Downtown Columbia Overlay District + Guidelines

The new Downtown Columbia Overlay District and Guidelines are now in effect. Learn more here.

Zoning Districts & Overlays

What is a zoning district?

A zoning district is an area within the City in which various and specific uses are permitted. In the City of Columbia, zoning districts are residential, commercial, mixed-use, and industrial areas.

Residential Zoning Districts

T/C: Transitional/Conservation District

LL-R: Large Lot – Reserve District

RSF-1: Residential Single Family – Large Lot District

RSF-2: Residential Single Family – Medium Lot District

RSF-3: Residential Single Family – Small Lot District

RD: Residential Two-Family District

RD-MV: Residential Two-Family – Mill Village District

RM-1: Residential Mixed District

RM-2: Residential Mixed District

Institutional and Campus Zoning Districts

INS-GEN: Institutional – General District

INS-U/M: Institutional – University/Medical District

INS-ZOO: Institutional – Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens District

INS-FJ: Institutional – Fort Jackson District

INS-T/U: Institutional – Transportation/Utilities District

Mixed-Use, Activity Center/Corridor & Commercial Zoning Districts

MU-1: Mixed-Use District

MU-2: Mixed-Use District

NAC: Neighborhood Activity Center/Corridor District

CAC: Community Activity Center/Corridor District

RAC: Regional Activity Center/Corridor District

O-I: Office and Institutional District

DAC: Downtown Activity Center District

GC: General Commercial District

MC: Mixed Commercial District

Industrial Zoning Districts

LI: Light Industrial District

HI: Heavy Industrial District

EC: Employment Campus District

Planned Development Zoning Districts

PD-#: Planned Development District

For permitted uses in each district, refer to Article IV of the Zoning Ordinance.

Zoning Verification Letters

For zoning verification requests, please email zoning@columbiasc.gov. Be sure to include the address of the subject property, tax map number, and the specific information requested.

What is a zoning overlay?

A zoning overlay is placed over a base zoning district and identifies special provisions in addition to those in the base zoning district.

Overlay Zoning Districts

OV-A: Airport Safety Overlay District

OV-FW: Floodway Overlay District

OV-FP: Floodplain Overlay District

OV-5P: Five Points Design Overlay District

OV-DC: Downtown Columbia Overlay District (effective 1/5/2026)

OV-CC: City Center Design Overlay District (replaced by OV-DC 1/5/2026)
OV-ID: Innovista Design Overlay District (replaced by OV-DC 1/5/2026)

OV-NMC: North Main Corridor Design Overlay District

OV-HP: Historic Preservation Overlay District

OV-GATE-#: Gateway Design Overlay District

OV-CCP: Community Character Protection Overlay District

OV-OAS: Outdoor Advertising Sign Overlay District

OV-HSV: Height and Setback View Corridor Protection Overlay District

The Bull Street PD District

The Bull Street Neighborhood Form Based Code

Useful Mapping Tools

To find the zoning of a specific address in the City, use the City Information Viewer

For tax information concerning a property in Richland County, use the following Richland County

For zoning information in surrounding counties, use Lexington County GIS or Richland County GIS

*Please note that the City Information Viewer and County zoning maps are not reliable for the City of Columbia’s zoning and should never be used as a substitute for contacting the Zoning Division. Staff has access to the official zoning maps for the City.