Commercial Real Estate in Yolo County: Town Zoning, Ag Industry and Clarksburg Wine Country

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

Yolo County’s offices, retail centers and warehouses are concentrated in its four cities: Davis, West Sacramento, Woodland and Winters. Outside them, the county zones a few small towns such as Esparto, Knights Landing, Madison and Dunnigan for commercial use, and treats almost everything else as farmland where business means processing, farm supply, wineries and agritourism. Confirm the jurisdiction and zone before you price a use.

Who controls the parcel

The county zoning code is Title 8, Chapter 2 of the County Code. The county’s Zoning Code page says the Board of Supervisors approved the current code on July 15, 2014. It runs to about 430 pages across 14 articles, with zoning maps on the county GIS viewer. The code itself notes that the 483 acres under the Tribal Trust overlay are outside county zoning jurisdiction.

Yolo County zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

Utilities drive intensity in every commercial and industrial zone. Parcels without public water or wastewater service need two acres before a new building permit is issued, under Section 8-2.1002(a).

Town centers, highway sites and farm business

Esparto. The DMX section speaks directly to Esparto. Ground-floor retail is required along Yolo Avenue, Woodland Avenue and County Road 87 in certain cases. Mostly residential projects on vacant DMX land over an acre are barred, and buildings on Yolo and Woodland Avenues must be at least 22 feet tall.

Dunnigan. The I-5 truck and travel center there is zoned under its own planned development ordinance, PD-56, on a C-H base, per Article 9.

North Davis. About 384 acres at Covell and Pole Line Road carry the S-P Specific Plan zone. Until a specific plan is adopted, commercial and industrial interim uses are prohibited.

Farm business. In the A-N intensive and A-X extensive zones, a small winery, brewery, distillery or olive mill needs only site plan review, and larger ones need a minor use permit. Permanent farm stands and U-pick operations are by site plan review, small B&Bs by site plan review, and small event facilities by minor use permit. Hotels and motels are not allowed in any agricultural zone. A county-defined "Yolo Store," a farm retail use with fewer than 100 customers a day, is by site plan review in four of the five farm zones.

Clarksburg, the Delta, airport and mining overlays

Clarksburg Agricultural District. The Clarksburg overlay in Section 8-2.401 covers farmland in the Clarksburg Area Plan. Wineries under 100,000 cases a year and stand-alone tasting rooms under 2,000 square feet need only site plan review. Event facilities hosting up to 18 events a year are also by site plan review, while more events need a minor use permit. Outdoor events must end by 10 p.m. Tourist facilities need direct public road access, and on-street parking is prohibited. Restaurants and commercial kitchens must be ancillary to farming and need a minor use permit.

Delta Protection overlay. About 73,000 acres in the state-designated Delta primary zone must also be consistent with the Delta Protection Commission’s land use plan.

Airport overlay. Uses and heights within 10,000 feet of the Yolo County Airport are regulated under its land use plan, and some discretionary projects need a consistency analysis.

Sand and gravel. Along Cache Creek, the SGR-O overlay reserves land for mining after 2026. Intensive commercial or industrial uses next to it face a compatibility review.

Alcohol and cannabis. The county has its own Alcoholic Beverage Control Ordinance in Title 8, Chapter 6, and a Cannabis Land Use Ordinance in Article 14 of the zoning code.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

Under Section 3-2.04 of the County Code, Yolo County charges a documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of value. Check with escrow whether the city where the parcel sits adds its own tax. For lodging, the county’s May 26, 2026 Board presentation put the unincorporated transient occupancy tax at 8%, against 12% in neighboring jurisdictions. Staff proposed asking voters on November 3, 2026 to raise it to 12%; confirm the outcome before you underwrite a B&B or farm stay. Cannabis businesses also face a county cannabis business tax under Title 3, Chapter 18. Under Proposition 13, a sale generally resets the assessed value. We did not verify a general county business license tax.

Due diligence that matters in Yolo County

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

• Confirm city or county jurisdiction on the county GIS viewer, and check for a PD, S-P or overlay zone on the parcel.
• Confirm public water and sewer. Without them, the two-acre minimum and lower intensity apply.
• In Clarksburg, read Table 8-2.401 for the permit level your winery size, tasting room or event count triggers.
• In the Delta primary zone, check consistency with the Delta Protection Commission plan.
• Near the Yolo County Airport or Cache Creek mining land, check overlay restrictions before planning a customer-facing use.
• For lodging, confirm the TOT rate after the November 2026 election.

Questions people ask

Sources & notes

1. Yolo County Planning Division, Zoning Code
2. Yolo County Code Title 8, Chapter 2 (GoCodebook): Article 3, Article 4, Article 6, Article 7, Article 9
3. Yolo County Code Section 3-2.04, Documentary Transfer Tax (American Legal)
4. Yolo County Board of Supervisors, TOT presentation, May 26, 2026

Note: We did not confirm whether the TOT measure reached the November 2026 ballot or its result.

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

Related: Yolo County real estate guide · Multifamily property in Yolo County · Commercial real estate services