Yuba County, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Dedicated Ordinance
- None; industrial zoning
- Allowed Zones
- IG, IL industrial
- Classified As
- Industrial / R&D use
- Approval
- Use permit + CEQA if large
- Standards
- .50 FAR, 75 ft height
Summary
Yuba County has no data-center-specific ordinance. In unincorporated areas a data center is an industrial use, belonging in the IG General Industrial or IL Light Industrial district under Development Code Chapter 11.09. Larger power-intensive projects need a use permit and CEQA review. Marysville and Wheatland set their own zoning.
Reserve appropriately located areas for industrial plants and related activities; including operations that necessitate the storage of large volumes of hazardous or unsightly materials, or which produce dust, smoke, fumes, odors, or noise at levels that would affect surrounding uses.b.Protect areas appropriate for industrial use from intrusion by residential dwellings and other conflicting uses.c.Limited amounts of ancillary retail areas are permitted for the sale and or display of products manufactured on-site.(4)Light industrial (IL). The purpose of the IL district is to:a.Provide for compatible land uses in areas of close proximity to residential areas and less intense commercial areas.b.Allow for light industrial and service commercial uses with limited potential to create noise, odor, vibration, or other similar impacts to adjacent uses and surrounding areas. Uses may include ancillary retail areas for the sale of products manufactured on-site.c.Allow opportunity for other types of industrial uses by providing discretionary and conditional approval of proposed industrial land uses where impacts to adjacent uses can be mitigated.d.Provide opportunities for industrial projects in a campus like environment where limited amounts of retail, services, restaurants and public/quasi-public uses are permitted to serve on-site employees. (Ord. No. 1624)
Full Breakdown
Yuba County's Development Code (Title XI, adopted 2015, last amended March 2025) does not name data centers. Under Table 11.09.020, the Community Development Department classifies a server facility as an industrial use, General or Limited Industrial, Research and Development, or Indoor Warehousing and Distribution, all sited in the IG General Industrial or IL Light Industrial district. Research and Development is permitted by right in IL; a large, power-hungry facility is treated as Major Utilities, needing a Conditional or Minor Conditional Use Permit and CEQA review. Development standards (Table 11.09.030) allow a .50 floor-area ratio and 75-foot height, with a 15-foot side and 20-foot rear setback where industrial land abuts homes. These rules govern unincorporated land only.
Violations & Fines
Building a data center outside the IG or IL districts, or without a required use permit or CEQA clearance, is a zoning violation. The county can withhold building permits, issue stop-work orders, and require rezoning or permitting first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a data center be built in unincorporated Yuba County?
Does Yuba County have data center rules, and how can I weigh in?
Do these county rules apply inside Marysville or Wheatland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yuba County
California rules heatmap·Compare Yuba County to another location·View the California data centers & crypto mining overview
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