Cupertino, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Dedicated ordinance
- None
- Use table
- CMC Table 19.64.020
- Primary district
- ML light industrial
- Office zones OA/OP/MP
- Offices and labs only
- Fallback permit
- Planning Commission use permit
Summary
Cupertino has no data-center ordinance and no "data center" use in Table 19.64.020. A server facility fits the ML light industrial district as a manufacturing, research, or communications equipment building use, or needs a Planning Commission use permit.
Manufacturing, processing, assembly, research and development factories, laboratories, shops, and other uses which, in the opinion of the Director of Community Development are similar to uses permitted in the ML zoning district, and which do not create undue adverse impacts due to the effects of glare, noise, dust, or any other emission within the premises.
Full Breakdown
Table 19.64.020 of the Cupertino Municipal Code lists every permitted, conditional, and excluded use for the OA, OP, MP, ML, and ML-rc districts. No line names a data center. A server building is classified by the Director of Community Development into the closest listed ML use - manufacturing, processing, assembly, research and development, or a public utility communications and equipment building - both permitted by right in ML. Anything the Director cannot fit is a Planning Commission conditional use permit under row 47, a discretionary approval that triggers CEQA review and a public hearing. The OA and OP office districts and the MP industrial park district allow only offices and laboratories, so a data center does not belong there.
Violations & Fines
Operating a data center in a district where Table 19.64.020 does not permit it, or without a required conditional use permit, is a zoning violation enforced by Cupertino Code Enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a data center be built in Cupertino?
Does Cupertino have a data-center ordinance?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cupertino
California rules heatmap·Compare Cupertino to another location·View the California data centers & crypto mining overview
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