Construction Services & Inspections

If you have any questions regarding zone districts, setbacks, or permitted uses, please contact the Planning Division at 218-730-5580 or planning@duluthmn.gov

Zone District 

Zone District refers to an area with specific rules and regulations on how a property can be used. The zone districts and the regulations reflect the goals and policies of the City as described in the Imagine Duluth 2035 Comprehensive Land Use Plan.  

Zones are typically labeled with their intended use. For example, the R-1 zone refers to a traditional neighborhood with single family homes. A large office building would not be allowed to be constructed in an R-1 zone, but it could be built in a MU-C (Mixed Use-Commercial) or MU-N (Mixed Use-Neighborhood) zone. 

The Unified Development Chapter (UDC) is the official body of rules and regulations to guide land use and development in the City. UDC Zoning Regulations can be found on the Planning & Development webpage. 

To find the zone district of a property, you can either search for the property on ePlace, or search by address or by parcel ID # (010-XXXX-XXXXX) on the Planning and Land Use Map.

The parcel ID # can be found through the St. Louis County Land Explorer. The parcel ID # can also be found on your St. Louis County tax statement.

Permitted Uses

After finding the Zone District of the property in question, scroll down the Zoning Regulations page click on the Use Table under Permitted Uses, to see if what you would like to do with the property in question is an allowed use. This table shows all of the allowed uses for all of the zone districts in the City of Duluth.

Setback Information

Once you find the Zone District of the property and know that your project is allowed in your zone, scroll down the Zoning Regulations page, click on the zone identifier to see the standard lot size, setbacks and structure height for that particular zone district. This information will help you determine if your project will fit on your lot.

Depending on the property, there may be additional setback requirements including: 

• Shoreland Setbacks: The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) worked with the City of Duluth to develop a program to protect our waterways. Generally, a property with 300 feet of a river or lake needs special consideration when construction happens on that property. Scroll down the Zoning Regulations page and click on the Natural Resources Overlay to see the rules & regulations. When applying for a permit, if you get notification that your property is in a shore land setback zone, you should also apply for a shoreland permit.
• Skyline Setbacks: To protect the views of Lake Superior, the UDC has special building requirements for property that is below the scenic & historic Skyline Parkway. Scroll down the Zoning Regulations page click on the Skyline Parkway Overlay to see the rules & regulations.