Dutchess County

Town of Poughkeepsie, NY: zoning for new construction

24 districts Min residential lot 0.14–4 ac Central Hudson

Residential lots in the Town of Poughkeepsie run from a 0.14-acre minimum in Residence Neighborhood up to 4 acres in Residence Single-Family 4 Acre, across 24 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Power here is Central Hudson territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (845) 485-3650 before you rely on a figure.

Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Poughkeepsie →

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
Residence Single-Family 4 Acre	4 ac	100 / 50 / 75 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Residence Single-Family 2 Acre	2 ac	65 / 40 / 55 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Residence Single-Family 1.5 Acre	1.5 ac	55 / 30 / 45 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Residence Single-Family 20,000 Square Feet	0.46 ac	30 / 20 / 30 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Residence Multifamily	0.23 ac	30 / 10 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Residence Neighborhood	0.14 ac	30 / 5 / 30 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Residence Mobile Home	0.14 ac	15 / 10 / 10 ft	—	Occupancy restricted
Arlington Town Center	0.11 ac	5 / 0 / 20 ft	45 ft	Occupancy restricted
South Hills Center	0.23 ac	5 / 0 / 20 ft	45 ft	Occupancy restricted
Fairview Commercial	0.34 ac	35 / 25 / 45 ft	45 ft	Occupancy restricted
Salt Point Center	0.092 ac	15 / 6 / 20 ft	28 ft	Occupancy restricted
MacDonnell Heights Center	0.092 ac	15 / 6 / 20 ft	28 ft	Occupancy restricted
Rural Residential Hamlet	1 ac	25 / 15 / 35 ft	45 ft	Occupancy restricted
Route 9 Office/Medical/Neighborhood Shopping Center	0.46 ac	25 / 25 / 35 ft	30 ft	Occupancy restricted
Neighborhood Business	0.34 ac	15 / 25 / 35 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Neighborhood Highway Business	0.46 ac	25 / 25 / 35 ft	45 ft	Occupancy restricted
Highway Business	2 ac	40 / 40 / 40 ft	45 ft	Occupancy restricted
Shopping Center Business	15 ac	100 / 100 / 100 ft	55 ft	Occupancy restricted
Office Research	6 ac	200 / 100 / 100 ft	45 ft	Occupancy restricted
Institutional	3 ac	50 / 50 / 50 ft	60 ft	Occupancy restricted
Light Industrial	2 ac	50 / 50 / 50 ft	40 ft	Occupancy restricted
Heavy Industrial	4 ac	50 / 50 / 50 ft	40 ft	Occupancy restricted
Quarry	20 ac	100 / 50 / 50 ft	40 ft	Occupancy restricted
Crown Heights Center Overlay	10 ac	—	—	Occupancy restricted

Residence Single-Family 4 Acre - Impervious surface is capped at 12% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 200 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.
Height is capped at 2 1/2 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Residence Single-Family 2 Acre - Impervious surface is capped at 15% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 125 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.
Height is capped at 2 1/2 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Residence Single-Family 1.5 Acre - Impervious surface is capped at 15% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 100 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.
Height is capped at 2 1/2 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Residence Single-Family 20,000 Square Feet - Impervious surface is capped at 35% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 100 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.
Height is capped at 2 1/2 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Residence Multifamily - The figures shown are for a single-family home. A multifamily building needs 7,260 sq ft of lot per dwelling unit rather than a flat minimum, 200 ft of frontage and width, 20 ft side yards and a 40 ft rear yard, with height capped at 40 ft over three stories.

A two-family dwelling takes the same 10,000 sq ft lot as a single-family home.
For a single-family home, impervious surface is capped at 40% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site that cap usually binds.
For a single-family home, the lot also needs at least 85 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.
For a single-family home, height is capped at 2 1/2 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Residence Neighborhood - The two side yards are 5 ft and 10 ft rather than equal. Impervious surface is capped at 75% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The same standards govern single-family, two-family and nonresidential use alike.
The lot also needs at least 40 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.
Height is capped at 2 1/2 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Residence Mobile Home - These standards regulate a lot inside a mobile home park or park subdivision, which is why the lot width is 15 ft.

The lot also needs at least 15 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.

Arlington Town Center - By special use permit, height may rise above 45 ft or three stories to 75 ft or five stories. Impervious surface is capped at 95% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site that cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 30 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.

South Hills Center - Impervious surface is capped at 90% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 50 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.
Height is capped at 3 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Fairview Commercial - Impervious surface is capped at 80% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 100 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.
Height is capped at 3 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Salt Point Center - The figures shown are for a detached single-family unit. Attached residential takes a minimum of 8 acres, 70 ft of frontage and width, a 25 ft front yard, 15 ft side and rear yards, 70% building coverage, 80% impervious and 35 ft or 2 stories.

A nonresidential or mixed-use attached structure takes at least 1,600 sq ft, 22 ft of frontage and a 10 ft front yard, no side or rear yard, and coverage up to 95% for buildings and 100% impervious.
A detached nonresidential or mixed-use structure takes at least 5,000 sq ft, 30 ft of frontage, 10 ft front, 10 ft side and 25 ft rear yards, 65% building coverage, 80% impervious, 45 ft or 3 stories.
Usable open space is required: 1,000 sq ft per dwelling unit, or for nonresidential use 500 sq ft per 1,600 or 5,000 sq ft of lot.
For a detached single-family unit, impervious surface is capped at 85% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site that cap usually binds.
For a detached single-family unit, the lot needs at least 40 ft of frontage, separate from the minimum width, and height is capped at 2 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

MacDonnell Heights Center - The figures shown are for a detached single-family unit. Attached residential takes a minimum of 8 acres, 70 ft of frontage, a 25 ft front yard and 15 ft side and rear yards, with 70% building coverage, 80% impervious and height up to 50 ft or 3 1/2 stories.

A nonresidential or mixed-use attached structure takes at least 1,600 sq ft, 22 ft of frontage and a 10 ft front yard, no side or rear yard, and coverage up to 95% for buildings and 100% impervious.
An attached nonresidential or mixed-use structure may reach 50 ft or four stories, a detached one 50 ft or 3 1/2 stories.
A detached nonresidential or mixed-use structure takes at least 5,000 sq ft, 30 ft of frontage, 10 ft front, 10 ft side and 25 ft rear yards, 65% building coverage and 80% impervious.
Usable open space is required for every type of structure.
For a detached single-family unit, impervious surface is capped at 68% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site that cap usually binds.
For a detached single-family unit, the lot needs at least 40 ft of frontage, and height is capped at 2 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Rural Residential Hamlet - Impervious surface is capped at 80% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 60 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.
Height is capped at 3 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Route 9 Office/Medical/Neighborhood Shopping Center - Height is capped at a single story as well as by the limit in feet. Impervious surface is capped at 80% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

Neighborhood Business - Impervious surface is capped at 75% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 50 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.
Height is capped at 2 1/2 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Neighborhood Highway Business - Impervious surface is capped at 75% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 100 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width.
Height is capped at 3 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Highway Business - Impervious surface is capped at 75% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 200 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width and depth.
Height is capped at 3 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Shopping Center Business, Office Research - Impervious surface is capped at 75% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 500 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width and depth.
Height is capped at 3 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Institutional - Impervious surface is capped at 75% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 200 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width and depth.
Height is capped at 6 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Light Industrial, Heavy Industrial, Quarry - Impervious surface is capped at 90% on top of the building coverage limit, and on a developed site the impervious cap is usually the one that binds.

The lot also needs at least 200 ft of frontage, a separate requirement from the minimum lot width and depth.
Height is capped at 3 1/2 stories as well as by the limit in feet.

Crown Heights Center Overlay - The lot also needs at least 300 ft of frontage. Yards, coverage and height are set through the chapter's supplemental regulations rather than the area and bulk table, so confirm them with the building department.

Short-term rentals

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Short-term rentals are regulated under a law adopted in 2023. A hosted short-term rental needs a building permit, and an unhosted one needs a special use permit from the Town Board.

Conditions the code attaches:

Annual limits on rental nights apply and are enforced.
Confirm current requirements with the Zoning Department at (845) 485-3650.

Good to know

UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeTown of Poughkeepsie Ch. 210 Zoning, Article IV: Residential District Regulations, amended 11-6-2024 by L.L. No. 12-2024
Building dept(845) 485-3650
Last reviewed2026-08-16

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $215–$282/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $13,612 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Poughkeepsie, or what an ADU costs here.

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