Zoning districts · Article 13
Boston Proper Underlying Zoning Districts zoning
Boston Proper Underlying Zoning Districts is governed by Article 13 of the Boston Zoning Code. It covers about 3,175 parcels across 26 subdistricts. Below are the height and floor area ratio limits set out in the Article 13 text.
Last verified Oct 2026. All 42 values were checked cell by cell against Article 13, Table B (Dimensional Regulations) in the official Boston Zoning Code text published on Municode. Every district shown is listed in Section 3-1 of the current Code. H-2-65 and L-2-65 are not separate rows in Table B. Their FAR is the base district's Table B value, and their height is the second number in the district name, per Table B footnote (15). Lot, yard and parking rules from Table B and Articles 14-24 are not shown here. Overlay districts may further limit a parcel, including restricted parking, groundwater conservation, coastal flood resilience and Skyline districts. Source: Boston Zoning Code, Article 13.
Subdistricts
| Map code | Subdistrict type | Parcels |
|---|---|---|
| B-2 | General Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 1 |
| B-3-65 | General Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 236 |
| B-4 | General Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 45 |
| B-6-90a | General Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 43 |
| B-6-90b | General Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 3 |
| B-8 | General Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 3 |
| B-8-120a | General Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 26 |
| B-8-120b | General Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 20 |
| B-8-120c | General Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 17 |
| B-10 | General Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 11 |
| H-1 | Apartment district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 24 |
| H-2 | Apartment district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 69 |
| H-2-65 | Apartment district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 1,221 |
| H-3 | Apartment district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 62 |
| H-3-65 | Apartment district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 988 |
| H-4 | Apartment district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 243 |
| H-5 | Apartment district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 2 |
| L-2 | Local Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 5 |
| L-2-65 | Local Business district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 98 |
| M-2 | Restricted Manufacturing district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 15 |
| M-4 | Restricted Manufacturing district (Table B, Section 13-1) | 3 |
| BETH ISRAEL HOSPITAL INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICT | Institutional district (Section 3-1A; no dimensional table on this page) | 3 |
| DANA FARBER CANCER INTITUTE IS | Institutional district (Section 3-1A; no dimensional table on this page) | 8 |
| MCOP INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICT | Institutional district (Section 3-1A; no dimensional table on this page) | 1 |
| NE DEACONESS HOSPITAL INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICT | Institutional district (Section 3-1A; no dimensional table on this page) | 17 |
| OS | Open Space district (Article 33; no dimensional table on this page) | 11 |
Parcel counts come from City of Boston 2025 parcel data and BPDA zoning subdistrict boundaries, matched by Stratum. Each lot is counted in the subdistrict that contains it; road, rail and water strips are excluded. Open-space and other subdistricts not listed above are included in the district total.
Table B — Dimensional Regulations (FAR and height)
| Requirement | B-2 | B-3-65 | B-4 | B-6-90a | B-6-90b | B-8 | B-8-120a | B-8-120b | B-8-120c | B-10 | H-1 | H-2 | H-2-65 | H-3 | H-3-65 | H-4 | H-5 | L-2 | L-2-65 | M-2 | M-4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. floor area ratio (FAR) | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 |
| Max. height | none(15) | 65 ft(9) | none | 90 ft | 90 ft | none(13) | 120 ft | 120 ft | 120 ft(13) | none(13) | none(15) | none(15) | 65 ft(15) | none(15) | 65 ft(9) | none | none(13)(15) | none(15) | 65 ft(15) | none(15) | none |
- (9) See Section 16-7 for regulations for pre-Code structures.
- (13) See Section 16-6 for height limits for buildings within 100 feet of streets that bound Boston Common and the Public Garden. See Section 16-9 for height limit provisions for block bounded by Bladgen and Exeter Streets and Huntington Avenue.
- (15) Except in a district designated with two numerical parts, in which case the second number is the maximum height in feet. See Section 3-1A(i).
Where the Code gives a height without a unit, we show it in feet.
Numbers in parentheses, like (1), are footnotes in the Code table. They often add conditions or exceptions, so read them in Article 13.
See what fits on a Boston Proper Underlying lot
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Try Stratum freeStratum is not affiliated with the City of Boston or the Boston Planning Department (formerly the BPDA). This summary is for early design and is not a legal determination. Zoning is amended over time, and overlay districts, map amendments and the table footnotes can change what applies to a parcel. Always verify with the Boston Zoning Code and the city before relying on these numbers.