Zoning › Delaware › New Castle County › Wilmington

Wilmington, DE Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 23 districts · 9 overlays · 2 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
—

Confirmed euclidean: code organizes development by use-segregated districts (R-1 through R-5-C, C-1 through C-6, M-1/M-2, W-1 through W-4). No form-based transect. No PD dominance. Delaware Home Rule city (22 Del. C. Ch. 8) with full zoning autonomy. [confirmed §48-1 et seq. from Zoning Standards Summary PDF primary source]

Worth knowing
  • Q1: TEMPLATE BLEED in v1 — All 18 districts had identical values (5000/35/0.5/0.5/2/25/25/10). Every value from v1 was discarded; this V2 is sourced entirely from the official Zoning Standards Summary PDF (April 2019) via Wayback Machine recovery. [V2 research 2026-05-26]
  • Q2: Wilmington uses 9 residential district designations (R-1, R-2, R-2-A, R-3, R-4, R-5-A, R-5-A-1, R-5-B, R-5-C) rather than the simpler R-1 through R-5 sequence in the v1 file. The v1 file omitted R-2-A and R-5-A-1. The V2 adds all 9 confirmed districts from the primary source. [Zoning Standards Summary April 2019, column headers]
  • Q3: Commercial districts include C-1-A (Neighborhood Commercial) and C-2-A (Secondary Office) not listed in v1. The v1 file listed only C-1 through C-6 (6 districts) missing both A-variants. V2 adds C-1-A and C-2-A. [Zoning Standards Summary April 2019, commercial district column headers]

+ 3 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

com 8res_mf 5res_sf 4spec 4ind 2
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-1Single-Family Residential — One-Family Detachedres_sf6,500 sf[4]40 ft[5]———1[6]30[1] / 8[2] / 25[3]
R-2Single-Family Residential — One-Family Detached/Semi-Detachedres_sf4,000 sf[10]40 ft[11]———1[12]25[7] / 8[8] / 25[9]
R-2-ASingle-Family Residential — One-Family Detached/Semi-Detached with Conversionsres_sf4,000 sf[16]40 ft[17]———1[18]25[13] / 8[14] / 25[15]
R-3Single-Family Residential — One-Family Row Housesres_sf1,600 sf[22]40 ft[23]———1[24]15[19] / 5[20] / 20[21]
R-4Residential — Row Houses with Conversionsres_mf1,280 sf[28]40 ft[29]———2[30]15[25] / 5[26] / 20[27]
R-5-AMulti-Family Residential — Low Density Apartment Housesres_mf5,000 sf[34]40 ft[35]——[36]—1[37]15[31] / —[32] / 20[33]
R-5-A-1Multi-Family Residential — Low to Medium Density Apartment Housesres_mf2,500 sf[41]40 ft[42]—2[43]—1[44]15[38] / —[39] / 15[40]
R-5-BMulti-Family Residential — Medium Density Apartment Housesres_mf—[47]60 ft[48]—3.5[49]——[50]15[45] / —[46] / —
R-5-CMulti-Family Residential — High Density Apartment Housesres_mf—[53]—[54]—6[55]——[56]15[51] / —[52] / —
C-1Commercial — Neighborhood Shoppingcom—47 ft[60]—1.5[61]——[62]10[57] / —[58] / 20[59]
C-1-ACommercial — Neighborhood Commercialcom—47 ft[65]—1.5[66]——10[63] / — / 20[64]
C-2Commercial — Secondary Business Centerscom—180 ft[69]—5[70]———[67] / — / 15[68]
C-2-ACommercial — Secondary Office and Business Centerscom—47 ft[73]—1[74]——10[71] / — / 15[72]
C-3Commercial — Central Retailcom——[77]—6[78]———[75] / — / —[76]
C-4Commercial — Central Officecom—180 ft[81]—20[82]———[79] / — / —[80]
C-5Commercial — Heavy Commercialcom—55 ft[85]—3[86]———[83] / — / —[84]
C-6Commercial — Special Commercialcom——[89]—10[90]——10[87] / — / —[88]
M-1Manufacturing — Light Manufacturingind—55 ft[94]—2[95]——20[91] / 6[92] / 15[93]
M-2Manufacturing — General Industrialind—90 ft[99]—3[100]——20[96] / 6[97] / 15[98]
W-1Waterfront — Waterfront Manufacturingspec——0.6[102]2[103]——— / — / 35[101]
W-2Waterfront — Waterfront Manufacturing/Commercialspec——0.6[104]2[105]——— / — / —
W-3Waterfront — Low-Intensity Manufacturing/Commercialspec—72 ft[107]0.25[108]0.25[109]——— / — / 35[106]
W-4Waterfront — Waterfront Residential/Commercialspec——0.5[110]2[111]——[112]— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

CHD
City Historic Districts
HP
§§48-396–48-427

Properties located within one of the 11 designated City Historic Districts (CHD): Baynard Boulevard (1985), Cool Spring/Tilton Park (1996), Delaware Avenue (1979), East Side (1987), Kentmere Parkway (1979), Lower Market Street (1998), Market Street (1975), Old Swedes (1987), Quaker Hill (1986), Rockford Park (1987), St. Mary's (1987), Trinity Vicinity (2003). Design review applies to exterior alterations, demolitions, and new construction visible from public way.

design_review_requiredTrue
review_bodyDesign Review and Preservation Commission (DRPC)
review_section§48-416
interior_exemptionInterior alterations not visible from public way are exempt
district_count11
districts_listedBaynard Boulevard; Cool Spring/Tilton Park; Delaware Avenue; East Side; Kentmere Parkway; Lower Market Street; Market Street; Old Swedes; Quaker Hill; Rockford Park; St. Mary's; Trinity Vicinity
NCD
Neighborhood Conservation District — Forty Acres
HP
§§48-396–48-427

Properties within the Forty Acres Neighborhood Conservation District (designated 2004). A less restrictive form of historic overlay focusing on neighborhood character preservation rather than full architectural review.

design_review_requiredTrue
review_bodyDesign Review and Preservation Commission (DRPC)
district_nameForty Acres
designation_year2004
noteNCD is a lighter-touch overlay vs CHD; specific parameters differ from full CHD review standards
FP
Floodplain Overlay (NFIP)
FP
§48-96 (Zoning Map); Chapter 48 floodplain provisions

Properties within FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) per the Official Zoning Map (§48-96). Wilmington is an NFIP participating community; floodplain regulations adopted locally per FEMA FIRM. Wilmington borders the Christina River, Brandywine Creek, and the Delaware River — significant floodplain exposure particularly in the Southbridge, Brandywine Village, and Port/Waterfront areas.

nfip_participatingTrue
applicable_areasChristina River floodplain; Brandywine Creek floodplain; Delaware River/Port area; Southbridge neighborhood
fema_firm_referenceFIRM panels for New Castle County; Wilmington community participates in NFIP per Delaware DNREC coordination
statuspartial
CZA
Delaware Coastal Zone Act — Heavy Industry Prohibition
ENV
7 Del. C. §§7001–7014; DNREC 7 DE Admin. Code 101

Parcels within the Delaware Coastal Zone boundary (as mapped by DNREC). The Coastal Zone runs along the Delaware River/Bay/C&D Canal frontage. The Port of Wilmington waterfront area (Christina River mouth / Delaware River confluence) is documented to have 14 grandfathered industrial sites. Whether any particular Wilmington parcel is inside the CZ boundary requires DNREC GIS verification. The CZA prohibits new heavy industry and bulk product transfer facilities inside the zone; it does NOT restrict residential or commercial uses.

prohibited_usesheavy_industrial; bulk_product_transfer_new
grandfathered_sites14 grandfathered industrial sites in Wilmington-Delaware City corridor; conversion requires DNREC Coastal Zone Conversion Permit (2017 amendments)
dnrec_map_urlhttps://dnrec.delaware.gov/coastal-zone-act/
residential_commercial_exemptTrue
statuspartial
TOD
Transit/TOD Overlay
TOD
statusnot_found
search_performedSearched Wilmington City Code Chapter 48 via Municode URL structure and Zoning Standards Summary PDF; no TOD overlay, transit station area overlay, or transit-oriented development overlay appears in the district listing, article structure (Articles I-XI identified), or the supplementary districts (Article IX). Wilmington has Amtrak/SEPTA rail station but no codified TOD overlay found.
CBD-OVL
Downtown/CBD Overlay
DT
statusnot_found
search_performedChapter 48 addresses downtown through base districts C-3 (Central Retail), C-4 (Central Office), C-5 (Heavy Commercial), C-6 (Special Commercial). The Zoning Standards Summary and Article V structure do not show a separate downtown overlay distinct from the base commercial district framework. No additional downtown FAR bonus overlay found.
noteDowntown character handled through base zoning district designations C-3/C-4/C-5/C-6 rather than overlay structure.
CORR
Corridor/Highway Overlay
COR
statusnot_found
search_performedSearched for corridor overlays in Chapter 48 structure. No dedicated corridor or highway overlay appears in the primary source. Terminal Thoroughfare and other access roads are addressed through the base zoning map rather than a dedicated overlay.
noteDelaware EO 16 (2026) designates Corridor Planning Areas at the state level for Sussex County; not applicable to Wilmington. No municipal corridor overlay found.
AHB
Affordable Housing Bonus Program
AH
statusnot_found
search_performedSearched Chapter 48 and Zoning Standards Summary for inclusionary zoning overlay, affordable housing bonus, density bonus, or affordability requirements. Delaware preemptions.md confirms no statewide IZ mandate and notes Wilmington has 'local IZ tools' but these were not found in the Chapter 48 dimensional summary or article structure visible from search results and PDF. May be in a separate chapter or ordinance outside Chapter 48.
noteWilmington noted to have local IZ program per preemptions.md; specific Chapter 48 IZ overlay not confirmed in primary source PDF.
APT
Airport/Airspace Overlay
AP
statusnot_found
search_performedWilmington has no commercial airport. Nearby airports: New Castle Airport (ILG) approximately 7 miles south; Philadelphia International (PHL) approximately 25 miles northeast. No AICUZ overlay or FAA Part 77 overlay found in Wilmington City Code Chapter 48 from primary source materials. Chapter 48 contains antenna height provisions but no airport approach overlay.
federal_overlay_checkNo DoD/AICUZ installation within Wilmington city limits. No federal airport siting overlay applicable to Wilmington proper.

State preemptions

DE_COASTAL_ZONE_ACT_1971applies
Qualifying condition
City.in_coastal_zone: UNCERTAIN — Wilmington borders the Delaware River and Christina River; Port of Wilmington waterfront documented to contain grandfathered industrial sites per 2017 CZA amendments (14 sites in Wilmington-Delaware City corridor). Whether Wilmington's non-port parcels are inside the DNREC-mapped Coastal Zone boundary was not confirmed via DNREC GIS during this pass (interactive map not queryable via static fetch). Population: 71,727 (2024 Census estimate; well above any population threshold in the CZA). Charter type: home-rule (confirmed per 22 Del. C. Ch. 8). CZA does NOT preempt residential or commercial zoning anywhere in the city. Applies=true because the Port of Wilmington area is confirmed within the CZ with 14 grandfathered industrial sites; applies to that portion of the city. Residential core unaffected.
DE_TITLE22_CH8_WILMINGTON_HOME_RULEapplies
Qualifying condition
Population: 71,727 (2024 Census estimate, well above 1,000 threshold in 22 Del. C. §801). Charter type: home-rule confirmed — Wilmington adopted home-rule charter under 22 Del. C. Ch. 8 in 1965. Wilmington is the only Delaware municipality with full home-rule charter. Source: Delaware preemptions.md, overlays.json, and brochure cover (City of Wilmington, Department of Planning and Development, Mayor Michael S. Purzycki — confirms active charter city). Wilmington has plenary zoning authority subject only to general state law.
Non-applicable laws (1)
DE_MANUFACTURED_HOUSING_25_CH70does not apply
Qualifying condition
25 Del. C. Ch. 70 (MHORJA) governs landlord-tenant relationships in manufactured home communities — rent-increase justification, closure notice. Delaware preemptions.md confirms: 'Does NOT mandate zoning districts that must permit manufactured housing, and does NOT preempt a municipality or county from limiting where new manufactured home communities may locate.' Wilmington's Chapter 48 controls manufactured housing siting within city limits. MHORJA does not preempt or modify the zoning code. applies=false because this law does not preempt Wilmington's zoning ordinance.

Adopted building codes

Not statewide

IBC
Local adoption
IRC
2018
NEC
2020
IFC
Local
IECC (Residential)
2018
IECC (Commercial)
ASHRAE 90.1-2016

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

Amendment history

DateKindCitation
2019-04-22supplement effectiveZoning Standards Summary update dated 4/22/2019; reflects text of Wilmington City Code Chapter 48 as last comprehensively updated. | source: https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/8478/636990659256870000
1962-03-08adoptionOriginal adoption date per Zoning Standards Summary PDF (April 2019): 'Any dwelling existing on the date of adoption the zoning ordinance (March 8, 1962)' — §48-246(c) M-1 exception language | source: https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/8478/636990659256870000

Quirks & notes

  • Q1: TEMPLATE BLEED in v1 — All 18 districts had identical values (5000/35/0.5/0.5/2/25/25/10). Every value from v1 was discarded; this V2 is sourced entirely from the official Zoning Standards Summary PDF (April 2019) via Wayback Machine recovery. [V2 research 2026-05-26]
  • Q2: Wilmington uses 9 residential district designations (R-1, R-2, R-2-A, R-3, R-4, R-5-A, R-5-A-1, R-5-B, R-5-C) rather than the simpler R-1 through R-5 sequence in the v1 file. The v1 file omitted R-2-A and R-5-A-1. The V2 adds all 9 confirmed districts from the primary source. [Zoning Standards Summary April 2019, column headers]
  • Q3: Commercial districts include C-1-A (Neighborhood Commercial) and C-2-A (Secondary Office) not listed in v1. The v1 file listed only C-1 through C-6 (6 districts) missing both A-variants. V2 adds C-1-A and C-2-A. [Zoning Standards Summary April 2019, commercial district column headers]
  • Q4: Waterfront districts W-1 through W-4 confirmed in primary source. W-1 and W-2 heights are not explicitly stated in the Zoning Standards Summary PDF extract — summary table shows 'Same as W-1' cascades but the W-1 value row was not captured. W-3 explicitly states 6 stories/72 ft per §48-353(b). [Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.17-18]
  • Q5: Delaware Home Rule — Wilmington is the only Delaware municipality with full home-rule charter (22 Del. C. Ch. 8, 1965). All other Delaware cities are charter towns with delegated authority. Relevant for understanding why Wilmington's Chapter 48 (1962 original) is more elaborate than typical small Delaware municipalities. [Delaware preemptions.md, overlays.json]
  • Q6: The Zoning Standards Summary PDF was last updated April 22, 2019. This is a department summary; full operative Chapter 48 is at Municode but Cloudflare-gated. The PDF states: 'For comprehensive zoning requirements, see Chapter 48.' Dimensional values from this PDF are treated as confirmed but full text may have conditions and amendments not visible in the summary. [Zoning Standards Summary April 2019, cover page]

Formulas

Definitions

height
Grade to highest point of structure.
lot_coverage
Building footprint / lot area.
far
Gross floor area / lot area.
du_ac
Dwelling units per gross acre.
setback_front
Front property line to nearest building face.
setback_side
Side property line to nearest building face.
setback_rear
Rear property line to nearest building face.
parking
Spaces per dwelling unit unless noted.

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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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
Wilmington City Code, Chapter 48 — Zoning

Retrieval failure: municode_cloudflare_403_and_wilmingtonde_akamai_403

Citations
  1. [1] §48-131; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — 'MINIMUM FRONT SETBACK: 30''
  2. [2] §48-131; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4-5 — 'MINIMUM SIDE YARD SETBACK: 8' – 3 stories or fewer; 10' – 4 stories'; corner lot: 15'
  3. [3] §48-131; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.5 — 'MINIMUM REAR YARD SETBACK: 25' – 3 stories or fewer; 35' – 4 stories'
  4. [4] §48-131; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.6 — 'All uses: Lot area: 6,500 sq. ft.; Width: 60'
  5. [5] §48-131; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — 'MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 3 stories, 40''
  6. [6] §48-444; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.19 — 'ONE-FAMILY DWELLING; DETACHED, SEMIDETACHED OR ROW: R-1, R-2: 1 per family'
  7. [7] §48-132; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — 'MINIMUM FRONT SETBACK: 25''
  8. [8] §48-132; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4-5 — '8' – 3 stories or fewer; 10' – 4 stories; 15' – corner lot'
  9. [9] §48-132; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.5 — '25' – 3 stories or fewer; 35' – 4 stories'
  10. [10] §48-132; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.6 — semi-detached: 2,500 sf / 25' wide; all other uses: 4,000 sf / 40' wide. Primary detached use minimum is 4,000 sf. NOTE: semi-detached has lower threshold of 2,500 sf.
  11. [11] §48-132; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — 'MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 3 stories, 40''
  12. [12] §48-444; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.19 — 'ONE-FAMILY DWELLING; DETACHED, SEMIDETACHED OR ROW: R-1, R-2: 1 per family'
  13. [13] §48-132; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — '25''
  14. [14] §48-132; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4-5 — '8' – 3 stories or fewer; 10' – 4 stories; 15' – corner lot'
  15. [15] §48-132; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.5 — '25' – 3 stories or fewer; 35' – 4 stories'
  16. [16] §48-132; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.6-7 — detached: 4,000 sf; semi-detached: 2,500 sf; two-family: 2,500 sf; apt house: 1,000 sf/family; B&B: 4,000 sf + 300 sf/room; other: 4,000 sf
  17. [17] §48-132; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — '3 stories, 40''
  18. [18] §48-444; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.19 — apartment house R-2-A: 1 per family
  19. [19] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — '15''
  20. [20] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4-5 — '5' – detached; 5' – semi-detached; 5' – corner lot'
  21. [21] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.5 — '20' – 3 stories or fewer; 30' – 4 stories'
  22. [22] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.6-7 — row house: 1,600 sf / 16' wide; semi-detached: 2,500 sf / 25'; other: 4,000 sf / 40'
  23. [23] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — '3 stories, 40''
  24. [24] §48-444; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.19 — row house R-3: 1 per family (new construction on unimproved parcels large enough for 6+ lots)
  25. [25] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — semi-detached/row: 15'; all other: 30'
  26. [26] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4-5 — '5' – detached; 5' – semi-detached; 5' – corner lot'
  27. [27] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.5 — '20' – 3 stories or fewer; 30' – 4 stories'
  28. [28] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.6-7 — row house: 1,280 sf / 16'; semi-detached: 2,000 sf / 25'; two-family: 1,800 sf / 18'; converted two-family: 900 sf/family / 18'; apt: 600 sf/family / 40'; B&B: 3,000 sf + 200 sf/room
  29. [29] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — '3 stories, 40''
  30. [30] §48-444; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.19 — 'APARTMENT HOUSE: R-4: 2 for every 3 families'
  31. [31] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — semi-detached/row: 15'; all other: 15'
  32. [32] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4-5 — attached building: none prescribed; semi-detached: 10'; corner lot: 10' or less than 5' (appears context-specific); for buildings 40' or taller: 20' + 1' per 2' above 40'
  33. [33] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.5 — 'for buildings up to 40' in height: 20'; plus 1' for every additional 2' in height'
  34. [34] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.7 — one-family detached: 5,000 sf / 50'; semi-detached: 2,500 sf / 25'; row house: 1,600 sf / 18'; garden apt: 43,560 sf (1 acre min); other: 3,000 sf / 30'
  35. [35] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — '3 stories, 40''
  36. [36] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — 'Garden apartments: 0.75; All other uses: None'
  37. [37] §48-444; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.19 — 'APARTMENT HOUSE: R-2-A, R-5-A, and R-5-A-1: 1 per family'
  38. [38] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — '15''
  39. [39] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4-5 — '1/4 of height of nearest outside wall, no less than 15'; corner lot: 15'
  40. [40] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.5 — '1/4 of height of nearest outside wall, no less than 15'
  41. [41] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.7 — detached: 4,000 sf / 40'; semi-detached: 2,500 sf / 25'; new two-family: 2,500 sf + 1,500 sf GFA / 25'; apt: 600 sf GFA/family / 50'; other: none prescribed
  42. [42] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — '3 stories, 40''
  43. [43] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — 'All uses: 2.0'
  44. [44] §48-444; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.19 — 'APARTMENT HOUSE: R-2-A, R-5-A, and R-5-A-1: 1 per family'
  45. [45] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — '15' (same as R-5-A-1)'
  46. [46] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4-5 — '1/6 of height of nearest outside wall'
  47. [47] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.7 — 'converted one- or two-family: 1,000 sf/family; All other uses: None prescribed / None prescribed' for width
  48. [48] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — '5 stories, 60''
  49. [49] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — 'All uses: 3.5'
  50. [50] §48-444; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.19 — 'APARTMENT HOUSE: R-5-B: 2 for every 3 families'
  51. [51] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — '15' (same pattern as R-5-A-1 and R-5-B)'
  52. [52] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4-5
  53. [53] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.7 — 'All other uses: None prescribed / None prescribed'
  54. [54] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — 'None prescribed' for R-5-C maximum height
  55. [55] §48-133; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.4 — 'All uses: 6.0'
  56. [56] §48-444; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.19 — 'APARTMENT HOUSE: R-5-C, W-4: 1 for every 2 families'
  57. [57] §48-191; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — 'MINIMUM FRONT SETBACK: 10''
  58. [58] §48-191; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — 'Side yards are generally not required in commercial districts except when required by Section 602 of the Building Code'
  59. [59] §48-191; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.12 — 'All uses – 20' (see §48-214(c) for exceptions for thru lots)'
  60. [60] §48-191; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — 'MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 3 stories; 47''
  61. [61] §48-191; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — 'MAXIMUM FLOOR AREA RATIO (F.A.R.): 1.5'
  62. [62] §48-444; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.20 — C-1 retail: 1 per 200 sf GFA (for buildings ≥1,000 sf); office/bank: 3 per office
  63. [63] §48-192; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — '10' (same as C-1)'
  64. [64] §48-192; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.12 — per C-1-A column: exceptions for corner and thru lots per §48-214(b) and (c)
  65. [65] §48-192; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — same as C-1: '3 stories; 47''
  66. [66] §48-192; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — '1.5' (same as C-1)
  67. [67] §48-193; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11-12 — 'Conform to average existing setback of buildings within 100' but does not need to be set back more than 15'
  68. [68] §48-193; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.12-13 — residential: 4 inches per foot of vertical distance from grade no less than 15'; other uses: 10' for height up to 35' + 3' per additional foot
  69. [69] §48-193; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — 'MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 15 stories; 180''
  70. [70] §48-193; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — '5.0'
  71. [71] §48-193; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — '10''
  72. [72] §48-193; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.12 — 'All uses – 15' (see §48-214(b), (c) and (d) for exceptions)'
  73. [73] §48-193; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — C-2-A: '3 stories; 47''
  74. [74] §48-193; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — '1.0'
  75. [75] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — 'None prescribed'. Heights > 2× street width require setback: 1' per 6' height above 2× street width.
  76. [76] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.12 — 'None prescribed (see §48-214(b) for exceptions for corner lots)'
  77. [77] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — 'None prescribed; however, heights greater than twice the width of the widest street on which the building fronts must be set back'
  78. [78] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — '6.0'
  79. [79] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — 'None prescribed'
  80. [80] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.12 — 'None prescribed'
  81. [81] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — C-4: '15 stories; 180''
  82. [82] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — '20.0'
  83. [83] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — 'None prescribed'
  84. [84] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.12 — 'Same as C-3: None prescribed'
  85. [85] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — '4 stories; 55''
  86. [86] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — '3.0'
  87. [87] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — '10''
  88. [88] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.12 — 'Same as C-3: None prescribed'
  89. [89] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — 'None prescribed'
  90. [90] §48-194; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.11 — '10.0'
  91. [91] §48-263; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.15 — '(1) For properties that front on residential zoning districts: 20' (with landscaping requirements); (2) For structures on streets less than 80' wide: 40' (see §48-263 for exceptions)'
  92. [92] §48-265(b); Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.15 — '2 side yards, each minimum width of 6' for a 1-story building; additional width of 2' for every additional story, not to exceed 10''
  93. [93] §48-264; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.15 — '15' (see §48-264 for exceptions)'
  94. [94] §48-261(b); Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.15 — '4 stories; 55' (see §48-261(b) for exceptions)'
  95. [95] §48-246; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.15 — '2.0'
  96. [96] §48-263; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.15 — same as M-1: '(1) For properties fronting on residential: 20'; structures permitted taller than 90': setback ≥ height'
  97. [97] §48-265; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.15 — 'Same as M-1'
  98. [98] §48-264; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.15 — '15' for heights up to 60' above grade, plus 3 inches per additional foot'
  99. [99] §48-261(b); Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.15 — '90' (see §48-261(b) for exceptions)'
  100. [100] §48-247; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.15 — '3.0'
  101. [101] §48-333; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.17-18 — 'MINIMUM SETBACK FROM RIVERFRONT: Depth <200': 30'; 200'-400': 40'; >400': 50' [W-1]; W-3: 35'.'
  102. [102] §48-333; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.18 — 'MAXIMUM BUILDING COVERAGE RATIO: 0.60'
  103. [103] §48-333; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.18 — 'MAXIMUM FLOOR AREA RATIO (F.A.R.): 2.0'
  104. [104] §48-333; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.18 — 'Same as W-1: 0.60'
  105. [105] §48-333; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.18 — 'Same as W-1: 2.0'
  106. [106] §48-353; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.17 — 'MINIMUM SETBACK FROM RIVERFRONT: W-3: 35''
  107. [107] §48-353(b); Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.17 — 'W-3: 6 stories, 72' (see §48-353(b) for exceptions)'
  108. [108] §48-333; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.18 — 'MAXIMUM BUILDING COVERAGE RATIO: W-3: 0.25'
  109. [109] §48-333; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.18 — 'W-3: 0.25'
  110. [110] §48-333; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.18 — 'W-4: row houses 0.40; garden apts 0.40; walk-up 0.50; elevator apt house 0.50; other 0.50'
  111. [111] §48-333; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.18 — 'W-4: row houses 0.80; garden apts 1.0; walk-up apts 1.50; elevator apt house 2.0; all other uses 2.0'
  112. [112] §48-444; Zoning Standards Summary April 2019 p.19 — 'APARTMENT HOUSE: R-5-C, W-4: 1 for every 2 families'

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedsource.primary_url = https://library.municode.com/de/wilmington/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIIWICO_CH48ZO — https, not an aggregator, points to authoritative municipal code platform
no aggregator citedpassedscan clean — no zoneomics, steadily, siteplanguide, sitedesignguide, siteplancreator, propwire, zonara, or unzoned domains appear in any field
confidence tags full formpassed54 confirmed fields all carry §-form citations (e.g. §48-131, §48-191, §48-444, §48-246, §48-247, §48-261, §48-263, §48-264, §48-265, §48-333, §48-353, §§48-396–48-427); partial/not_captured fields carry explicit reason fields per FM-8
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassedAll 9 overlay types addressed: CHD (confirmed §§48-396–48-427, trigger/params populated), NCD (confirmed), FP (partial with documented retrieval failure), CZA (confirmed §7001–7014), and 5 not_found overlays with search_performed fields. Each overlay has params, trigger (or explicit null for not_found), status, and confidence fields populated per Gate 4.
preempt section city specificpassedDelaware is not in the Gate 5 active-preemption state list (CA/TX/FL/OR/WA/CO/MN/MT/UT/AZ/NJ/CT). State preemptions array is populated with 3 entries (DE_COASTAL_ZONE_ACT_1971, DE_TITLE22_CH8_WILMINGTON_HOME_RULE, DE_MANUFACTURED_HOUSING_25_CH70), each with city-specific qualifying_condition_checked containing population inputs, vintage, and threshold comparisons. Delaware has no MBTA-style density preemption requiring Gate 5 evaluation.

Data quality

72%completeness54 confirmed12 partial21 not found
Documented gaps
  • W-1/W-2 maximum height not captured from PDF extraction
  • W-4 maximum height not captured
  • R-5-B/R-5-C rear setback not captured due to multi-column PDF extraction gap
  • Lot coverage not stated for residential districts R-1 through R-5-C in primary source
  • FAR not stated for residential districts R-1 through R-4 in primary source
  • Local IZ/affordable housing bonus program may exist outside Chapter 48 — not confirmed
  • FEMA FIRM effective date and freeboard requirement for Wilmington NFIP community not confirmed
  • DNREC Coastal Zone boundary GIS verification for Wilmington parcels not completed

Known issues

retrieval:municode-403-cloudflareretrieval:wilmingtonde.gov-akamai-403data:dimensional-values-from-zoning-standards-summary-pdf-2019data:waterfront-district-height-w1-w2-not-stated-in-pdf