Olmsted County, MN Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Section 6.02(C)(1) of the R-1 Low Density Residential District, one of the county's two general unincorporated house-lot zones, sets the height ceiling: "No residential buildings used for dwellings shall hereafter be erected or structurally altered to exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height." A carve-out lets institutional buildings go higher: "Public or semi-public buildings, churches, cathedrals, temples or schools may be erected to a maximum height of fifty-five (55) feet," but only if "the setback requirements shall increase at a rate of one (1) foot for each foot of height exceeding 35 feet," so a 55-foot building must sit 20 feet further from its lot lines than the base setback requires.

The R-2 Mixed Low Density Residential District carries an identical 35-foot cap on all buildings under Section 6.04(C)(1), with no separate allowance for taller institutional buildings. Neither section defines height by number of stories, so a tall single-story structure with a high roofline is measured the same way as a two-story home. Height for wind turbines is regulated separately: Section 6.02(D)(1) caps small utility wind energy conversion system blade height at 120 feet in the R-1 district specifically, a different standard from the dwelling height limit in the same section.