Commercial Real Estate in Solano County: County Zoning, Suisun Valley and Travis AFB Rules

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Nearly all of Solano County’s shopping centers, business parks and industrial buildings sit inside its seven cities, each of which runs its own zoning. The county regulates the farmland, the Suisun Marsh fringe and small unincorporated places such as Cordelia, Elmira, Birds Landing and Collinsville. That is where commercial property means highway service sites, farm-related industry and the wineries and tasting rooms of Suisun Valley. Confirm which agency regulates a parcel before you price a use.

Who controls the parcel

The county’s zoning lookup page is explicit: county zoning and General Plan policies reach only unincorporated land, and owners inside a city go to that city’s planning department.

Jurisdiction	Regulator	Typical commercial setting	Our guide
Benicia	City of Benicia	Industrial park next to the refinery, First Street downtown	Benicia
Dixon	City of Dixon	I-80 highway commercial, industrial land	Dixon
Fairfield	City of Fairfield	County seat, retail and office near I-80 and Travis AFB	Fairfield
Rio Vista	City of Rio Vista	Delta river town, Highway 12 corridor	Rio Vista
Suisun City	City of Suisun City	Waterfront downtown, Highway 12	Suisun City
Vacaville	City of Vacaville	Retail, life-science and industrial parks along I-80	Vacaville
Vallejo	City of Vallejo	Mare Island, downtown and waterfront	Vallejo
Cordelia, Elmira, Birds Landing, Collinsville, Suisun Valley, Green Valley	Solano County Resource Management, Planning Services	Highway service, ag industry, tasting rooms	Elmira · Green Valley

The 2008 General Plan was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on August 5, 2008 and approved by county voters on November 4, 2008. Because voters approved it, some land use changes in unincorporated Solano can require more than a board vote, so check the plan designation as well as the zoning. A December 2023 amendment (Resolution 2023-265) revised the plan’s municipal service area policies, which govern how land around each city is treated before annexation.

Solano County zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

The zoning ordinance is Chapter 28 of the Solano County Code. The Code Publishing edition notes it is current through Ordinance 1853 of March 2024, and section text is also on GoCodebook.

District	Intended uses	Notes
C-H Highway Commercial	Services for highway travelers	Mapped only on four acres or more where need is shown. Hotels, restaurants, truck stops and retail need a use permit
C-N Neighborhood Commercial	Daily retail and services for a neighborhood or rural community	Retail under 1,500 sq ft by right; larger needs a use permit
C-S Commercial-Service	Heavy commercial services supporting industry and construction	Widest by-right list, incl. warehouse wholesale and corporation yards
C-O Business and Professional Office	Offices, banks, clinics	Offices and medical clinics by right
C-R and C-R-L Commercial Recreation	Resource-based recreation; C-R-L sits beside the Suisun Marsh	Marinas, RV parks and campgrounds by use permit; marsh development permit near the Marsh
M-L Manufacturing-Limited	Research, warehousing, light manufacturing on an industrial park model	1 acre minimum, 50 ft height
M-G-1/2 and M-G-3 Manufacturing-General	Almost all industry	Half-acre or three-acre minimum lots; 50 ft, more by use permit
I-WD Industrial-Water Dependent	Large waterfront industry at Collinsville	Planning Commission must find a waterfront site is needed; specific or policy plan certified by BCDC; 500 ft setback from ag districts
I-AS Industrial-Agricultural Service	Ag-related industry in farm regions	Processing, wineries, farm supply and ag trucking allowed; 5 acre minimum; no homes
R-TC-MU Residential-Traditional Community Mixed Use	Medium-density housing with retail	Mapped in unincorporated Vallejo, Birds Landing, Cordelia and Elmira

Suisun Valley wine country and agricultural tourism

Suisun Valley has its own zoning section, 28.23, built to keep the valley a farming community while promoting Solano-grown products. It sets three districts:

A-SV-20, the family farm district, with a 20-acre minimum lot. A small winery is allowed, though a use permit is required if less than a quarter of its fruit is local. Tasting facilities, galleries and B&Bs need an administrative permit.
ATC Agriculture Tourist Center and ATC-NC (North Connector), small visitor centers where tasting rooms, local products stores, galleries, B&Bs and shops up to 1,500 square feet are allowed by right. Minimum lots depend on utilities: as small as 2,000 square feet (ATC) or 5,000 square feet (ATC-NC) with water and sewer, but 2.5 or 5 acres without.

In all three, cafes and bakeries up to 1,000 square feet are allowed by right, special event facilities need a minor use permit or use permit by size, height is capped at 35 feet and new construction goes through design review. The county also keeps a Suisun Valley Strategic Plan page. In the I-AS district elsewhere in the county, agritourism needs a minor use permit.

Travis AFB, the Suisun Marsh and other overlays

Airport compatibility. The Solano County Airport Land Use Commission administers compatibility plans for Travis Air Force Base, Nut Tree Airport and Rio Vista Municipal Airport, and reviews city and county plans for consistency with them. The 2024 amendments to the Travis plan, filed on CEQAnet, added a Low Altitude Maneuvering Zone with its own use and density criteria, plus solar glare analysis, wildlife attractant rules and updated deed notices. Most land in that zone is agricultural. Solar arrays, ponds and assembly uses near the base deserve an early call to ALUC staff.

Suisun Marsh. Development in the Marsh needs a marsh development permit, and the C-R-L district exists to keep recreation compatible with the Marsh’s secondary management area. The MP Marsh Preservation district (Section 28.52) covers the protected core.

Lodging. The county’s short-term rental page treats any stay of 30 days or less as transient occupancy. An operator needs a planning permit, a county business license and a transient occupancy tax certificate before listing. In Suisun Valley, vacation house rentals need a minor use permit in A-SV-20 and ATC and are not allowed in ATC-NC.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

Solano County Code Section 11-60 sets the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of consideration, collected by the County Recorder at recording. Under Section 11-67, the county tax is reduced by a city tax adopted under the same state law at half the county rate, so check whether the city where the parcel sits levies one, or a separate tax on top as Vallejo does. The Solano Recorder’s fee page lists the SB 2 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee at $75 per title, up to $225, which applies to many non-sale documents. Under Proposition 13, a sale or other change in ownership generally resets the assessed value. Unincorporated operators need a county business license; we did not verify a county business license tax rate.

Due diligence that matters in Solano County

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Confirm city or county jurisdiction, and the General Plan designation as well as the zoning.
Near a city edge, check how the municipal service area policies treat the parcel and whether annexation is likely.
Within the Travis, Nut Tree or Rio Vista plan areas, check the compatibility zone and any required avigation or deed notice.
On Suisun Valley land, read Table 28.23A for the exact permit each use needs and confirm water and sewer service, which drive the minimum lot size.
At Collinsville or on the Marsh edge, expect BCDC and marsh permits on top of county approvals.
For rural sites, budget for well, septic and fire access review before you plan a customer-facing use.

Questions people ask

Can I open a tasting room in Suisun Valley?

Yes in the ATC and ATC-NC districts, where tasting facilities are allowed by right. In the A-SV-20 farm district, a tasting facility needs an administrative permit.

What is Highway Commercial zoning in Solano County?

C-H serves highway travelers. The county maps it only on sites of four acres or more where need is shown, and most C-H uses, including hotels and truck stops, need a use permit.

Where is heavy industrial land in unincorporated Solano?

In the M-G districts and the I-WD water-dependent district at Collinsville. I-WD requires proof that an industry needs a waterfront site and a BCDC-certified plan.

Does Travis Air Force Base affect what I can build?

It can. The Travis compatibility plan, amended in 2024 with a Low Altitude Maneuvering Zone, limits densities and some uses around the base. The ALUC reviews plans for consistency.

Who handles zoning in Elmira or Cordelia?

Solano County Planning Services, under Chapter 28 and the 2008 General Plan.

Do I need a permit to run a short-term rental in rural Solano County?

Yes. Stays of 30 days or less need a planning permit, a business license and a TOT certificate.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Solano County?

Contact Matthew Martinez to discuss buying, selling or leasing commercial property anywhere in Solano County.

Sources & notes

Note: Confirm the county and any city transfer tax on your escrow estimate.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

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