Cook County Code Chapter 102 zoning includes the A-1 Agricultural District, but only a small share of unincorporated county remains zoned for agriculture as urbanization and municipal annexation continue.
Cook County Zoning Ordinance, codified at Chapter 102 of the County Code, establishes an A-1 Agricultural District permitting farming, livestock, dairy, nurseries, and farm-related accessory uses, with a five-acre minimum lot size for most residential uses. Applicable parcels lie in unincorporated areas, primarily in northwest and southwest Cook. As suburbs annex outward, A-1 acreage shrinks. Permitted uses include row crops, orchards, riding stables, and farm stands; conditional uses cover commercial greenhouses, sod farms, and processing. Single-family residences are allowed on five-acre minimum lots. Industrial-scale livestock confinement is restricted. Within incorporated municipalities, agricultural zoning depends on the local code, not Cook County's, though township assessors still recognize farm assessments.
Operating non-permitted uses in A-1 zones triggers Cook County Building and Zoning enforcement, with fines starting at $100 per day, plus stop-work orders for unauthorized commercial structures or non-agricultural commercial activity.
See how Oak Lawn's agricultural zoning protection rules stack up against other locations.
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