Zoning › Texas › Williamson County › Georgetown

Georgetown, TX Zoning

18 districts. 11 overlays. 3 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Worth knowing
  • SB 840 does NOT apply today — Georgetown city population 101,344 (Vintage 2024) is below the 150K city threshold by ~48,656. Williamson County (~670K) already exceeds the 300K county threshold. Crossover within the freshness window is plausible given Georgetown's ~10% YoY growth trajectory.
  • Fastest-growing U.S. city with population >50,000 in Census Bureau Vintage 2023 and 2024 estimates (10.6 % growth 2022-2023; ~12K new residents in 2024); growth pressure on AG/RE districts at urban edge.
  • Crossed the 100K population threshold in the 2024 vintage (101,344, up from 95,832 in Vintage 2023) — newly above 100K but still ~48.7K below the SB 840 city floor.

+ 13 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_sf 5spec 5res_mf 2off 2mu 2res_th 1ind 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
AGAgricultureres_sf87,120 sf[4]35 ft[5]———2[6]25[1] / 10[2] / 20[3]
REResidential Estateres_sf43,560 sf[10]35 ft[11]——1[12]2[13]25[7] / 10[8] / 20[9]
RLResidential Low Densityres_sf10,000 sf[17]35 ft[18]——4.36[19]2[20]20[14] / 10[15] / 10[16]
RSResidential Single-Familyres_sf5,500 sf[24]35 ft[25]——7.92[26]2[27]20[21] / 6[22] / 10[23]
TFTwo-Familyspec7,000 sf[31]35 ft[32]——12.45[33]2[34]20[28] / 6[29] / 10[30]
THTownhouseres_th2,000 sf[38]35 ft[39]——21.78[40]2[41]15[35] / 0[36] / 15[37]
MF-1Low Density Multifamilyres_mf12,000 sf[45]35 ft[46]——14[47]2[48]20[42] / 10[43] / 10[44]
MF-2High Density Multifamilyres_mf87,120 sf[52]45 ft[53]——24[54]2[55]25[49] / 15[50] / 15[51]
MHManufactured Housingres_sf—[59]35 ft[60]————[61]—[56] / —[57] / —[58]
CNNeighborhood Commercialspec—30 ft[65]————[66]20[62] / 5[63] / 0[64]
C-1Local Commercialspec—35 ft[70]————[71]25[67] / 10[68] / 0[69]
C-3General Commercialspec—60 ft[75]————[76]25[72] / 10[73] / 10[74]
OFOfficeoff—45 ft[80]————[81]25[77] / 10[78] / 10[79]
BPBusiness Parkoff—60 ft[85]————[86]25[82] / 10[83] / 10[84]
INIndustrialind—60 ft[90]————[91]25[87] / 10[88] / 10[89]
PFPublic Facilitiesspec—45 ft[95]————[96]25[92] / 5[93] / 0[94]
MU-DTMixed Use Downtownmu—40 ft[100]————[101]0[97] / 0[98] / 0[99]
MUMixed Usemu——[105]————[106]—[102] / —[103] / —[104]

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

D
Downtown Overlay District (Historic)
SPEC
Georgetown UDC § 4.08.020.A; Ord. No. 2001-48 (8-28-2001), expanded by Ord. No. 2014-86 (10-28-2014)

Generally bounded by the river to the north, the lots fronting the south side of University Avenue to the south, Martin Luther King, Jr. Street to the west, and Myrtle Street to the east. Divided into Area 1 (Town Square Historic District) and Area 2. Abuts but does not include Old Town Overlay (per § 4.08.020.A).

OT
Old Town Overlay District (Historic)
SPEC
Georgetown UDC § 4.08.020.B; Ord. No. 2004-22 (4-13-2004)

Generally bounded on the north by 2nd Street; on the east by Holly Street, the railroad tracks, University Avenue, and Hutto Road; on the south by 17th, 18th, and 19th Streets; on the west by properties on the western side of Austin Avenue and the boundaries of the Downtown Overlay District (per § 4.08.020.B). Among the largest historic residential overlays in Texas by area.

H
Designated Historic Districts (Town Square Historic District)
SPEC
Georgetown UDC § 4.08.020.C; Ord. No. 2001-48

All lots in Blocks 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 50, 51, and 52 of the City of Georgetown — the nine blocks surrounding and including the Public Square / Court House Square (per § 4.08.020.C.1).

HL
Historic Landmark Designation
SPEC
Georgetown UDC § 4.08.020.D

Individual building/structure designated by City Council ordinance; recorded in Williamson County official public record and on official zoning map with 'HL' prefix to use designation (per § 4.08.020.D).

CVP
Courthouse View Protection Overlay District
SPEC
Georgetown UDC § 4.10.010 et seq.

Properties within the I-35 view corridor (between Williamson County Courthouse and the western/southbound lanes of I-35 from 393 N. I.H. 35 to SH 29 (University Avenue), plus the corridor along I.H. 35 from State Spur 26 (Austin Ave) overpass to the Courthouse Dome) AND the Austin Avenue view corridor (from Courthouse north to State Spur 158 (Austin Avenue) at FM 971 to County Road 151) — per § 4.10.020.A and § 4.10.020.B.

G
Gateway Overlay District
SPEC
Georgetown UDC § 4.11.010 et seq.

Both sides of designated corridors with 100-foot width measured from edge of right-of-way (per § 4.11.010). Three categories per § 4.11.020: Highway Gateways (I-35, SH 195, State Spur 158, SH 130) and Scenic/Natural Gateways (FM 2243, SH 29 segments, State Spur 26, FM 2338 Williams Drive, FM 971, FM 1460) at 25-ft landscape buffer; Downtown Gateways (S Austin Ave, N Austin Ave, SH 29 segments) at 10-ft landscape buffer.

SP
Special Area Plan Overlay District
SPEC
Georgetown UDC § 4.07.010 et seq.

May be established over any base district except PUD or IN; may span multiple base districts (per § 4.07.010.A). Established by City Council action following PUD procedures with the Director as applicant (§ 4.07.010.B).

EARZO
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Water Quality Overlay
SPEC
Georgetown UDC § 11.07.010 et seq.; Ord. No. 2015-14 (2-24-2015)

All property within city corporate limits and ETJ located within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone as defined in 30 TAC § 213.3 and § 213.22 (per § 11.07.010.A). EARZ map maintained by TCEQ Region 11.

FP
Floodplain / Flood Damage Prevention
SPEC
Georgetown UDC Chapter 11 stormwater provisions; FEMA NFIP-compliant

FEMA FIRM 100-year floodplain and regulatory floodway. San Gabriel River corridor is the primary constraint; Berry Creek and tributaries secondary. Floodplain identified during stormwater management review per § 11.04.

AP
Georgetown Municipal Airport / FAA Part 77
SPEC
FAA Part 77 federal overlay; Georgetown City Code (separate airport zoning chapter, not in UDC) per cross-references

Properties within Georgetown Municipal Airport approach surfaces, runway protection zones, transition surfaces, and primary surface envelopes per FAA 14 CFR Part 77; covers portions of northern/eastern city area.

PUD
Planned Unit Development District
PD
Georgetown UDC § 4.06 (PUD district) and § 4.01 (listed as Special Purpose district)

Site-specific via individual PUD ordinances on contiguous tracts. Sun City Texas (~5,300 acres, age-restricted MPC) is the dominant PUD by area.

State preemptions

TX SB 15applies
Qualifying condition
Inputs: SB 15 statewide; trigger threshold = lots <=4,000 sf. Vintage: SB 15 effective 2025. Georgetown base-district minimum lot sizes from § 6.02 are AG=2 ac, RE=1 ac, RL=10,000 sf, RS=5,500 sf, TF=7,000 sf, TH=2,000 sf, MF-1=12,000 sf, MF-2=2 ac (per § 6.02.020 through § 6.02.090). Threshold compared: TH at 2,000 sf base lot < 4,000 sf SB 15 floor — TH district lots are SB 15-eligible by default. Base RS, RL, etc. exceed 4,000 sf so not preempted at base, but any replat to <=4,000 sf in any district triggers SB 15 lot-by-lot. | title=Small-Lot Deregulation (2025) ; effect_on_city=On any qualifying <=4,000 sf lot, city cannot regulate setbacks, parking, height, or bulk below the SB 15 floor. City retains use restrictions and life-safety authority. TH district (§ 6.02.070, 2,000 sf base) is the principal venue. ; affected_districts=['TH', 'MH', 'any PD/PUD subdividing to <=4,000 sf'] ; preempted_fields_on_qualifying_lots=['setback_front_ft', 'setback_side_ft', 'setback_rear_ft', 'parking', 'max_height_ft', 'lot_coverage']
TX HB 2127applies
Qualifying condition
Inputs: HB 2127 statewide. Vintage: 2023 enactment, partial preliminary injunction issued by Travis County district court 2023, on appeal. Threshold: any municipal regulation in field-preempted topics (labor, business). Georgetown UDC dimensional standards in Chapters 6 & 7 are not in the field-preempted topics; partial injunction further limits reach to non-zoning municipal authority. | title=Texas Regulatory Consistency Act (2023) ; what_is_confirmed=Partial injunction preserves Georgetown UDC zoning-dimensional authority in the dimensional schedules of §§ 6.02 and 7.02. ; what_is_missing=Long-tail effect of broader judicial reading on heritage/tree (Ch. 8), STR, nuisance ordinances if appellate ruling expands HB 2127's reach. ; effect_on_city=No direct dimensional preemption. Labor/worker-protection ordinances affected. Monitor litigation. ; affected_districts=[] ; preempted_fields=[]
TX HB 3699applies
Qualifying condition
Inputs: HB 3699 statewide; addresses platting review timelines and disapproval-grounds procedure. Vintage 2023. Threshold: applies to any TX municipality processing plats. Georgetown's Section 6.01.010 cites Tex. Loc. Gov't Code chs. 211 & 212 as the authority for Chapter 6, so HB 3699's plat-review procedure preempts conflicting Georgetown procedures. Procedural only — no dimensional preemption floors. | title=Subdivision Platting Procedure Reform (2023) ; effect_on_city=Procedural preemption of subdivision review timelines and disapproval-grounds. Georgetown staff review procedures must conform. Zoning dimensional record is unaffected. ; affected_districts=[] ; preempted_fields=[]
Non-applicable laws (1)
TX SB 840under_review
Qualifying condition
Inputs: Georgetown city population 101,344 (Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimate, released 2025-05-15) BELOW the 150,000 statutory city threshold. Williamson County population ~670,000 EXCEEDS the 300,000 statutory county threshold. SB 840 requires BOTH thresholds; vintage 2024 estimates as of 2026-04. Threshold compared: 101,344 < 150,000 city floor → SB 840 does NOT currently apply to Georgetown. Gap to crossover is ~48,656 residents — realistic 3-5 year horizon at recent ~10% YoY growth. | title=Multifamily By-Right in Commercial/Office/Retail/Warehouse/MU Zones (2025) ; effect_on_city=No current preemption. Watch for city crossing 150,000 within the freshness window. If/when crossover, MF becomes by-right in OF/C-1/C-3/CN/BP/IN/MU-DT at >=36 du/ac (statutory floor exceeds city's MF-2 24 du/ac), >=45 ft height floor, <=25 ft side/rear setback, <=1 space/unit parking. ; affected_districts_if_qualifying=['OF', 'C-1', 'C-3', 'CN', 'BP', 'IN', 'MU-DT'] ; preempted_fields_if_qualifying=['du_ac', 'max_height_ft', 'setback_side_ft', 'setback_rear_ft', 'parking'] ; does_not_apply_to=Any city below 150,000 population OR in a county below 300,000 — Georgetown fails the city prong

Adopted building codes

Home rule; major cities on 2024 IBC

IBC
2021
IRC
2021
NEC
2023
IFC
Local adoption
IECC (Residential)
2015
IECC (Commercial)
2015

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

Quirks & notes

  • SB 840 does NOT apply today — Georgetown city population 101,344 (Vintage 2024) is below the 150K city threshold by ~48,656. Williamson County (~670K) already exceeds the 300K county threshold. Crossover within the freshness window is plausible given Georgetown's ~10% YoY growth trajectory.
  • Fastest-growing U.S. city with population >50,000 in Census Bureau Vintage 2023 and 2024 estimates (10.6 % growth 2022-2023; ~12K new residents in 2024); growth pressure on AG/RE districts at urban edge.
  • Crossed the 100K population threshold in the 2024 vintage (101,344, up from 95,832 in Vintage 2023) — newly above 100K but still ~48.7K below the SB 840 city floor.
  • Old Town Overlay District (Ord. 2004-22, § 4.08.020.B) is one of the largest historic residential overlays in Texas by area — bounded by 2nd, Holly/RR/University/Hutto, 17th-19th, and Austin Avenue.
  • Town Square Historic District (§ 4.08.020.C.1) is a designated historic district within the Downtown Overlay — covers Blocks 37-41 and 50-52 around the Public Square.
  • Sun City Texas (~5,300-acre age-restricted MPC) is the single largest PUD in Georgetown — site-specific deviation from base standards via § 4.06.
  • Karst geology and Inner Space Cavern — geologic-assessment requirements drive § 11.07 review on Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone parcels (per § 11.07 definitions, geologic assessments per 30 TAC § 213.5).
  • Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone overlay (§ 11.07) is one of the most elaborate TX municipal groundwater-protection regimes; § 11.02.010.B subdivision-level impervious cover formula is unique. Federally significant: aquifer supports USFWS-listed Georgetown Salamander (Eurycea naufragia) at named springs — § 11.07.030 carves out Occupied Sites for federal standards (§ 11.07.010.B).
  • Courthouse View Protection Overlay (§ 4.10) is a scenic view-corridor regulation tied to the Williamson County Courthouse Dome — height plane formula in § 4.10.030.C.3 may override base district height.
  • Gateway Overlay (§ 4.11) imposes 25-ft (Highway/Scenic) or 10-ft (Downtown) landscape buffer, with 0-ft front setback for non-residential properties in the Downtown Gateway (§ 4.11.030.B.1).
  • Georgetown UDC skips C-2 — Table 4.01.010 numbering jumps C-1 (Local Commercial) to C-3 (General Commercial); CN (Neighborhood Commercial) fills the small-scale-commercial role.
  • MF-2 at 24 du/ac is the city's highest MF density — below the SB 840 statutory floor of 36 du/ac. If Georgetown crosses 150K population, the SB 840 statutory floor would prevail over the city's MF-2 maximum.
  • TH district base lot of 2,000 sf is BELOW SB 15's 4,000 sf threshold — TH lots are SB 15-preempted by default; city cannot regulate setbacks, parking, height, or bulk below the SB 15 floor on TH lots.
  • MU district uses § 4.09 sub-district + Regulating Plan framework — flat per-district dimensional schedule does not exist; values live in adopted Regulating Plans.
  • Downtown Overlay impervious cover may be increased to 95% with Development Engineer approval based on downtown regional stormwater pond capacity (§ 11.02.010.B.1.d) — distinctive bonus.
  • MH district has dual regime (parks + subdivisions per § 6.02.100) — flat per-lot dimensional table not provided.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Vertical distance from lowest finished grade (or BFE where applicable) to: average between eaves and ridgeline (gable/shed/hip/gambrel), highest mansard point, or highest coping of flat roof. Per § 7.02.030.D.
lot_coverage
Building footprint / lot area.
impervious_cover
Total impervious surface (building + paving + walks + drives) / lot or subdivision area, per § 11.02.010.
far
Gross floor area / lot area (UDC does not regulate FAR by district; controlled via height + setbacks + impervious cover).
du_ac
Dwelling units per gross acre.
setback_front
Front property line to nearest building face (corner lots: shortest street dimension is the front per § 7.02.030.B.2).
setback_side
Side property line to nearest building face.
setback_rear
Rear property line to nearest building face.
parking
Spaces per dwelling unit (residential) — see UDC Chapter 9 for unit-by-use schedule.

Capacity calculations

max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * impervious_cover_pct (approx; impervious cover includes paving, so footprint envelope is smaller)
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 / 11 (typical 11-ft stack for residential)

Massing explorer

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Sources & references

Primary source
Georgetown Unified Development Code (UDC)
municode · Current Municode supplement; version Mar 24, 2026
Citations
  1. [1] § 6.02.020.A
  2. [2] § 6.02.020.A
  3. [3] § 6.02.020.A
  4. [4] § 6.02.020.A (2 acres = 87,120 sf)
  5. [5] § 6.02.020.A
  6. [6] §UDC ch. 9 (Off-Street Parking and Loading)
  7. [7] § 6.02.030.A
  8. [8] § 6.02.030.A
  9. [9] § 6.02.030.A
  10. [10] § 6.02.030.A (1 acre = 43,560 sf)
  11. [11] § 6.02.030.A
  12. [12] i
  13. [13] §UDC ch. 9
  14. [14] § 6.02.040.A
  15. [15] § 6.02.040.A
  16. [16] § 6.02.040.A
  17. [17] § 6.02.040.A
  18. [18] § 6.02.040.A
  19. [19] i
  20. [20] §UDC ch. 9
  21. [21] § 6.02.050.A
  22. [22] § 6.02.050.A
  23. [23] § 6.02.050.A
  24. [24] § 6.02.050.A
  25. [25] § 6.02.050.A
  26. [26] i
  27. [27] §UDC ch. 9
  28. [28] § 6.02.060.A
  29. [29] § 6.02.060.A
  30. [30] § 6.02.060.A
  31. [31] § 6.02.060.A
  32. [32] § 6.02.060.A
  33. [33] i
  34. [34] §UDC ch. 9
  35. [35] § 6.02.070.A
  36. [36] § 6.02.070.A (Shared Wall / Non-shared Wall Side Setback)
  37. [37] § 6.02.070.A
  38. [38] § 6.02.070.A (Townhouse Lot Size)
  39. [39] § 6.02.070.A
  40. [40] i
  41. [41] §UDC ch. 9
  42. [42] § 6.02.080.A
  43. [43] § 6.02.080.A
  44. [44] § 6.02.080.A
  45. [45] § 6.02.080.A
  46. [46] § 6.02.080.A
  47. [47] § 6.02.080.A (Dwelling Units per acre, maximum 14)
  48. [48] §UDC ch. 9
  49. [49] § 6.02.090.A
  50. [50] § 6.02.090.A
  51. [51] § 6.02.090.A
  52. [52] § 6.02.090.A (2 acres = 87,120 sf)
  53. [53] § 6.02.090.A
  54. [54] § 6.02.090.A (Dwelling Units per acre, maximum 24 — city's highest MF density)
  55. [55] §UDC ch. 9
  56. [56] z
  57. [57] z
  58. [58] z
  59. [59] z
  60. [60] § 6.02.100
  61. [61] §UDC ch. 9
  62. [62] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (CN 20 ft)
  63. [63] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (CN 5/10 ft)
  64. [64] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (CN 0/20 ft)
  65. [65] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (CN 30 ft)
  66. [66] §UDC ch. 9
  67. [67] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (C-1 25 ft)
  68. [68] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (C-1 10/15 ft)
  69. [69] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (C-1 0/25 ft)
  70. [70] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (C-1 35 ft)
  71. [71] §UDC ch. 9
  72. [72] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (C-3 25 ft)
  73. [73] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (C-3 10/15 ft)
  74. [74] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (C-3 10/25 ft)
  75. [75] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (C-3 60 ft)
  76. [76] §UDC ch. 9
  77. [77] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (OF 25 ft)
  78. [78] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (OF 10/15 ft)
  79. [79] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (OF 10/25 ft)
  80. [80] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (OF 45 ft)
  81. [81] §UDC ch. 9
  82. [82] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (BP 25 ft)
  83. [83] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (BP 10/20 ft)
  84. [84] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (BP 10/25 ft)
  85. [85] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (BP 60 ft)
  86. [86] §UDC ch. 9
  87. [87] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (IN 25 ft)
  88. [88] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (IN 10/25 ft)
  89. [89] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (IN 10/35 ft)
  90. [90] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (IN 60 ft)
  91. [91] §UDC ch. 9
  92. [92] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (PF 25 ft)
  93. [93] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (PF 5/15 ft)
  94. [94] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (PF 0/25 ft)
  95. [95] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (PF 45 ft)
  96. [96] §UDC ch. 9
  97. [97] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (MU-DT 0 ft)
  98. [98] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020; § 7.02.030.C.3
  99. [99] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (MU-DT 0 ft)
  100. [100] § 7.02.020 Table 7.02.020 (MU-DT 40 ft)
  101. [101] §UDC ch. 9
  102. [102] z
  103. [103] z
  104. [104] z
  105. [105] z
  106. [106] z

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassed
no aggregator citedpassed
confidence tags full formpassed
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed
preempt section city specificpassed

Data quality

86%completeness105 confirmed25 partial6 inferred
Documented gaps
  • Parking ratios per Chapter 9 — not extracted in this session (UDC ch. 9 cache not fetched); marked 'partial' with paired companions at every district
  • Floodplain freeboard, substantial-improvement threshold, and floodway-prohibition language live in the City of Georgetown Code of Ordinances flood damage chapter (separate from UDC) — not fetched in this session
  • Georgetown Municipal Airport local zoning ordinance — separate City Code chapter outside the UDC; FAA Part 77 federal framework documented at the airport overlay
  • MU sub-district per-figure standards (Figures 4.09.051, 4.09.052, 4.09.061) require per-District Regulating Plan retrieval — not flat schedule
  • MH § 6.02.100 dual-regime details (parks vs subdivisions) — schema cannot flatten cleanly; quirk documented
  • Sun City Texas and other site-specific PUD ordinances — per-ordinance, not enumerated in this record
  • Watch for Georgetown city population crossing 150K in Census/ACS updates — would trigger SB 840 attachment to OF/C-1/C-3/CN/BP/IN/MU-DT

Known issues

freshness:volatile

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