Killeen | Zoning Districts
Killeen Zoning Districts: Which District Allows How Many Homes, and How Rezoning Works
Killeen zones the land inside its city limits. The rules are in Chapter 31 of the Killeen Code of Ordinances, which the City publishes on municode. The copy read for this page is Supplement 38 Update 1, "Codified through Ordinance of 26-003, enacted January 6, 2026." City Council records on Legistar show rezonings after that date but no change to the text of Chapter 31 adopted before October 9, 2026. This page lists the districts, says how many homes each one allows on a lot, and explains how an owner asks to change a district. The Killeen overview gives the short version.
Killeen zoning in six facts
- Chapter 31 of the Killeen Code of Ordinances divides the city into 29 zoning districts, and five of them are marked inactive. Source: Killeen Code, Sec. 31-121
- R-1 allows one-family dwellings, R-2 adds two-family dwellings, and R-3F adds buildings of three or four homes. Source: Killeen Code, Secs. 31-186, 31-231, 31-255.1
- R-3A allows apartment complexes, which the code defines as five or more attached homes on one lot. Source: Killeen Code, Secs. 31-2, 31-256.1
- The City mails notice of a rezoning to owners within 400 feet, and the applicant posts a sign at least 24 by 48 inches 10 days before the Planning and Zoning Commission hearing. Source: Killeen Code, Sec. 31-39
- Since September 1, 2025, a zoning protest in Killeen is handled the way Local Government Code 211.0061 sets out. Source: Killeen Code, Sec. 31-39(f); Ord. No. 25-046
- The FY 2027 Fee Schedule lists a zoning application at $500, a conditional use permit at $750 and a planned unit development at $1,000. Source: City of Killeen FY 2027 Fee Schedule
The 29 Districts
A zoning district is an area where one set of rules decides what may be built and how. Sec. 31-121 says "the city is hereby divided into twenty-nine (29) districts." The official zoning map that shows which district covers each lot is kept by the city secretary, and the city engineer enters each change the City Council makes (Sec. 31-122). Ask the Development Services Department for the district of your lot before you plan.
The list starts with the farm and home districts (A, A-R1, SR-1, SR-2, R-1, SF-2, R-2, R-3, R-3F, R-3A, R-MP, R-MS, RT-1 and RM-1). Then come the business districts (B-1, B-2, B-3, B-3A, NBD, B-4, B-5, B-C-1, RC-1 and the B-DC business day care district), the manufacturing districts M-1 and M-2, the UD university district, the CD cemetery district and the HOD historic overlay district. An overlay is a second layer of rules placed on top of the base district.
Five districts carry the word "inactive" in Sec. 31-121: R-3, B-3A, RC-1, B-DC and RM-1. Land that already has one of these districts keeps it until the owner or the City rezones it, but no new application for that district is accepted. For R-3 the cutoff was February 9, 2010 (Sec. 31-246(b)); for RM-1 and B-DC it was May 26, 2020.
How Many Homes Each Residential District Allows
| District | Name | Homes allowed | Smallest lot | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Agricultural | Agricultural single-family homes under the A-R1 rules | 3 acres | Secs. 31-156, 31-158 |
| A-R1 | Agricultural single-family | One principal home per lot, plus one guest house that may not be rented | 1 acre, 100 ft wide | Secs. 31-172, 31-174, 31-176 |
| SR-1 | Suburban residential | Single-family detached; no more than 3.5 homes per gross acre | 8,400 sq ft, 70 ft wide | Secs. 31-179, 31-181, 31-183 |
| SR-2 | Suburban residential | Single-family detached, plus one guest house that may not be rented | 15,000 sq ft, 90 ft wide | Secs. 31-185.2, 31-185.4 |
| R-1 | Single-family | One-family dwellings, site-built or modular | 6,000 sq ft, 60 ft wide | Secs. 31-186, 31-188 |
| SF-2 | Single-family | Single-family homes of at least 1,100 sq ft; projects of 1 acre or more | 5,000 sq ft, 50 ft wide | Secs. 31-193, 31-195 |
| RT-1 | Townhouse | Townhouses in groups of three to five, each on its own lot | 2,500 sq ft, 24 ft wide | Secs. 31-217, 31-220 |
| R-2 | Two-family | Any R-1 use, plus two-family dwellings | 7,000 sq ft for two homes, 60 ft wide | Secs. 31-231, 31-233 |
| R-3F | Multifamily (3 or 4 homes) | R-2 uses, plus buildings of three or four homes | 10,000 sq ft, 70 ft wide | Secs. 31-255.1, 31-255.3 |
| R-3A | Multifamily apartment | R-1 and R-2 uses, plus apartment complexes | Half an acre; 2,500 sq ft of land per home above that | Secs. 31-256.1, 31-256.3 |
| R-3 | Multifamily (inactive) | Multifamily dwellings on land already zoned R-3; no new R-3 zoning since February 9, 2010 | 7,000 sq ft, 60 ft wide | Secs. 31-246, 31-248 |
| R-MS | Manufactured housing | Manufactured homes in a platted manufactured home subdivision | 5,000 sq ft, 50 ft wide | Secs. 31-266, 31-269 |
Source: Killeen Code of Ordinances, Chapter 31, Article IV, Supplement 38 Update 1. R-MP, the mobile home and travel trailer park district, and RM-1, the inactive modular home district, are left out of the table.
Three definitions in Sec. 31-2 decide where a project fits. A two-family dwelling is "a building designed for or occupied by two (2) families." A multifamily dwelling is "a building designed for or occupied by three (3) or more families." An apartment complex is "five (5) or more attached dwelling units on one (1) lot." So a triplex or a fourplex on one lot is a multifamily dwelling that fits R-3F, and a building of five or more homes on one lot is an apartment complex that fits R-3A.
The code also defines a family as people living together as one household "in which not more than three (3) adults are unrelated by blood, marriage, adoption, or guardianship." That rule limits who may share one home.
Two details in the residential districts matter for small projects. First, the R-1 list of uses in Sec. 31-186 names one-family dwellings and accessory buildings, and it does not name a second home of any kind. The guest houses and duplexes page covers what Killeen allows instead. Second, Sec. 31-473(c) says that for side yards "a two-family dwelling or multifamily dwelling shall be considered as one (1) building occupying one (1) lot." A duplex in R-2 or a fourplex in R-3F is one building on one lot.
Homes on Business Land
Since September 1, 2025, Killeen's business districts list homes as a use. Ordinance No. 25-046, passed August 19, 2025, added two items to the B-1 list in Sec. 31-276: multifamily residential with "at least three (3) dwelling units per building," and mixed-use residential that is "vertical mixed-use," meaning homes and business space in the same building. Both are barred within 1,000 feet of an existing heavy industrial use or within 3,000 feet of an airport or military base. B-2 starts with every use permitted in B-1, B-3 with every B-2 use, and so on up to B-5, so the items carry through the business districts. The triplexes, fourplexes and apartments page covers those rules and the state law behind them.
How a Rezoning Works
A rezoning is a change of the district on a lot. Only the City Council can make it, by ordinance, under Sec. 31-39. The steps are:
- Plan check. A request "shall be in accordance with the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) of the comprehensive plan." The Future Land Use Map shows the type of use the City plans for each area. If the request does not match, the owner may first ask to amend the map. The City will not process the map change and the rezoning for the same property at the same time.
- Application and fee. The applicant files a written application and pays the fee "set by the council." The fee is not refunded if the request is denied or withdrawn.
- Mailed notice. The City notifies "All property owners within four hundred (400) feet" of the land, as long as those properties are inside the city limits.
- Sign on the land. The applicant puts up a sign at least 24 inches by 48 inches at least 10 days before the Planning and Zoning Commission hearing, and keeps it visible until the City Council acts.
- Commission review. The Planning and Zoning Commission holds its hearing and sends a recommendation to the City Council.
- Council hearing. The City Council holds a public hearing after notice published once in a newspaper and on the City website at least 15 days ahead, and then votes.
If the Council denies a petition, the same petition cannot come back for 12 months unless it changes in a way the code lists, for example by asking for a different district, cutting density by at least 20 percent, or cutting the area by at least 20 percent (Sec. 31-39(h)). Owners of at least 50 percent of the land within 200 feet of a site may also petition the Council to change its rules, and the Council must vote on that petition within 90 days (Sec. 31-39(g)).
The City starts some rezonings itself. Council records show City-initiated cases that moved business land to homes, such as Case Z26-03, which rezoned six lots on West Jasper Drive from B-3 to R-2 and passed on March 24, 2026, and Case Z24-18, which rezoned lots on Industrial Boulevard from B-3 and B-5 to R-3F and passed on September 17, 2024.
Protests: What State Law Now Says
A protest is a written objection, signed by owners, that raises the number of Council votes a rezoning needs. Ordinance No. 25-046 rewrote Sec. 31-39(f) so that a protested change "shall not become effective except as prescribed" in Local Government Code 211.0061. That section, added by HB 24 and in force since September 1, 2025, keeps two kinds of protest:
- Any change. Under 211.0061(b)(1), owners of "at least 20 percent of the area of the lots or land covered by the proposed change" can protest, and the change then needs "three-fourths of all members of the governing body."
- A change that allows more housing. Under 211.0061(b)(3), when a change "has the effect of allowing more residential development" and adds no commercial or industrial use beyond a limited first floor, a protest by owners of the adjoining land within 200 feet needs "at least 60 percent" of that land, and the change then needs "a majority of all members of the governing body."
Section 211.0061(b)(2) also keeps a protest by owners of 20 percent of the adjoining land within 200 feet for changes outside the housing case, with the three-fourths vote. The Killeen Charter says the Council is "composed of a mayor and seven councilmembers" (Article III, Section 22). Ask the City Attorney how the City counts "all members" for these votes.
Killeen adds its own filing rule. Each protest must be signed, name the protester and the address of the land the protester owns, and reach the director of planning "not later than noon on the day the planning and zoning commission is to consider" the case. Staff check ownership against the city tax roll and tell the Council the percentage before the vote.
One older rule is gone. City staff told the Council in July 2025 that HB 24 repealed Local Government Code 211.006(f), which had let a city require three-fourths of the Council to overrule a Planning and Zoning recommendation to deny, and recommended removing that rule from Sec. 31-39(e). The current Sec. 31-39 has no such rule.
Conditional Use Permits, Planned Developments and Variances
Conditional use permit. A conditional use permit, or CUP, lets the Council allow a use on one site with conditions. Under Sec. 31-456, only the landowner may apply, at least 30 days before the Commission meeting, with a site plan when the director asks for one. Notice and hearings follow the rezoning rules. The Commission must recommend denial if it finds, for example, that the use will not fit nearby uses or lacks adequate parking. The Council may add conditions such as a limited term or special yards, and the permit "runs with the land."
Planned unit development. A planned unit development, or PUD, is a rezoning that comes with its own development rules, negotiated with the City. Sec. 31-802 allows a PUD in any district, generally on at least five acres, within one mile of an arterial street, with buffers of generally 25 feet between unlike uses. The code requires a PUD for an R-3F or R-3A request on more than 5 acres (Sec. 31-256.9) and for an SF-2 request of 25 acres or more (Sec. 31-195). City staff told the Council in October 2025 that 30-foot lots without an alley are "negotiable via a PUD."
Board of Adjustment. Ordinance No. 25-067, passed December 2, 2025, merged several boards into one Board of Adjustment. Sec. 31-67 gives it nine regular members: four with construction experience, one with aviation experience, one with fire experience and three at large. Sec. 31-78 lets it grant a variance, which is permission to depart from a rule because of a hardship, "Upon the affirmative vote of at least seven (7) concurring members."
| Planning fee | FY 2027 amount |
|---|---|
| Zoning application | $500.00 |
| Conditional use permit (CUP) | $750.00 |
| Planned unit development (PUD) | $1,000.00 |
| PUD amendment | $500.00 |
| Future Land Use Map (FLUM) amendment | $500.00 |
| Zoning variance | $275.00 |
| Zoning verification letter | $50.00 |
| Pre-development meeting | $75.00 |
| Tech / application fee, added to each fee marked in the schedule | $10.00 |
Source: City of Killeen, FY 2027 Fee Schedule, Development Services, Planning and Development, "Effective October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027." The City Council approved the schedule on June 16, 2026, except the senior center, brush collection and animal services fees.
Where the Code Disagrees With Itself
- Sec. 31-456(c)(2) says CUP protests are processed under "subsection 31-39 (d)." Since Ordinance No. 25-046, Sec. 31-39(d) is the referral to the Planning and Zoning Commission, and the protest rule is Sec. 31-39(f). The protest rule in (f) is the one that applies.
- Sec. 31-193 allows SF-2 homes "meeting the criteria of the garden home district," but Sec. 31-121 lists no garden home district. Use the SF-2 lot and yard rules in Sec. 31-195.
- The FY 2027 Fee Schedule the City posts carries the words "PROPOSED FEE SCHEDULE" at the top, although the Council approved it on June 16, 2026 and it runs from October 1, 2026. Confirm a fee with the City before you pay it.
Best For
- ✓ A lot already zoned R-2, R-3F or R-3A, where a duplex, a triplex or fourplex, or apartments are allowed by right.
- ✓ A rezoning that matches the Future Land Use Map, so no separate map change is needed first.
- ✓ A tract over 5 acres where a PUD can set lot sizes the base districts do not offer.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ The plan puts a second home on an R-1 lot, which the R-1 use list does not allow.
- ✕ The site needs a map change and a rezoning, and the schedule assumes both run at the same time.
- ✕ Neighbors file a protest the plan did not expect.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The district of the lot on the official zoning map, and any PUD ordinance on it.
- → The Future Land Use Map designation for the lot.
- → The current fee schedule and the next Planning and Zoning Commission filing date.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the Killeen overview, how Texas zoning works, and HB 24 and zoning protests.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many zoning districts does Killeen have?
Which Killeen zoning district allows a fourplex?
How much does it cost to rezone land in Killeen?
Who must be notified when land is rezoned in Killeen?
Can neighbors still block a rezoning in Killeen after HB 24?
When is a protest against a Killeen rezoning due?
Does a Killeen rezoning have to match the Future Land Use Map?
What is a planned unit development in Killeen?
How long must I wait to refile a denied Killeen rezoning?
Who decides a zoning variance in Killeen?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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