Maricopa County, AZ Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning districts allowed
- C-S and C-2 only
- Max height
- 65 ft (80 ft w/ antennas)
- Height-to-width ratio
- 2.5-to-1 maximum
- Property line setback
- 20 ft minimum at base
- Landscape buffer
- 4 ft beyond sign base
Summary
In unincorporated Maricopa County, freeway-facing pylon signs are limited to C-S and C-2 zoning districts, capped at 65 feet (80 feet with cellular antennas), and must sit back at least 20 feet from any property line.
Freeway Pylon Signs shall be permitted in the C-S and C-2 Zoning Districts only... Shall not exceed sixty-five (65) feet in height unless designed in such a way as to accommodate Wireless cellular panel antennas in which case sign height shall not exceed eighty (80) feet... Shall provide at the base a setback of not fewer than twenty (20) feet from any property line.
Full Breakdown
Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance section 1103.2.5 permits freeway pylon signs only in the C-S and C-2 zoning districts within unincorporated Maricopa County. Height is capped at 65 feet, or up to 80 feet if the structure is built to carry wireless cellular panel antennas, with associated ground equipment fully screened and capped at 600 square feet. The sign face cannot exceed a 2.5-to-1 height-to-width ratio or more than 50 percent of the structure's gross face area per side, and the sign does not count toward a property's normal freestanding or wall sign allowance. The base must sit back at least 20 feet from any property line, with 4 feet of landscaping around the structure's widest point.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a freeway pylon sign outside C-S or C-2 zoning, exceeding the 65 or 80-foot height cap, or skipping the required 20-foot setback and landscape buffer is a zoning code violation the County Zoning Inspector can cite and require corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a freeway pylon sign go in any commercial zone?
How tall can a freeway pylon sign be?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maricopa County
Compare Maricopa County to another location·View the Arizona sign regulations overview
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