Washington County, OR Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Base density
- 5-6 units/acre in R-6 North Bethany District
- Bonus amount
- Up to 3 additional units per acre
- Maximum with bonus
- 9 units per acre
- Required review
- Type III Planned Development, Section 390-17.7
- Geographic scope
- R-6 North Bethany District only, unincorporated
Summary
In unincorporated Washington County's R-6 North Bethany District, a project may add up to three units per acre above the base five-to-six-unit density, reaching nine units per acre, but only through a Type III Planned Development on a site the North Bethany Subarea Plan designates as bonus-eligible.
B.Other housing (residential development that does not meet the definition of Middle Housing in Section 106):(1)The permitted residential density shall be no more than six units per acre and no less than five units per acre, except as otherwise specified by Section 300-2 or by Section 390-8.5 B(2) below.(2)A density bonus is permitted when the following standards are met:(a)The development shall be a Type III Planned Development subject to Section 390-17.7;(b)The density bonus does not exceed three units per acre, resulting in a maximum density of nine units per acre; and(c)The development site is designated by the North Bethany Subarea Area Plan as being eligible for a density bonus.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Community Development Code: Supplement 2 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
Washington County's Community Development Code allows a density bonus in exactly one residential zoning district: the R-6 North Bethany District (R-6 NB), created for the North Bethany Subarea Plan in unincorporated Washington County. B sets the district's base density for "other housing" (any residential development that does not meet the Code's Middle Housing definition) at no more than six units per acre and no less than five units per acre. 7, the county's most demanding, public-hearing-based approval track; the bonus itself cannot exceed three units per acre; and the North Bethany Subarea Plan must specifically designate the development site as eligible for a bonus.
Land Use & Transportation's Long Range Planning Division administers the North Bethany Subarea Plan and reviews Planned Development applications for R-6 NB projects. 5, or to any other unincorporated county zoning district; those areas follow the density rules of their own base zone sections. The bonus has no application inside Hillsboro, Beaverton, or the county's other incorporated cities, which administer their own zoning codes independent of the county's Community Development Code.
Violations & Fines
A project that fails any one of the three density-bonus standards, wrong review track, excess bonus amount, or an ineligible site, is capped at the base five-to-six-unit range. Washington County's Long Range Planning Division can deny or condition Planned Development approval under Section 390-17.7, and building or platting above the approved density without a valid bonus approval is a Community Development Code violation subject to the county's land use enforcement process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this density bonus apply countywide?
How much extra density can a project earn?
What approval process does a density-bonus project need?
Is every North Bethany site eligible for the bonus?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Oregon zoning overlays & bonuses overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.