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Learn to read any NYC zoning code at a glance. R6A, C4-7, M1-2A — what each letter and digit actually means.
NYC zoning codes look cryptic — R6A, C4-7, M1-2A — but they follow a strict pattern. Once you know the rules, you can read any code at a glance and know roughly what you can build.
The leading letter tells you what kind of activity the district is primarily for:
That's it. There are no other top-level letters.
The first digit after the letter is roughly a density score:
C and M use the same numeric pattern but the scale differs by family.
If a letter appears AFTER the number (R6A, R7X, C4-7A) it's a contextual variant — a flavor of the base district designed to match the existing built character of a neighborhood.
Commercial districts have a second number after the hyphen (C4-2, C4-7) indicating the FAR + height ceiling within the C-family. Higher = bigger. C4-7 is much more dense than C4-2.
Manufacturing districts also use this pattern: M1-1, M1-5, M2-3, etc.
Read this code: R6A
Now you know roughly what R6A allows BEFORE looking up any specific parameters. That's the goal of this lesson.
Try the decoder widget below on your own address.
Residence
mid-density (5-9 story apartment buildings — NYC bread-and-butter)
Quality housing — predictable street wall, height cap, no rear-setback shenanigans
What does the 'R' in 'R6A' tell you about the district?
Sample inputs to test the widget above: