require min 2 acres + 4,500 sf/du (Sec. 3.1.4). These are siting/density standards (permissible), not construction standards (preempted). Sec. 5.13 manufactured-home-park requirements (Arkansas Manufactured Home Commission anchoring per (10)) explicitly defer to AMHC.
Source
zoning/us/arkansas/preemptions.md §Manufactured Housing Preemption; Clarksville Zoning Code Sec. 3.1.4 + Sec. 5.13.
Effect
Clarksville's R-4 district structure is preemption-compliant; appearance/compatibility standards permitted, construction standards preempted.
ACA §14-56-416 — Land use plan preconditionapplies
Qualifying condition
Modified Dillon's Rule: Clarksville must have an adopted land use plan before exercising any zoning authority. Clarksville maintains an active 2020-2040 Comprehensive Plan (proposed status on city planning page, with an existing prior plan in force in interim) and an active Planning Commission meeting fourth-Thursday-monthly.
Source
zoning/us/arkansas/preemptions.md §ACA §14-56-401 et seq.; Clarksville Planning & Zoning page references comprehensive plan documents.
Effect
Zoning authority is conditional on plan adoption. Clarksville appears compliant via interim plan; 2020-2040 plan adoption recommended for vested-rights / down-zoning defense.

Adopted building codes

State buildings only

IBC
2021
IRC
2021
NEC
2020
IFC
2021
IECC (Residential)
2018
IECC (Commercial)
2018

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Amendment history

DateKindCitation
2025-05-01supplement effectivenote: 5-2025 revised zoning code PDF directly hosted by City of Clarksville. 98-page document with current consolidated amendments through 24-940 (3/11/2024). | source: https://www.clarksvillear.gov/uploads/1/0/2/0/102084138/5-2025_clarksville_zoning_code_revised.pdf
2023-12-11amendment effectivesource: Ord. 23-928 — Removed Rogers Street Overlay District
2023-08-14amendment effectivesource: Ord. 23-919 — Art. 3 Section 3.2.2 C-1 Exterior Architectural Elements
2022-09-12amendment effectivesource: Ord. 22-890 — Removed all Building Height Restrictions

Quirks & notes

  • {"quirk": "ALL BUILDING HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS REMOVED CITYWIDE \u2014 Ord. 22-890 (9/12/2022) removed every district-level maximum building height. The only structural height ceiling in Clarksville is the Article 9 airport-overlay surface slope. This is unusual for a small Arkansas city and gives all base districts (residential, commercial, industrial) unlimited vertical massing potential subject only to airport airspace constraint and Article 9 markings/lighting requirements.", "status": "confirmed"}
  • {"quirk": "Rogers Street Overlay District REPEALED 2023-12-11 (Ord. 23-928) \u2014 overlay history is preserved in the amendment list at the front of the 5-2025 code but the overlay itself is no longer codified. Be aware that older zoning maps may still show the Rogers Street Overlay; the current zoning code does not regulate it.", "status": "confirmed"}
  • {"quirk": "Default annexation zoning is R-1 \u2014 under Sec. 2.3 Option A, any property annexed into the city is zoned R-1 (Single-Family Residential) by default unless action is taken. This makes Clarksville one of the few AR cities with an explicit annexation-default rule, which constrains rezoning expectations for newly annexed parcels.", "status": "confirmed"}
  • {"quirk": "C-1 Downtown Design Standards = de-facto form-based overlay within the base district \u2014 build-to zone 0'-12' from front property line, no parking in front, codified architectural elements for marquees, awnings, balconies, projected bays. The form-based controls live IN the C-1 base district per Sec. 3.2.2 rather than as a separate overlay; this is the most form-based-looking section of the Clarksville code.", "status": "confirmed"}
  • {"quirk": "R-2(AH) Affordable Housing District is a dedicated base district (not an overlay) \u2014 Sec. 3.1.2 use table permits manufactured-home subdivisions specifically in R-2(AH) while excluding them from R-2 proper. R-2(AH) thus functions as the city's affordable-housing pathway via manufactured-home product, parallel to and distinct from R-4 (which is exclusively manufactured-home).", "status": "confirmed"}
  • {"quirk": "Act 313 of 2025 ADU preemption now binding \u2014 Clarksville's R-1, R-2, R-2(AH), R-3, R-4, R-O districts must allow at least one ADU by right on every single-family lot with administrative-only approval, no parking, size capped at lesser of 75% primary or 1,000 sf, fee cap $250. The 5-2025 zoning code does not codify an ADU pathway \u2014 Act 313 supersedes by operation of law as of 2026-01-01.", "status": "confirmed"}
  • {"quirk": "Service-station pump setback codified \u2014 Sec. 3.2.5(9) requires 15 ft setback for service station pumps and pump islands from all property lines in C-3. This is one of very few use-specific dimensional standards in the code outside the use tables.", "status": "confirmed"}
  • {"quirk": "University of the Ozarks contextual district \u2014 Clarksville hosts University of the Ozarks but the 'University District' is a planning-context label (used in the comprehensive plan and map) not a codified zoning overlay; campus parcels are zoned R-O (Residential Office) or institutional uses by-right within base districts.", "status": "partial"}

Formulas

Definitions

height
Building Height (Sec. Article 13 Definitions): vertical distance measured from the average elevation of the finished grade at the front of the building to the highest point. Ord. 22-890 (9/12/2022) REMOVED all building-height restrictions citywide — no district-level max height ceiling currently codified.
lot_coverage
Building Coverage (Article 13 Definitions): percentage of lot area covered by the building. Includes overhanging roofs.
lot_width
Lot Width (Article 13 Definitions): width of a lot measured at the front building setback line.
setback
Setback (Article 13 Definitions): distance between the lot line and the building line.
far
No FAR table codified; intensity controlled through lot coverage, lot area per dwelling unit, and setback.
du_ac
Implicit via Lot Area per Family column in Sec. 3.1.4 dimensional table (e.g. R-3 Multi-Family 2,500 sf/du = ~17.4 du/ac; R-4 Manufactured Home Park 4,500 sf/du = ~9.7 du/ac).
parking
Off-Street Parking and Loading per Article 6. Specific per-use ratios not extracted in this pass.

Capacity calculations

max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage_pct
max_units_residential_per_lot
lot_area_sf / lot_area_per_family_sf (R-3 Multi-Family: lot_area / 2,500 sf)
max_building_height_ft
UNLIMITED — Ord. 22-890 removed all building-height restrictions; only Article 9 airport-overlay height limits apply

Massing explorer

Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.

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Setbacks (F / S / R)
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Parking
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Max density
— du/ac
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Min lot size
— sf
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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
https://www.clarksvillear.gov/planning-zoning.html
Citations
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Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedevidence=source.primary_url = https://www.clarksvillear.gov/planning-zoning.html (city-hosted, non-aggregator). Direct zoning code PDF at https://www.clarksvillear.gov/uploads/1/0/2/0/102084138/5-2025_clarksville_zoning_code_revised.pdf is the primary working artifact.
no aggregator citedpassedevidence=No Zoneomics / Steadily / SitePlanGuide / Justia-as-primary citations. Primary and all alt URLs are city-hosted (clarksvillear.gov) or city-contracted GIS (garver.maps.arcgis.com).
confidence tags full formpassedevidence=Every district dimensional standard carries {v, c (confirmed/partial), citation} with explicit Sec. 3.x or Article reference. Overlay parameters carry status + citation. Preemption entries cite ACA section and qualifying-condition source with city-specific district roster.
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassedevidence=2/2 overlays (AOD, FPO) have parameters[] + geographic_trigger + status + citation + ordinance_ref. Confirmed-status, not partial.
preempt section city specificpassedevidence=7 AR statutes with qualifying_condition_checked containing city-specific applicability — R-4 district roster verified against Sec. 3.1.2 use table for manufactured-housing preemption; R-1/R-2/R-2(AH)/R-3/R-4/R-O district list verified against use table for ADU preemption; downtown C-1 + University District corridor flagged for vested-rights / down-zoning notice.

Data quality

82%completeness138 confirmed3 partial
Documented gaps
  • Sec. 3.5(c) agricultural structure setback from residential not captured in this pass.
  • Article 6 off-street parking per-use ratios not extracted.
  • Article 7 sign ordinance parameters not extracted.
  • Article 9 exact slope ratios for each airport zone (standard Part 77 inferred but not captured verbatim).
  • Sec. 5.10 floodplain freeboard / substantial-improvement % not captured verbatim (carry-forward standard 2 ft / 50% likely but not verified).

Known issues

freshness:standard

Other cities in this state

Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.

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