Macon County, IL Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential height cap
- 35 feet (R1, R4, RE5, R6)
- Stories equivalent
- 35 ft = 3 stories; 45 ft = 4
- Industrial near R District
- 45 ft max within 100 ft of R
- Exempt structures
- Spires, silos, towers, flag poles, chimneys
- Institutional exception
- 60-75 ft with added yard setback
- Penalty
- Up to $500 per offense, weekly
Summary
In unincorporated Macon County, Macon County Code § 155.183 caps building height at 35 feet in every single-family and multiple-family residential district (R1, R4, RE5, R6), and a footnote defines that 35-foot limit as equal to three stories, with 45 feet counted as four stories for the commercial and business districts that allow more.
R1 – Single Family 1 acre 100 ft. 35 ft. 15 20 50 ft. 35 ft. 0.30 None Residential ft. ft. ... 2 35-foot height shall be considered to be 3 stories, 45-foot height shall be considered to be 4 stories.
Full Breakdown
183 height and area table sets a uniform 35-foot maximum height for the A1 Agricultural, F1 Floodplain, and all four residential districts: R1 and R4 Single Family, RE5 Single Family Estate, and R6 Multiple Family. A footnote to the table converts that figure into stories: a 35-foot height shall be considered to be 3 stories, while a 45-foot height shall be considered to be 4 stories, the figure that applies to the B2 Commercial and B1 (when adjacent to an R District) Districts. M1 Light Industrial and M2 Heavy Industrial Districts allow up to 125 feet, but a separate footnote claws that back near homes: an industrial building within 100 feet of an R District cannot exceed 45 feet unless it steps back one additional foot from the required side and rear yard line for every foot of height above 45 feet.
184(A) carve out height-regulated structures entirely for antennas, church spires, belfries, monuments, water and fire towers, cooling towers, chimneys, grain elevators, silos, smokestacks, conveyors, and flag poles, none of which count against the 35-foot residential cap. 184(A)(2).
Violations & Fines
A residential structure built above the 35-foot limit in § 155.183, without qualifying for one of the § 155.184(A) exceptions, is a zoning violation under § 155.999: a fine of up to $500 per offense, with every week the oversized structure remains standing counted as a separate offense. The county can require the structure be brought into compliance or referred for a variance before the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a house be in unincorporated Macon County?
Can an industrial building near a residential neighborhood in Macon County exceed the normal height limit?
Are church spires or grain elevators subject to the county's height limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Macon County
Compare Macon County to another location·View the Illinois building setbacks & zoning overview
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