Mountain View · Land use · Child care center
Where is a child care center allowed in Mountain View?
In Mountain View, a child care center is needs a conditional use permit in 12 (R1, R2, R3, RMH, R4 and 7 more) (Mountain View use tables, read October 2026).
Key points
- Needs a permit: R1, R2, R3, RMH, R4, CN, CS, CO and 4 more
Find your lot's zone on the city zoning map, then read its row. Every status below was read from the Mountain View Municipal Code use tables (read October 2026). Base zones only. General information, not legal advice — check with the city before you apply.
Zones where a child care center can go
Mountain View's code calls this use “Child-care centers”. Each row links to the use table it comes from. A zone marked “see note” has a condition in the code, for example upper floors only or a larger lot.
| Zone | Status | Code |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.10.05 |
| R2 | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.10.05 |
| R3 | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.10.05 |
| RMH | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.10.05 |
| R4 | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.10.05 |
| CN | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.18.05 |
| CS | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.18.05 |
| CO | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.18.05 |
| CRA Commercial/Residential-Arterial (CRA) | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.18.05 |
| ML | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.20.05 |
| MM | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.20.05 |
| A Agriculture | Needs a conditional use permit | § 36.24.20 |
What else applies
- Standards for this use: 36.28.20 Child-care facilities; 36.60.09 definitions.
- Public Facility (PF): P if the 36.24.45 g standards are met, otherwise CUP (36.24.55 d); left out of the cells. Co-located centers in multiple-family developments and family child care homes are separate rows.
- State law: A licensed family child care home in a house is a residential use under state law (Health and Safety Code § 1597.45); this page covers child care centers only.
- Not covered here: Zone names for R1, R2, R3, RMH, R4, CN, CS, CO, CRA, ML, MM are not stated in the packet; Planned Community (P) districts have no table (36.22.10: any use permitted in another district may be permitted after review); A, PF, F, U districts use lists, not tables; only cells that a list names outright are given; Overlay districts and specific plans are not in the packet. Overlay zones and specific plans can also change the answer.
Other uses in Mountain View
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a child care center in the R1 zone in Mountain View?
Only with a conditional use permit. Mountain View's use table lists it that way in R1 (§ 36.10.05).
General information, not legal advice.
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