Blog · October 14, 2026 · California
Daly City Zoning Map: finding the district for a lot
A parcel's zoning district shapes building, splitting and business use near Colma.
Main page: San Mateo County, CA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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If you have a specific use in mind for land near Pacifica, pull up the Daly City zoning map first: the zoning district can make or break the plan. Covered here for Daly City: which office sets the rules for a lot, matching a lot to its zoning district, and when a variance or rezoning comes up.
Reading the Daly City zoning map for one lot
Within municipal limits, the town or city normally writes the zoning code, which means a parcel in Daly City follows that code. Outside those limits, near Colma or Millbrae, county rules apply where they exist; confirm with the county office. The quickest way to tell which applies: ask whether the parcel near Brisbane is inside the boundary.
Where the parcel data lives
Begin with the San Mateo County parcel viewer; it includes every assessed parcel in the county, South San Francisco included. Without an address in hand, pan along the nearest road until the lines appear, then click inside the one you want, and that holds around Millbrae too. If the land is near Millbrae, the parcel card normally shows the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, the parcel number and often a sale date.
Before you lean on the lines
The acreage figure is a tax-roll number; just a licensed surveyor establishes the real corners for a parcel near Brisbane. For acreage around Colma, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
City limits and county records
Daly City is part of San Mateo County, California, so its parcels are on the county's map. Near San Bruno, City or town hall handles matters such as zoning, permits and utilities within town limits, while the county keeps the tax map. Land beyond the city limits toward Millbrae usually follows county rules rather than the town's.
Questions for the planning office
Have the parcel ID ready and describe the plan for the lot near Colma; ask what's allowed by right and what needs a permit. Also ask whether the lot near Pacifica is a legal lot of record, because nonconforming lots can carry limits.
Reading the district label
Look up the lot on the San Mateo County parcel viewer first, note the parcel number, then compare it to the zoning map from the office covering Daly City. On ground around South San Francisco, district codes like R-1, C-2 or A-1 point to a table of rules in the ordinance; don't assume a code means the same thing everywhere.
Setbacks, lot size and uses
If you're looking near Colma, each district lists what's allowed outright and what needs approval. For a tract near South San Francisco, overlays, whether historic, floodplain or corridor, can add rules on top of the base district.
Changing what's allowed
For a tract near Colma, most of these involve time, so budget weeks or months before you close.
Using it on a phone
Most viewers work in a phone browser, which helps when you're standing on land near Pacifica, so load it before you lose signal. A printout of the tract near Pacifica keeps working without signal.
Offices that can help
If the acreage or value on a parcel near Millbrae looks off go to the County Assessor, since that office keeps the assessment data. Questions about what you can build around Pacifica are for the local planning and health departments, and the answer depends on jurisdiction.
When a parcel crosses a boundary
San Mateo County borders Alameda County, San Francisco County, Santa Clara County, and Santa Cruz County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. A tract near the line by Pacifica may show up in two county records, so open the neighboring map too. For a home near Millbrae, the Platbookmapper state page lists each neighboring county map across California.
How land is described here
California is laid out under the Public Land Survey System, so rural legal descriptions near San Bruno cite section, township and range. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though corrections make some sections near Brisbane odd-sized. Keep the legal description for land near Millbrae before you request a deed or survey.
Permits after zoning
Once zoning clears a project near San Bruno, you still need building permits and inspections; health and road departments may weigh in on land there.
Questions about the Daly City zoning map
Is zoning on the San Mateo County parcel viewer?
Usually, a zoning layer may be in the San Mateo County parcel viewer layer list, but the adopted map from the planning office is the official version.
How long does rezoning take in Daly City?
Short answer: the governing body near South San Francisco decides after hearings; planning staff can outline the steps.
Where is the Daly City zoning map?
Good question; the planning office covering Daly City can give the district if you send the parcel ID; many towns post the map online.
Can I get an exception to a setback near Pacifica?
It depends, but variances near Millbrae are usually decided by a board after a hearing; ask staff about the standards.
What's the tax parcel number used for around Pacifica?
It's the number the County Assessor uses to track a tract near Pacifica; you'll see it in the viewer and on tax statements.
Open the official San Mateo County, CA parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.