Madera County, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Dedicated Ordinance
- None; general industrial zoning
- Zoning Districts
- IL and IH industrial
- Discretionary Path
- Conditional Use Permit
- Environmental
- CEQA review applies
- Max Floor-Area Ratio
- 0.50 (LI and HI)
Summary
Madera County has no dedicated data center ordinance. In unincorporated areas a data center is an industrial use, sited in the IL (Industrial, Light) or IH (Industrial, Heavy) districts under the county Zoning Ordinance, needing a Conditional Use Permit and CEQA review. Madera and Chowchilla zone their own land.
Light Industrial/Business Park (LI): This designation provides for industrial parks, research and development, warehouses, light manufacturing, general commercial uses, professional offices, airports and airstrips, outdoor theaters, public and quasi-public uses, and similar and compatible uses. The FAR shall not exceed 0.50.
Full Breakdown
Unincorporated Madera County regulates data centers only through its general Zoning Ordinance (Title 18) and General Plan, not a data-center chapter. A server facility is an industrial use and belongs in the IL (Industrial, Light) or IH (Industrial, Heavy) districts, which implement the Light Industrial/Business Park and Heavy Industrial General Plan designations (max floor-area ratio 0.50). Because a data center is not a named use, the Planning Director classifies it against the closest listed industrial use; a large facility carrying utility-scale power and cooling typically needs a discretionary Conditional Use Permit, triggering CEQA review and an acoustical analysis where homes are nearby. Title 18 governs only unincorporated land; Madera and Chowchilla zone within their own city limits.
Violations & Fines
Building or expanding a data center in unincorporated Madera County outside an IL or IH district, without a required Conditional Use Permit, or without CEQA clearance stalls approval and draws county code enforcement until the project conforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a data center be built in Madera County?
Does Madera County have data center rules, and how can I weigh in?
Does county zoning apply inside the City of Madera or Chowchilla?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California data centers & crypto mining overview
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