What is Zoning?

Zoning establishes districts throughout the city that specify how land and buildings can be used. The purpose of zoning districts is to separate incompatible uses in order to reduce conflicts between property owners, protect property values and promote the general welfare and development of the city.

What does Zoning Regulate?

The zoning ordinance sets minimum lot width, building setbacks and lot sizes, maximum building height and lot coverage that serve to regulate density and protect the community from overcrowding. Zoning also determines what uses are allowed on a particular property.

McAllen first adopted zoning regulations in 1945. This ordinance was first repealed in 1979 and was in use until the Unified Development Code (UDC) was adopted in December 2024. In order to view the current version of the UDC, please click here.

UDC Chapter 2. Zoning Districts

Agricultural & Open Space (A-O) District provides, preserves and maintains large tracts of undeveloped land for agricultural pursuits such as crop production and farming, ranching, and raising livestock, wildlife management, and agrarian lifestyle practices.

Low-Density Residential (R-1) District is designed to primarily accommodate low-density single-family residential development supported by parks, open space, cultural and educational amenities.

Medium-Density Residential (R-2) District provides for medium-density residential development with a diversified range of housing choices. This district encourages a mix of single-family, two-family and multi-family residential uses and incentivizes community amenities to form compact, accessible, walkable, and equitable neighborhoods.

High Density Residential (R-3) District provides for high-density residential development, targeting well-designed multi-family uses serving as a transition between medium-density residential development and commercial nodes. Duplexes, townhomes, triplexes, fourplexes, and apartments are permitted uses in this district.

Local Commercial (C-1) District provides for a range of commercial activities, including the development of small-scale neighborhood offices, low-intensity retail and service businesses, restaurants and public spaces.

Regional Commercial (C-2) District provides for medium to large-scale development of retail,
service, entertainment, office, necessary for a regional market. This district primarily facilitates commercial development, like big box and anchor retailers and intensive shopping strip centers.

Light Industrial (I-1) District provides for manufacturing, day laborers, commercial uses, wholesale businesses, material fabrication, research facilities and general industrial uses that are clean, quiet and free of hazardous or objectionable elements such as noise, odor, dust, smoke or glare.

Heavy Industrial (I-2) District provides for manufacturing, processing, assembling, storing, testing and industrial uses that are extensive and intensive in character and require large sites, open storage and services areas, extensive services and facilities and access to major transportation networks.

Local Mixed Use (M-1) District provides for medium to high-density residential development comingled with localized low to medium intensity commercial services, retail and offices.

Regional Mixed Use (M-2) District provides residential, entertainment venues, commercial and office uses that harmoniously coexist in a higher density, pedestrian-oriented environment.

City Core (CC) District facilitates pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use, urban infill redevelopment, providing shopping, employment, housing, business and personal services and consists of Downtown (DT) and Uptown (UT) subdistricts.

The City of McAllen Development and Zoning map may be viewed at  https://gismap.mcallen.net

Process for Requesting a Zoning Change

Meet with the planning staff to discuss the proposed use of the property and appropriate zoning district request.

Complete “Application for a Zone Change” and file with the Planning Department. The application must include the processing fee, owner authorization, property survey or a metes and bounds description for un-subdivided properties.

Planning staff notifies all property owners within 200 feet of the proposed rezoning and advertises notice in newspaper 15 days prior to hearing.

Planning staff conducts field survey and reviews rezoning request with the Envision McAllen Comprehensive Plan

Planning and Zoning Commission (P & Z) conducts the first public hearing to present the staff recommendation and record neighborhood and applicant comments. P & Z makes recommendation to City Commission on rezoning requests.

City Commission conducts the second public hearing to consider P & Z recommendation and approves or disapproves rezoning request.


The applicant may withdraw applications at any time. No zoning change application may be considered on the same parcel more than once in any six-month period of time unless otherwise approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Non-conforming Uses and Structures Constructed Prior to Zoning Regulations

A use that is not permitted within a zoning district, but has been in continued use, is a non-
conforming use. A structure that does not comply with the zoning restrictions on setbacks, width, height, area or lot coverage, but was constructed prior to zoning regulations is a non-conforming structure.

Non-conforming uses or structures may not be enlarged or altered in a manner that increases its non-conformity. Abandonments, removal, or destruction of 50% of a non-conforming structure eliminates the non-conforming status of the structure.