Roanoke, VA zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Roanoke, VA?
We have not confirmed any zoning district in Roanoke, VA where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right.
It needs a conditional or special use approval in: CG(c): Commercial-General Conditional, CG: Commercial-General, D(c): Downtown Conditional, D: Downtown.
It is not allowed in 21 districts: MXPUD(c): Mixed Use Planned Unit Dev Conditional, MXPUD: Mixed Use Planned Unit Dev, R-3(c): Res Single-Family Conditional, R-3: Res Single-Family, R-5(c): Res Single-Family Conditional, R-5: Res Single-Family, R-7(c): Res Single-Family Conditional, R-7: Res Single-Family, R-12(c): Res Single-Family Conditional, R-12: Res Single-Family, RA(c): Res-Agricultural Conditional, RA: Res-Agricultural, RM-1(c): Res Mixed Density Conditional, RM-1: Res Mixed Density, RM-2(c): Res Mixed Density Conditional, RM-2: Res Mixed Density, RMF(c): Res Multifamily Conditional, RMF(c): Residential Conditional, RMF: Res Multifamily, ROS(c): Recreation and Open Space Conditional, ROS: Recreation and Open Space.
21 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(c): Airport Dev Conditional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| AD: Airport Dev | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| CG(c): Commercial-General Conditional | Conditional | special exception to allow a drive-through facility Stacking 5/lane, 40 ft window to access, speakers 50 ft from residential (36.2-409); BZA special exception criteria 36.2-560(c). | Sec. 36.2-315 (2024 amendment P->S) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CG: Commercial-General | Conditional | special exception to allow a drive-through facility Stacking 5/lane, 40 ft window to access, speakers 50 ft from residential (36.2-409); BZA special exception criteria 36.2-560(c). | Sec. 36.2-315 (2024 amendment P->S) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CLS(c): Commercial-Large Site Conditional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| CLS: Commercial-Large Site | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| CN(c): Commercial-Neighborhood Conditional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| CN: Commercial-Neighborhood | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| D(c): Downtown Conditional | Conditional | A special exception is required for the drive through facility use in the Downtown zoning district | Sec. 36.2-315 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| D: Downtown | Conditional | A special exception is required for the drive through facility use in the Downtown zoning district | Sec. 36.2-315 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| I-1(c): Light Industrial Conditional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| I-1: Light Industrial | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| I-2(c): Heavy Industrial Conditional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| I-2: Heavy Industrial | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| IN(c): Institutional Conditional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| IN: Institutional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| INPUD(c): Institutional Planned Unit Dev Conditional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| INPUD: Institutional Planned Unit Dev | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| IPUD(c): Industrial Planned Unit Dev Conditional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| IPUD: Industrial Planned Unit Dev | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| MX(c): Mixed Use Conditional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| MX: Mixed Use | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| MXPUD(c): Mixed Use Planned Unit Dev Conditional | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| MXPUD: Mixed Use Planned Unit Dev | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-3(c): Res Single-Family Conditional | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-3: Res Single-Family | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-5(c): Res Single-Family Conditional | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-5: Res Single-Family | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-7(c): Res Single-Family Conditional | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-7: Res Single-Family | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-12(c): Res Single-Family Conditional | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-12: Res Single-Family | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RA(c): Res-Agricultural Conditional | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RA: Res-Agricultural | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RM-1(c): Res Mixed Density Conditional | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RM-1: Res Mixed Density | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RM-2(c): Res Mixed Density Conditional | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RM-2: Res Mixed Density | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RMF(c): Res Multifamily Conditional | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RMF(c): Residential Conditional | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RMF: Res Multifamily | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| ROS(c): Recreation and Open Space Conditional | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| ROS: Recreation and Open Space | Not allowed | No drive-through row in residential use table | Sec. 36.2-311 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| UC(c): Urban Center Conditional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| UF(c): Urban Flex Conditional | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| UF: Urban Flex | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
"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://gis03.roanokeva.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Public/Zoning/FeatureServer/0 (district field: ZONING_DESCRIPTION)
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.