Zoning › Maryland › Montgomery County › Rockville

Rockville, MD Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 22 districts · 9 overlays · 2 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed
Naming convention by category
single_family_residentiallot-size-encoded
multifamily_residentialdensity-encoded
mixed_useletter-code

Single-family zones (R-40, R-60, R-75, R-90, R-150, R-200, R-400) encode minimum lot size in square feet divided by 100 (R-60 = 6,000 sf). RMD zones encode max du/ac (RMD-10 = 10 du/ac). Mixed-use zones use letter codes (MXB, MXNC, etc.). Zoning Ordinance Rewrite (ZOR) underway; anticipated adoption June 29, 2026 per engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite — current code remains in force as of research date.

Worth knowing
  • Rockville Zoning Ordinance Rewrite (ZOR) is in final adoption phase as of 2026-06-02; anticipated adoption June 29, 2026 per engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite. New code will replace current Chapter 25 enacted March 2009. This profile documents the CURRENT adopted code.
  • Municode (library.municode.com) returns Cloudflare 403 to scripted access; dimensional standards for Articles 10 (single-family residential) and 11 (medium-density residential) were not directly accessible. Minimum lot sizes (encoded in zone names) and density caps confirmed via Quick Reference and web search; height and setback data for residential zones is partial.
  • Rockville administers its own zoning ordinance (Chapter 25) entirely separate from Montgomery County zoning (Ch. 59); source_jurisdiction must be rockville-md on all districts.

+ 5 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

spec 11res_sf 7res_mf 4
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-400Residential Estateres_sf40,000 sf[1]—[2]—[3]—[4]——[5]— / — / —
R-200Suburban Residentialres_sf20,000 sf[6]—[7]—[8]—[9]——[10]— / — / —
R-150Low Density Residentialres_sf15,000 sf[11]—[12]—[13]—[14]——[15]— / — / —
R-90Single Unit Detached Dwelling, Restricted Residentialres_sf9,000 sf[16]—[17]—[18]—[19]——[20]— / — / —
R-75Single Unit Detached Dwelling, Residentialres_sf7,500 sf[21]—[22]—[23]—[24]——[25]— / — / —
R-60Single Unit Detached Dwelling, Residentialres_sf6,000 sf[26]—[27]—[28]—[29]——[30]— / — / —
R-40Single Unit Semi-Detached Dwelling, Residentialres_sf4,000 sf[31]—[32]—[33]—[34]——[35]— / — / —
RMD-InfillResidential Medium Density, Infillres_mf—[36]—[37]—[38]—[39]—[40]—[41]— / — / —
RMD-10Residential Medium Density 10res_mf20,000 sf[42]—[43]—[44]—[45]10[46]—[47]— / — / —
RMD-15Residential Medium Density 15res_mf43,560 sf[48]40 ft[49]—[50]—[51]15[52]—[53]— / — / —
RMD-25Residential Medium Density 25res_mf87,120 sf[54]75 ft[55]—[56]—[57]25[58]—[59]— / — / —
MXTMixed-Use Transitionspec——[60]—[61]—[62]——[63]— / — / —
MXCMixed-Use Commercialspec——[64]—[65]—[66]——[67]— / — / —
MXNCMixed-Use Neighborhood Commercialspec——[68]—[69]—[70]——[71]— / — / —
MXBMixed-Use Businessspec——[72]—[73]—[74]——[75]— / — / —
MXCTMixed-Use Corridor Transitionspec——[76]—[77]—[78]——[79]— / — / —
MXCDMixed-Use Corridor Districtspec——[80]—[81]—[82]——[83]— / — / —
MXEMixed-Use Employmentspec——[84]—[85]—[86]——[87]— / — / —
MXTDMixed-Use Transit Districtspec——[88]—[89]—[90]—[91]—[92]— / — / —
ILLight Industrialspec——[93]—[94]—[95]——[96]— / — / —
PDPlanned Developmentspec——[97]—[98]—[99]——[100]— / — / —
PARKPark Zonespec——[101]—[102]—[103]——[104]— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

HIST
Historic District / Historic Resource Overlay
HP
Chapter 25 Article 14 Special Zones; §25.14 et seq.

Designated historic properties and districts; 32 named features in GIS including Courthouse Square Historic District, King Farm Historic District, Rockville Heights Historic District, B&O Railroad Historic District per maps.rockvillemd.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Rockville_Planning_WebMerc/MapServer/5

FP
Floodplain Overlay
FP
FEMA FIRM adoption by City of Rockville; Chapter 25 floodplain provisions

FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) within Rockville city limits; city participates in NFIP

TOD
Transit-Oriented District Overlay (MXTD/Performance Districts)
TOD
Chapter 25 Article 13 Mixed-Use Zones; Article 14 Special Zones (Performance Districts)

Properties within Mixed-Use Transit District (MXTD) zone; Rockville Metro Station area; Twinbrook Metro Station area; Town Center area

RPIKE
Rockville Pike Corridor Overlays (Core and South Pike)
COR
Chapter 25 Article 14 Special Zones §25.14; Rockville Pike Core and South Pike overlay provisions

Properties along MD-355 (Rockville Pike) corridor; two sub-areas: Rockville Pike Core and South Pike as shown in GIS overlay layer

LPNCD
Lincoln Park Neighborhood Conservation District
CON
Chapter 25 Article 14 Special Zones; Ordinance 02-25 (January 27, 2025) amending conservation district standards; §25.14 et seq.

Lincoln Park neighborhood; designated conservation district in GIS overlay layer (maps.rockvillemd.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Rockville_Planning_WebMerc/MapServer/5)

AH
Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDU) Program
AH
City of Rockville MPDU requirements; maps.rockvillemd.gov/arcgis/rest/services/CPDS/Rockville_MPDUs_WebMerc/MapServer (GIS layer confirmed HTTP 200)

Developments meeting minimum unit threshold; Rockville enforces local MPDU program tracked in GIS

AIRPORT
Airport/Airspace Overlay
AP
FAA Part 77 airspace surfaces; no military AICUZ applicable

Not applicable — Rockville is not adjacent to a commercial or military airport with a designated airspace overlay district

ENV
Environmental Overlays (Steep Slope, Riparian Buffer, Forest Conservation)
ENV
Chapter 25 environmental standards; Maryland Forest Conservation Act (FCA) implementation; stream buffer standards

Properties within stream valley buffers, steep slopes, or forest conservation areas

DOWNTOWN
Town Center Downtown District
DT
Chapter 25 Article 13 MXTD; Article 14 Special Zones; Town Center Performance District (TC) per §25.14

Town Center area designated by MXTD zone and TC Performance District overlay; TXT2025-00269 established three interim floating zones within Town Center per §25.14.35 (adopted January 2025)

State preemptions

HEAA 2024 — Md. Code Ann., Land Use §§7-501 to 7-508 (HB 538 / SB 484)applies
Qualifying condition
HEAA applies to Rockville because the city contains two WMATA Red Line Metro stations: Rockville Station (251 Hungerford Drive) and Twinbrook Station (1600 Chapman Ave), both within city limits per rockvillemd.gov/services/public-transportation/. HEAA trigger: within 0.75 mile (3,960 ft) of a MARC, WMATA Metro, or Light Rail station; Rockville also has MARC service. Population not a threshold for HEAA. Rockville is NOT in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area (inland suburb), so no Critical Area carveout applies. HEAA density floor: 15 du/ac; 30 du/ac within 0.25 mi of rail station; parking max 1 space/unit (0 within 0.25 mi of rail); height floor + 30% density bonus for 15% affordable units at 60% AMI/40 yr (rental) or 80% AMI/30 yr (for-sale).
Source
rockvillemd.gov/services/public-transportation/ (station locations confirmed); zoning/us/maryland/preemptions.json (HEAA rule parameters)
Effect
Streamlined by-right approval for multifamily development meeting affordability conditions within 0.75 mi of Rockville Station and Twinbrook Station; 30 du/ac floor within 0.25 mi; parking minimums capped at 1/unit; 30% density bonus for qualifying affordable projects
HB 1466 (2025) — Small Houses Act (ADU mandate)applies
Qualifying condition
HB 1466 is a statewide ADU mandate effective 2025-10-01 with no population threshold; applies to all Maryland municipalities including Rockville (pop 67,117 per 2020 Census). Local implementation deadline October 1, 2026. Rockville had prior ADU provisions (TXT2023-00263 Accessory Apartments as Conditional Uses, effective April 9, 2024) which may require conformance updates by the 2026 deadline.
Source
zoning/us/maryland/preemptions.json (HB 1466 rule); rockvillemd.gov/2171/Zoning-Code-Amendments (TXT2023-00263)
Effect
Statewide ADU mandate requires Rockville to permit ADUs by right citywide; local implementation conformance deadline October 1, 2026
Non-applicable laws (2)
HB 599 / SB 477 — Described as Missing Middle (MISATTRIBUTED — NOT ENACTED)does_not_apply
Qualifying condition
Per correction in zoning/us/maryland/preemptions.json (date_updated 2026-05-20): the bill numbers cited for statewide missing-middle preemption do not correspond to the described legislation. HB 778 (statewide missing-middle) did NOT meet crossover in the 2026 session. No statewide missing-middle preemption is in force as of 2026-06-02.
Source
zoning/us/maryland/preemptions.json correction note dated 2026-05-20
Effect
No effect — legislation not enacted
HB 894 / SB 389 — Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Actdoes_not_apply
Qualifying condition
Status: pending as of 2026-06-02 per zoning/us/maryland/preemptions.json. Enrolled-chapter codification had not landed on mgaleg StatuteText or Justia as of 2026-05-18 dossier date. Would apply to Rockville (WMATA/MARC station area) if enacted. Not currently in force.
Source
zoning/us/maryland/preemptions.json (status: pending)
Effect
Not currently in force; if enacted, would auto-designate Rockville station areas as Enterprise Zones, delay impact-fee collection, cap parking minimums, mandate mixed-use-by-right near stations

Adopted building codes

Statewide w/ local amendments

IBC
2021
IRC
2021
NEC
Varies
IFC
2021
IECC (Residential)
2021
IECC (Commercial)
2021

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

Amendment history

DateKindCitation
2024-04-09amendment effectiveTXT2023-00263 Accessory Apartments as Conditional Uses; ordinance adopted Oct 9 2023, effective Apr 9 2024 per rockvillemd.gov/2171/Zoning-Code-Amendments | precision=day
2009-03-16codification startChapter 25 Zoning Ordinance last comprehensively rewritten in 2009 per engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite (confirms '2009' rewrite year); exact enactment date not independently confirmed from primary source (Municode 403-blocked; aggregator-sourced date removed) | precision=year

Quirks & notes

  • Rockville Zoning Ordinance Rewrite (ZOR) is in final adoption phase as of 2026-06-02; anticipated adoption June 29, 2026 per engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite. New code will replace current Chapter 25 enacted March 2009. This profile documents the CURRENT adopted code.
  • Municode (library.municode.com) returns Cloudflare 403 to scripted access; dimensional standards for Articles 10 (single-family residential) and 11 (medium-density residential) were not directly accessible. Minimum lot sizes (encoded in zone names) and density caps confirmed via Quick Reference and web search; height and setback data for residential zones is partial.
  • Rockville administers its own zoning ordinance (Chapter 25) entirely separate from Montgomery County zoning (Ch. 59); source_jurisdiction must be rockville-md on all districts.
  • MXTD zone has three height tiers (120/150/200 ft) based on project type; Champion Projects may reach 200 ft per Chapter 13.
  • Single-family zone naming is lot-size-encoded divided by 100: R-60 = 6,000 sf, R-75 = 7,500 sf, etc. R-200 = 20,000 sf minimum lot (Suburban Residential).
  • 27 distinct Planned Development (PD) zones exist, each with individual development plans; these are tracked in the GIS overlay layer but dimensional standards are per-plan.
  • Lincoln Park Neighborhood Conservation District was updated by Ordinance 02-25 (January 2025) to revise development standards including a 25-ft front setback minimum.
  • TXT2025-00269 (January 2025) established three interim floating zones in the Town Center (§25.14.35) aligned with the 2025 Town Center Master Plan character areas.

Massing explorer

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Sources & references

Primary source
https://library.municode.com/md/rockville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CICO_CH25ZOOR
retrieved 2026-06-02
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Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedsource.primary_url = https://library.municode.com/md/rockville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CICO_CH25ZOOR (Chapter 25 Zoning Ordinance, not an aggregator)
no aggregator citedpassedaggregator citations (an aggregator.com) removed 2026-06-02 — 8 mixed-use zone max_height_ft values nulled (not independently confirmable; Municode Art.13 403-blocked), code_dates[0] date-precision downgraded to year; no aggregator terms remain in data citations
confidence tags full formpassed6 confirmed fields carry §-citations (Art.11 du_ac/min_lot_sf for RMD zones, web-search-confirmed heights for RMD-15/RMD-25); not_captured fields carry not_captured_reason; partial fields carry what_is_confirmed + what_is_missing; 8 mixed-use max_height_ft fields nulled to not_captured after aggregator removal (2026-06-02)
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed8 overlays defined; HIST, TOD, LPNCD, DOWNTOWN confirmed with params+trigger+citation; FP, RPIKE, AH, ENV marked partial with what_is_confirmed+what_is_missing; AIRPORT partial with search_performed note
preempt section city specificpassedMD is not active-preemption state per SUBAGENT.md Gate 5 list (CA/TX/FL/OR/WA/CO/MN/MT/UT/AZ/NJ/CT); 4 laws evaluated with city-specific qualifying_condition_checked: HEAA 2024 (applies — Rockville Station + Twinbrook Station confirmed within city), HB 1466 ADU (applies — statewide no threshold), HB 599/SB 477 (misattributed/not enacted — documented), HB 894/SB 389 (pending — documented)

Data quality

38%completeness6 confirmed12 partial8 inferred
Documented gaps
  • Residential zone heights (R-40, R-60, R-75, R-90, R-150, R-200, R-400) — Article 10 not accessible
  • Residential zone front/side setbacks — Article 10 not accessible
  • RMD zone setbacks — Article 11 not accessible
  • Industrial zone dimensions — Article 12 not accessible
  • Mixed-use zone heights (MXT, MXC, MXNC, MXB, MXCT, MXCD, MXE, MXTD) — Article 13 not accessible (Municode 403); aggregator-sourced values removed 2026-06-02
  • Mixed-use zone FAR and lot coverage (except open area %)
  • Parking ratios for all zones (Article 16 not accessed)
  • MPDU program unit threshold and percentage requirement
  • Airport Part 77 applicability from Montgomery County Executive Airport (KGAI)

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