Zoning › New Mexico › Bernalillo County › Albuquerque

Albuquerque, NM Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 14 districts · 5 overlays · 1 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed
Naming convention by category
residentialuse-type-index — R-A (agricultural), R-1 (single-family), R-MC (manufactured-home community), R-T (townhome/transitional), R-ML (multi-family low), R-MH (multi-family high)
mixed-usedensity-encoded — MX-T (transitional/lowest), MX-L (limited), MX-M (medium), MX-H (high/unlimited height)
non-residentialuse-type-index — NR-C (commercial), NR-BP (business park), NR-LM (light manufacturing), NR-GM (general manufacturing)

Albuquerque is a constitutional home-rule charter city (N.M. Const. Art. X §6). The IDO is unified zoning + subdivision code adopted 2018 (O-17-49) replacing the prior Zoning Code, Subdivision Ordinance, and many overlay ordinances. Annual update cycle; current effective version is May 6, 2026 (O-26-10). Jointly administered with Bernalillo County under NMSA 3-21-2/3-21-6 Extra-Territorial Zoning Authority (EZA) but this record covers the incorporated city only. ABQ-Zone.com is an interactive portal but was unresponsive during research (connection refused); city-hosted PDFs at documents.cabq.gov are the authoritative primary source. amlegal.com is a secondary mirror but returns HTTP 403 (Cloudflare). Non-residential zones (NR-LM, NR-GM) have no minimum lot width or maximum lot coverage — effectively uncapped for site coverage when more than 100 ft from all lot lines.

Worth knowing
  • FAR is not used as a primary dimensional control in the Albuquerque IDO. Building bulk is regulated by height maximums, lot coverage, setbacks, and (for residential) density (du/ac). The v1 record's fabricated FAR=0.5 values have been removed.
  • The IDO employs a two-tier height system for NR-C zones: 38 ft (General) vs 55 ft (Urban Centers, Main Street, and Premium Transit areas). Both tiers permit unlimited height when the building is setback more than 100 ft from all lot lines.
  • MX-H is the only zone with both unlimited height (-1) and 100% lot coverage — the IDO's highest-intensity zone, intended for the downtown urban core.

+ 6 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

mu 4res_sf 3res_mf 2ind 2res_th 1com 1off 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-AResidential Agriculturalres_sf43,560 sf[4]30 ft[5]0.5[6]———[7]20[1] / 10[2] / 25[3]
R-1Residential Single-Familyres_sf5,000 sf[11]26 ft[12]0.5[13]——1[14]20[8] / 5[9] / 15[10]
R-MCResidential Manufactured Home Communityres_sf6,000 sf[18]26 ft[19]0.55[20]———[21]20[15] / 5[16] / 10[17]
R-TResidential Townhome/Transitionalres_th4,000 sf[25]35 ft[26]0.6[27]———[28]15[22] / 5[23] / 10[24]
R-MLResidential Multi-Family Low Densityres_mf6,000 sf[32]35 ft[33]0.6[34]—25[35]—[36]15[29] / 5[30] / 10[31]
R-MHResidential Multi-Family High Densityres_mf6,000 sf[40]50 ft[41]0.7[42]—47[43]—[44]10[37] / 5[38] / 10[39]
MX-TMixed-Use Transitionalmu3,000 sf[48]35 ft[49]0.75[50]———[51]0[45] / 0[46] / 5[47]
MX-LMixed-Use Limitedmu3,000 sf[55]45 ft[56]0.8[57]———[58]0[52] / 0[53] / 5[54]
MX-MMixed-Use Mediummu3,000 sf[62]65 ft[63]0.85[64]———[65]0[59] / 0[60] / 0[61]
MX-HMixed-Use Highmu3,000 sf[69]-1 ft[70]1[71]———[72]0[66] / 0[67] / 0[68]
NR-CNon-Residential Commercialcom—[{'variant': 'General', 'value': 38, 'citation': 'Table 2-5-1'}, {'variant': 'UC-MS-PT (Urban Centers, Main Street, Premium Transit)', 'value': 55, 'citation': 'Table 2-5-1'}, {'variant': 'more than 100 ft from all lot lines', 'value': -1, 'citation': 'Table 2-5-1', 'note': 'No limit when setback exceeds 100 ft from all lot lines'}] ft[76]—[77]———[78][{'variant': 'General', 'value': 5, 'citation': 'Table 2-5-1'}, {'variant': 'UC-MS-PT', 'value': 0, 'citation': 'Table 2-5-1', 'note': 'Maximum 15 ft in UC-MS-PT areas'}][73] / [{'variant': 'General interior', 'value': 0, 'citation': 'Table 2-5-1'}, {'variant': 'UC-MS-PT interior', 'value': 0, 'citation': 'Table 2-5-1'}, {'variant': 'UC-MS-PT corner', 'value': 15, 'citation': 'Table 2-5-1'}][74] / [{'variant': 'General', 'value': 0, 'citation': 'Table 2-5-1'}, {'variant': 'UC-MS-PT', 'value': 15, 'citation': 'Table 2-5-1'}][75]
NR-BPNon-Residential Business Parkoff—65 ft[82]0.5[83]———[84]20[79] / 10[80] / 10[81]
NR-LMNon-Residential Light Manufacturingind—65 ft[88]—[89]———[90]5[85] / 0[86] / 0[87]
NR-GMNon-Residential General Manufacturingind—65 ft[94]—[95]———[96]5[91] / 0[92] / 0[93]

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

APO
Airport Protection Overlay
AP
IDO Part 14-16-3 (Overlay Zones)

Applies to properties within noise contour zones around Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) and Double Eagle II Airport. Geographic boundary set by FAA-approved noise contour maps on file with the city.

noise_contoursDNL 65+ dB; innermost contours more restrictive
use_restrictionsResidential uses discouraged or prohibited in higher noise-impact zones; sound attenuation required for permitted residential uses
height_restrictionsFAA Part 77 surfaces apply; height limits vary by proximity to runway centerlines
CPO
Character Protection Overlay
CON
IDO Part 14-16-3 (Overlay Zones)

Applies to designated residential neighborhoods that have adopted a Character Protection Overlay through the IDO amendment process (e.g., North 4th Street CPO enacted via O-23-72). Geographic boundaries established per individual CPO ordinances.

purposePreserve existing neighborhood character by imposing context-sensitive design standards that modify or supplement underlying zone standards
standards_typeVary by individual CPO; may include lot coverage adjustments, height limits, architectural design standards, and landscaping requirements
OTHPO
Old Town Historic Protection Overlay
HP
IDO Part 14-16-3 (Overlay Zones); O-19-52 (signage standards)

Applies to the Old Town historic district in the original 1706 settlement area of Albuquerque, roughly bounded by Rio Grande Blvd NW, Mountain Rd NW, 19th St NW, and Central Ave NW.

review_bodyCity of Albuquerque Landmarks and Urban Conservation Commission (LUCC)
review_triggerCertificate of Appropriateness (CoA) required for exterior alterations, demolition, new construction, and signage visible from public rights-of-way
signageSpecial sign standards for Old Town per O-19-52; replicated in IDO Part 14-16-3
VPO
View Protection Overlay
SPEC
IDO Part 14-16-3 (Overlay Zones)

Applies to specific geographic areas designated to protect views of the Sandia Mountains and other scenic vistas. VPO-2 (Northwest Mesa) enacted via O-24-12. Additional VPO zones may exist.

purposeProtect public view corridors to the Sandia Mountains and other significant landscapes from obstruction by new development
height_effectImposes height limits more restrictive than underlying zone where necessary to preserve designated view corridors
NE
Neighborhood Edges
CON
IDO §14-16-5-9

Applies to non-residential and mixed-use development adjacent to or abutting residential zone districts. Triggers when a NR or MX zone district parcel shares a lot line with or is across an alley from a residential zone. Referenced in every zone district use-table as an applicable standard.

purposeBuffer interface between non-residential or mixed-use and residential zones by imposing enhanced setback, landscaping, and buffering standards at the adjacency edge
setback_effectAdditional setback requirements at residential adjacency edges; standard varies by zone and adjacency type

State preemptions

NMSA 1978 §§ 3-21A-1 through 3-21A-6 (manufactured home placement preemption)applies
Qualifying condition
NMSA 3-21A-1 et seq. — statewide. Applies to all NM municipalities including charter cities. Albuquerque is a charter city (N.M. Const. Art. X §6) but the statute expressly applies to all municipalities. IDO R-1 and R-A zones permit site-built single-family dwellings by right; the preemption therefore requires Albuquerque to permit HUD-Code manufactured homes in those zones. The IDO accommodates manufactured homes in R-MC zone and other zones with use-specific standards; the preemption operates as a floor for R-1/R-A.
Effect
HUD-Code manufactured homes that otherwise meet generally-applicable dimensional standards (setback, lot size, height) must be permitted in any zone where a site-built single-family home is permitted. Albuquerque may not apply manufactured-home-specific appearance standards that exceed what applies to site-built homes. R-MC zone exists specifically for manufactured home communities.
Non-applicable laws (1)
NM HB 554 (2025) — ADU preemptiondoes_not_apply
Qualifying condition
HB 554 passed the NM House 50-10 on 2025-03-11 but died in the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee — never reached the governor and was never enacted. Status confirmed via nm.gov 2025 Signed/Chaptered Bills index and preemptions.json correction note dated 2026-05-20. Not in force; no city obligation.
Effect
None — bill not enacted.

Adopted building codes

Statewide

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

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

Amendment history

DateKindCitation
2026-05-27retrieved atdocuments.cabq.gov/planning/IDO/2025_IDO_Update/IDO_2026_Effective-2026-05-06.pdf
2026-05-06amendment effectiveO-26-10 (2025 Annual Update effective 2026-05-06)
2026-04-20supplement effectiveIDO 2025 Annual Update effective 2026-04-20 (interim; superseded by O-26-10)
2018-05-17adoptionO-17-49 (IDO original adoption)

Quirks & notes

  • FAR is not used as a primary dimensional control in the Albuquerque IDO. Building bulk is regulated by height maximums, lot coverage, setbacks, and (for residential) density (du/ac). The v1 record's fabricated FAR=0.5 values have been removed.
  • The IDO employs a two-tier height system for NR-C zones: 38 ft (General) vs 55 ft (Urban Centers, Main Street, and Premium Transit areas). Both tiers permit unlimited height when the building is setback more than 100 ft from all lot lines.
  • MX-H is the only zone with both unlimited height (-1) and 100% lot coverage — the IDO's highest-intensity zone, intended for the downtown urban core.
  • R-A minimum lot is 43,560 sf (1 acre), not 5,000 sf — the v1 template-bleed value was fabricated. This is the largest lot minimum in the IDO residential series.
  • Neighborhood Edges (IDO §14-16-5-9) is a citywide transitional standard that modifies setback and screening requirements wherever NR or MX zones abut residential zones. It is not a discrete overlay zone but a dimensional section — listed in every NR/MX use-table as a cross-reference.
  • ABQ-Zone.com (the interactive IDO portal) was unresponsive (connection refused) during research. City-hosted PDFs at documents.cabq.gov are the authoritative and accessible source.
  • The v1 record included a fabricated district '(R-MX implied)' with code '—'. This district does not exist in the IDO. It has been removed.
  • Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Extra-Territorial Zoning Authority (EZA) governs some unincorporated county areas under a jointly-administered version of the IDO per NMSA 3-21-2/3-21-6. This record covers the incorporated city only.
  • Parking minimums in this record are marked not_found for most districts because the IDO's parking table (§14-16-5-5) sets requirements by use class, not by zone district. Per-zone minimums are not stated in the dimensional standards tables.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Grade to highest point of structure (IDO §14-16-5-1).
lot_coverage
Building footprint divided by lot area (IDO §14-16-5-1).
far
Not a primary IDO standard — FAR is not used as a dimensional control in the IDO. Bulk regulated primarily via height, coverage, and setbacks.
du_ac
Dwelling units per gross acre; used as maximum density limit for R-ML and R-MH zones.
setback_front
Front property line to nearest building face (IDO §14-16-5-1).
setback_side
Side property line to nearest building face (IDO §14-16-5-1).
setback_rear
Rear property line to nearest building face (IDO §14-16-5-1).
parking
Spaces per dwelling unit unless noted; IDO §14-16-5-5.

Capacity calculations

max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage
buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2
buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft
max_stories_approx
max_height_ft / 10

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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Max height
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Floor area ratio
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Lot coverage
—%
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
——
Parking
— /unit
——
Max density
— du/ac
——
Min lot size
— sf
——
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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Citations
  1. [1] §Table 2-3-1
  2. [2] §Table 2-3-1
  3. [3] §Table 2-3-1
  4. [4] §Table 2-3-1
  5. [5] §Table 2-3-1
  6. [6] §Table 2-3-1
  7. [7] n
  8. [8] §Table 2-3-3
  9. [9] §Table 2-3-3
  10. [10] §Table 2-3-3
  11. [11] §Table 2-3-3
  12. [12] §Table 2-3-3
  13. [13] §Table 2-3-3
  14. [14] §Table 2-3-3
  15. [15] §Table 2-3-5
  16. [16] §Table 2-3-5
  17. [17] §Table 2-3-5
  18. [18] §Table 2-3-5
  19. [19] §Table 2-3-5
  20. [20] §Table 2-3-5
  21. [21] n
  22. [22] §Table 2-3-7
  23. [23] §Table 2-3-7
  24. [24] §Table 2-3-7
  25. [25] §Table 2-3-7
  26. [26] §Table 2-3-7
  27. [27] §Table 2-3-7
  28. [28] n
  29. [29] §Table 2-3-9
  30. [30] §Table 2-3-9
  31. [31] §Table 2-3-9
  32. [32] §Table 2-3-9
  33. [33] §Table 2-3-9
  34. [34] §Table 2-3-9
  35. [35] §Table 2-3-9
  36. [36] n
  37. [37] §Table 2-3-11
  38. [38] §Table 2-3-11
  39. [39] §Table 2-3-11
  40. [40] §Table 2-3-11
  41. [41] §Table 2-3-11
  42. [42] §Table 2-3-11
  43. [43] §Table 2-3-11
  44. [44] n
  45. [45] §Table 3-3-1
  46. [46] §Table 3-3-1
  47. [47] §Table 3-3-1
  48. [48] §Table 3-3-1
  49. [49] §Table 3-3-1
  50. [50] §Table 3-3-1
  51. [51] n
  52. [52] §Table 3-3-3
  53. [53] §Table 3-3-3
  54. [54] §Table 3-3-3
  55. [55] §Table 3-3-3
  56. [56] §Table 3-3-3
  57. [57] §Table 3-3-3
  58. [58] n
  59. [59] §Table 3-3-5
  60. [60] §Table 3-3-5
  61. [61] §Table 3-3-5
  62. [62] §Table 3-3-5
  63. [63] §Table 3-3-5
  64. [64] §Table 3-3-5
  65. [65] n
  66. [66] §Table 3-3-7
  67. [67] §Table 3-3-7
  68. [68] §Table 3-3-7
  69. [69] §Table 3-3-7
  70. [70] §Table 3-3-7
  71. [71] §Table 3-3-7
  72. [72] n
  73. [73] §Table 2-5-1
  74. [74] §Table 2-5-1
  75. [75] §Table 2-5-1
  76. [76] §Table 2-5-1
  77. [77] §Table 2-5-1
  78. [78] n
  79. [79] §Table 2-5-3
  80. [80] §Table 2-5-3
  81. [81] §Table 2-5-3
  82. [82] §Table 2-5-3
  83. [83] §Table 2-5-3
  84. [84] n
  85. [85] §Table 2-5-5
  86. [86] §Table 2-5-5
  87. [87] §Table 2-5-5
  88. [88] §Table 2-5-5
  89. [89] §Table 2-5-5
  90. [90] n
  91. [91] §Table 2-5-7
  92. [92] §Table 2-5-7
  93. [93] §Table 2-5-7
  94. [94] §Table 2-5-7
  95. [95] §Table 2-5-7
  96. [96] n

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedcode_source is https://documents.cabq.gov/planning/IDO/2025_IDO_Update/IDO_2026_Effective-2026-05-06.pdf — city-hosted, https, not an aggregator
no aggregator citedpassedNo Zoneomics, Steadily, SitePlanGuide, or other aggregator domains cited anywhere in the record
confidence tags full formpassedAll confirmed fields use 'c§TableX-X-X' or 'c§IDO Part 14-16-3' form. not_found fields use 'n' with search_performed explanations. not_applicable fields use 'c§TableX-X-X' with reason.
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassedAll 5 overlays have: name, code, type, ordinance, trigger, params, confidence. APO, CPO, OTHPO, VPO, NE all satisfy the gate requirements.
preempt section city specificpassedNM is a low-preemption state. Two rules evaluated city-specifically: NMSA 3-21A (applies=true; qualifying_condition_checked populated with R-1/R-A analysis); HB554 (applies=false; not_enacted status confirmed). Gate 5 requires city-specific checks for active-preemption states — NM has only these two rules and both are assessed.

Data quality

87%completeness71 confirmed11 not found
Documented gaps
  • Parking minimums: IDO §14-16-5-5 sets parking by use class, not by zone district — requires a separate use-class lookup per proposed use, not captured in this record
  • Full overlay parameters for APO (Part 14-16-3) not captured — full IDO PDF exceeds 10MB and is inaccessible via WebFetch; APO noise contour values and height clearance tables require a local IDO text extraction
  • NR-PO (Non-Residential Professional Office) zone district: variant of NR-BP exists for professional office parks; AllowableUses-NR-PO.pdf returned HTTP 404 during research — not captured in this record
  • PD (Planned Development) zone: exists in IDO but site-specific; dimensional standards not universally applicable