Off-Street Parking Standards for the C-O-2.5: Mixed Use District in Arlington County

In the Arlington County C-O-2.5: Mixed Use district, residential projects must generally provide 1.125 parking spaces for each of the first 200 units and one space for each additional unit, while commercial office requirements vary from one space per 250 to 400 square feet depending on the floor level. These baseline standards are subject to modification by the Arlington County Board through the special exception site plan process, and specific exemptions apply to commercial uses located within 1,000 feet of a Metrorail station entrance.

General Applicability in the C-O-2.5 District

Off-street parking in the C-O-2.5: Mixed Use district is governed primarily by the county-wide standards found in Article 14 of the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance [§14.3]. Because development in the C-O-2.5: Mixed Use district often involves high-rise redevelopment or specific planning goals, the Arlington County Board has the authority to modify these requirements through an approved site plan [§7.12.5.A].

Residential Parking Requirements

For multiple-family projects within the Arlington County C-O-2.5: Mixed Use district, the number of required spaces is calculated based on a sliding scale for the first 200 units, with a flat ratio for units beyond that threshold.

Residential Use Type	Minimum Parking Requirement
Dwellings (other than 1- and 2-family)	1 & 1/8 spaces for each of the first 200 units; 1 space for each additional unit [§14.3.7.A]
Guest Houses (accessory)	No additional parking required beyond the main dwelling requirements [§12.9.10]

Commercial and Office Parking Requirements

Arlington County regulates commercial parking in the C-O-2.5: Mixed Use district based on the floor level of the use. Higher floors generally require fewer spaces per square foot of gross floor area to reflect the intensity of use and proximity to transit.

Commercial/Office Use Type	Floor Location	Minimum Parking Requirement
General Office Buildings	First Floor	1 space per 250 sq. ft. of gross floor area [§14.3.7.A]
	Basement or 2nd–5th Floors	1 space per 300 sq. ft. of gross floor area [§14.3.7.A]
	Above the 5th Floor	1 space per 400 sq. ft. of gross floor area [§14.3.7.A]
Retail & Service Commercial	All	1 space per 250 sq. ft. on the first floor; 1 per 300 sq. ft. elsewhere [§14.3.7.A]
Hotels or Motels	All	1 space per dwelling unit or guest room [§14.3.7.A]

Metro Station Area Exemptions

Arlington County encourages pedestrian-oriented development near transit hubs. If a project in the C-O-2.5: Mixed Use district is located within 1,000 feet of a Metrorail station entrance, certain commercial uses may be exempt from standard parking requirements [§14.3.6.A].

Restaurants: Establishments operating only between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. have no floor area restriction for parking. Those operating between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. are only required to provide parking for the number of seats exceeding 200 [§14.3.6.A.1].
Retail and Service-Commercial: The first 5,000 square feet of floor area per main building is exempt from parking requirements, with some exceptions for specific high-impact uses like medical clinics or vehicle sales [§14.3.6.A.2].
Grocery Stores: If the grocery store is not the principal use on the site, the first 15,000 square feet of the store is exempt from parking requirements [§14.3.6.A.3].

Dimensional and Location Standards

All parking spaces provided in the C-O-2.5: Mixed Use district must meet the minimum size and access requirements established by Arlington County to ensure safety and maneuverability.

Standard Stall Size: Must be a minimum of 8.5 feet wide by 18 feet deep for a 90-degree angle stall [§14.3.3.C.1].
Compact Spaces: Up to 15 percent of required parking may be designated for compact cars. If the parking area contains more than 100 spaces, these must be grouped and clearly marked [§14.3.3.F].
Vertical Clearance: All parking spaces must have a minimum vertical clearance of at least seven feet [§14.3.3.C.3].
Maneuvering: Access and maneuvering space must be provided so that vehicles can enter and exit the site without moving other vehicles [§14.3.3.D].

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