Type a land use to see which zoning districts allow it — and whether it's permitted outright, needs a Special Exception, or comes with conditions.
How to use this tool
A quick reference for the City of Chattanooga zoning ordinance. Look up any land use, see which zoning districts allow it, and compare zones side by side.
1
Search a use. Type what you want to build or operate — a "restaurant," "car wash," "townhouse," "warehouse." Everyday words work; they map to the ordinance's official names (e.g. "restaurant" → Eating and Drinking Establishment). You can also tap a quick button like Residential or Day Care.
2
Read the permitted zones. Each result groups the districts by how the use is allowed:
P — permitted by right** — permitted with use-specific conditionsSE — Special Exception requiredSE-C — Special Exception, City Council approval
3
Tap a zone chip for its standards. Any district with a RN-2 › arrow opens a detail page with that zone's setbacks (front, side, corner, rear) plus its lot, coverage, and height standards.
4
Compare two zones. On any result, tap ⇄ Compare two zones for this use to put two districts side by side — permission level, setbacks, and lot/height/density. Rows that differ are highlighted so the trade-offs are obvious.
This is a quick-reference aid, not a substitute for the ordinance. Always confirm against the current adopted code and any overlay or PUD conditions before relying on it for a project.
Partial matches work. Try "restaurant", "storage", "dwelling", "office". How to use this tool
Permitted (P) Special Exception (SE) SE – City Council (SE-C) Conditions apply (**)
Start typing a use above to see permissible zoning districts.
Quick reference only. Built from Table 38-41.1 of the Chattanooga Zoning Ordinance. Codes: P permitted, SE special exception, SE-C special exception approved by City Council, ** permitted subject to use-specific standards, ¹ allowed in I-H only for properties zoned M-1 prior to the Official Zoning Map adopted 12/17/2024 with zoning conditions in place at rezoning. Always confirm against the current adopted ordinance and any overlay/PUD conditions before relying on this for a project.