C-3 General Commercial District Setback Requirements in Arlington County

In the C-3 General Commercial District of Arlington County, structures are generally required to be set back 40 feet from the street centerline, though this increases to 50 feet for wide streets or Fairfax Drive within the Clarendon Revitalization District. While there are typically no side or rear yard requirements for commercial structures, graduated setbacks (starting at 8 feet) apply whenever a C-3 General Commercial District property wall abuts a residential district or contains windows. One-family dwellings within the C-3 General Commercial District must adhere to more restrictive residential placement standards, including a 25-foot front yard setback.

Standard Placement and Setback Requirements

The Arlington County Zoning Ordinance establishes that for the C-3 General Commercial District, the primary setback measurement is taken from the centerline of the abutting street. While side and rear yards are not required for most commercial uses, specific conditions regarding proximity to residential zones or the inclusion of windows will trigger a mandatory yard depth.

Setback Type	Requirement for C-3 District	Applicable Conditions
Front (Standard)	40 feet from street centerline	Standard requirement for C-3 structures [§3.2.6.A.1(a)]
Front (Clarendon)	50 feet from street centerline	Applies to Fairfax Drive or any street with >5 lanes in the Clarendon Revitalization District [§3.2.6.A.1(c)]
Front (Residential)	25 feet from street right-of-way line	Applies only to one-family dwellings and specified residential structures [§3.2.6.A.1(d)]
Side Yard	0 feet	No requirement unless specific wall conditions are met [§3.2.6.A.2(a)]
Rear Yard	0 feet	No requirement unless specific wall conditions are met [§3.2.6.A.2(a)]
Graduated Yard	8 ft. + 2 ft. per every 10 ft. of additional height	Required for any wall containing openings/windows or any wall abutting an R or RA district [§3.2.6.A.2(a)]

Specific District Contexts

The Clarendon Revitalization District

Within the Arlington County Clarendon Revitalization District, C-3 General Commercial District properties are subject to additional placement regulations known as "build-to lines." These requirements often mandate that a structure be built to the back of the sidewalk for at least 75 percent of the building line on each street frontage [§9.2.2.D.7(b)]. If the building exceeds 60 feet in height, a single step-back of at least 10 feet must be implemented at specific floor levels (the second, third, fourth, or fifth floor) along designated frontages [§9.2.2.D.9(g)].

One-Family Dwellings in C-3

When the C-3 General Commercial District is used for one-family detached dwellings, Arlington County mandates a minimum lot area of 6,000 square feet and a lot width of 60 feet [§7.19.5]. These residential uses must comply with the larger of two standards for front setbacks: either 50 feet from the street centerline or 25 feet from the street right-of-way line [§3.2.6.A.1(d)]. Side yards for these dwellings must be at least 10 feet, although one side may be reduced to 8 feet provided the aggregate width of both side yards is at least 30 percent of the lot width [§3.2.6.A.2(b)].

Visual Clearance and Encroachments

Arlington County regulates corner visibility in the C-3 General Commercial District to ensure traffic safety. On any corner lot, no building or obstruction is permitted between a height of one foot and 10 feet above the curb level within the triangle formed by the street right-of-way lines and a line connecting those lines 10 feet from their intersection [§3.2.6.A.4(b)].

Certain minor features are permitted to encroach into required yards in the C-3 General Commercial District:

Architectural Features: Balconies, eaves, trim, and sills may encroach up to four feet but must remain at least five feet from any property line [§3.2.6.A.3(a)(3)].
Window Features: Bay and oriel windows without floor space and chimneys may encroach up to 18 inches [§3.2.6.A.3(a)(1)].

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