Aurora, CO zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Aurora, CO?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: AD, I-1, I-2.
It needs a conditional or special use approval in: MU-A, MU-C, MU-N, MU-OI, MU-R, OA-G.
It is not allowed in 14 districts: APZ, MU-FB, MU-TOD, OA-MS, OA-R-1, OA-R-2, OA-RMU, POS, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-MH, R-R.
3 districts are not confirmed yet.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD | By right | An "A" ... indicates that the use is permitted as an accessory use Drive-thru limited to restaurant, grocery, bank, pharmacy, coffee/bakery; no passenger-side windows; menu/order boards and windows not on a side abutting residential; Neighborhood Protection 146-4.4 and stacking 146-4.6.7. | UDO Table 3.2-1 (Drive-Through = A; Restaurant = P); 146-3.3.6.E | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| APZ | Not allowed | Drive-up/drive-through not listed: blank (restaurant accessory only) | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| BAFB | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 | |
| BAFB APZ | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 | |
| I-1 | By right | An "A" ... indicates that the use is permitted as an accessory use Drive-thru limited to restaurant, grocery, bank, pharmacy, coffee/bakery; no passenger-side windows; menu/order boards and windows not on a side abutting residential; Neighborhood Protection 146-4.4 and stacking 146-4.6.7. | UDO Table 3.2-1 (Drive-Through = A; Restaurant = P); 146-3.3.6.E | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| I-2 | By right | An "A" ... indicates that the use is permitted as an accessory use Drive-thru limited to restaurant, grocery, bank, pharmacy, coffee/bakery; no passenger-side windows; menu/order boards and windows not on a side abutting residential; Neighborhood Protection 146-4.4 and stacking 146-4.6.7. | UDO Table 3.2-1 (Drive-Through = A; Restaurant = P); 146-3.3.6.E | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| MU-A | Conditional | A "CA" ... permitted only as an accessory use and only after the applicant obtains conditional use approval Drive-thru limited to restaurant, grocery, bank, pharmacy, coffee/bakery; no passenger-side windows; menu/order boards and windows not on a side abutting residential; Neighborhood Protection 146-4.4 and stacking 146-4.6.7. | UDO Table 3.2-1 (Drive-Up or Drive-Through Facility = CA); 146-3.2.1.D; 146-3.3.6.E | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| MU-C | Conditional | A "CA" ... permitted only as an accessory use and only after the applicant obtains conditional use approval Drive-thru limited to restaurant, grocery, bank, pharmacy, coffee/bakery; no passenger-side windows; menu/order boards and windows not on a side abutting residential; Neighborhood Protection 146-4.4 and stacking 146-4.6.7. | UDO Table 3.2-1 (Drive-Up or Drive-Through Facility = CA); 146-3.2.1.D; 146-3.3.6.E | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| MU-FB | Not allowed | Drive-up/drive-through not listed: blank in Table 3.2-1 | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| MU-N | Conditional | A "CA" ... permitted only as an accessory use and only after the applicant obtains conditional use approval Drive-thru limited to restaurant, grocery, bank, pharmacy, coffee/bakery; no passenger-side windows; menu/order boards and windows not on a side abutting residential; Neighborhood Protection 146-4.4 and stacking 146-4.6.7. | UDO Table 3.2-1 (Drive-Up or Drive-Through Facility = CA); 146-3.2.1.D; 146-3.3.6.E | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| MU-OI | Conditional | A "CA" ... permitted only as an accessory use and only after the applicant obtains conditional use approval Drive-thru limited to restaurant, grocery, bank, pharmacy, coffee/bakery; no passenger-side windows; menu/order boards and windows not on a side abutting residential; Neighborhood Protection 146-4.4 and stacking 146-4.6.7. | UDO Table 3.2-1 (Drive-Up or Drive-Through Facility = CA); 146-3.2.1.D; 146-3.3.6.E | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| MU-R | Conditional | A "CA" ... permitted only as an accessory use and only after the applicant obtains conditional use approval Drive-thru limited to restaurant, grocery, bank, pharmacy, coffee/bakery; no passenger-side windows; menu/order boards and windows not on a side abutting residential; Neighborhood Protection 146-4.4 and stacking 146-4.6.7. | UDO Table 3.2-1 (Drive-Up or Drive-Through Facility = CA); 146-3.2.1.D; 146-3.3.6.E | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| MU-TOD | Not allowed | No other drive-up or drive-through facilities are permitted in the MU-TOD district. Only grocery/bank drive-thru in Nine Mile or City Center station areas. | UDO 146-3.3.6.E.3 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| OA-G | Conditional | A "CA" ... permitted only as an accessory use and only after the applicant obtains conditional use approval Drive-thru limited to restaurant, grocery, bank, pharmacy, coffee/bakery; no passenger-side windows; menu/order boards and windows not on a side abutting residential; Neighborhood Protection 146-4.4 and stacking 146-4.6.7. | UDO Table 3.2-1 (Drive-Up or Drive-Through Facility = CA); 146-3.2.1.D; 146-3.3.6.E | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| OA-MS | Not allowed | Drive-up/drive-through not listed: blank | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| OA-R-1 | Not allowed | Drive-up/drive-through not listed: blank | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| OA-R-2 | Not allowed | Drive-up/drive-through not listed: blank | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| OA-RMU | Not allowed | Drive-up/drive-through not listed: blank | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| PD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 | |
| POS | Not allowed | Drive-up/drive-through not listed: blank | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| R-1 | Not allowed | residential | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| R-2 | Not allowed | residential | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| R-3 | Not allowed | residential | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| R-4 | Not allowed | residential | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| R-MH | Not allowed | residential | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
| R-R | Not allowed | residential | UDO Table 3.2-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-11 |
"By right" means permitted with site plan and building permit review only. Overlay districts, planned developments (PD/PUD) and conditions attached to a past rezoning can change the answer for a single parcel.
Official zoning map layer
To find the district for a parcel, query the jurisdiction's own GIS zoning layer: https://ags.auroragov.org/aurora/rest/services/OpenData/MapServer/20 (district field: DISTRICT_ID)
City of Aurora CO zoning (26 values, UDO Ch.146). Dist_Name gives the long name; ZONING_CASE_NUMBER / ORDINANCE for PD.
Sources
How to confirm before you buy
- Look up the parcel on the official zoning map to get its district and any overlay.
- Open the code section linked in the table and read the use table and the drive-thru standards.
- Call the planning office and ask whether a drive-thru restaurant needs anything beyond site plan review at that address.
Why this library exists
I'm Luke Smith. I find land for drive-thru brands like 7 Brew, Ellianos Coffee and Starbucks, sign the tenant, build the shop and sell it as a net lease property. Every deal starts with the same question: is the use allowed here without a rezoning? Getting that answer takes too long, so we read the codes (with AI research help), and I publish what we find with a link back to every source so you can check it yourself.
If you have a site that fits a drive-thru, or you want to learn how these deals are put together, join the free Reverse Deal Finder community on Skool, see cap rates and land prices by brand, or call 1-760-392-1525. Brokers welcome: I pay commissions.