Nevada City · Zoning · R2
Nevada City R2 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Nevada City's R2 zone, generally the front setback is 25 ft and the minimum lot size is 0.5 acres, with the conditions listed below (Nevada City code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Minimum front setback: 25 ft
- Minimum side setback: 9 ft
- Minimum rear setback: 25 ft
- Minimum lot size: 0.5 acres (newly created lots; does not apply to tentative maps in a master planned multiple family project)
- Maximum density: 8 units per acre
R2 (R2 Multiple-Family Residential Zone) is a zoning district in Nevada City. Every value below was read from the Nevada City Municipal Code and links to its section (read October 2026). State laws such as the ADU and SB 9 rules can allow more on a residential lot. General information, not legal advice — read the code text and check with the city before you build.
Development standards in R2
The general rule for a typical lot in this zone. Zoning tables often attach notes, such as rules for corner lots, lots next to a residential zone, or new subdivisions only. Open “code text” under a value to see the table cell or sentence it was read from.
| Minimum front setback | 25 ft § 17.28.060 · code textC. Front yards, twenty-five feet; |
|---|---|
| Minimum side setback | 9 ft § 17.28.060 · code textB. Side yards, nine feet; |
| Minimum rear setback | 25 ft § 17.28.060 · code textD. Rear yards, twenty-five feet. |
| Minimum lot size | 0.5 acres Applies: newly created lots; does not apply to tentative maps in a master planned multiple family project § 17.28.070 · code textB. The minimum lot size for a newly created lot shall be 0.5 acres or twenty-one thousand seven hundred eighty (21,780) square feet. |
| Maximum density | 8 units per acre § 17.28.070 · code textA. The maximum density shall be established at eight (8) units per acre. |
Not on this page
We did not find a general height, stories, lot coverage, FAR limit for R2 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Nevada City Municipal Code.
Other Nevada City zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum front setback in Nevada City's R2 zone?
25 ft — Nevada City Municipal Code § 17.28.060.
What is the minimum side setback in Nevada City's R2 zone?
9 ft — Nevada City Municipal Code § 17.28.060.
What is the minimum rear setback in Nevada City's R2 zone?
25 ft — Nevada City Municipal Code § 17.28.060.
What is the minimum lot size in Nevada City's R2 zone?
0.5 acres (newly created lots; does not apply to tentative maps in a master planned multiple family project) — Nevada City Municipal Code § 17.28.070.
What is the maximum density in Nevada City's R2 zone?
8 units per acre — Nevada City Municipal Code § 17.28.070.
General information, not legal advice.
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