Codes & Standards

Comprehensive Plan Map Codes and standards guide land use, transportation, site development, and building projects from concept to construction. The Community Development Department has adopted the following codes, regulations, and standards to guide decision-making, investment, and community growth.

The adopted codes shape the Design & Construction Standards that are followed by developers, engineers, homeowners, and landowners in Hillsboro.

Land Use Policies, Codes & Standards

Comprehensive Plan

Transportation System Plan

The Hillsboro Transportation System Plan (TSP) is the blueprint for the City's transportation investments over the next 20 years.

The TSP examines the needs and deficiencies of the current system, forecasts future needs, and provides a plan for future transportation investments that serves Hillsboro's diverse users, is consistent with the community's values, and is also fiscally attainable. The TSP includes individual system modal plans for pedestrians, bicyclists, motor vehicles, transit and freight, and a list of candidate projects and financing plan to implement these plans.

The TSP is updated periodically to adjust for the City's project growth and to stay compliant with the latest State and regional regulations. The City of Hillsboro last updated its TSP in 2004. Since 2004, the TSP has been amended close to a dozen times to account for transportation planning needs in the City's rapidly growing areas such as South Hillsboro, North Hillsboro and AmberGlen.

The most recent TSP update was a comprehensive revision of the entire document. The update was completed and adopted in March of 2022.

By the Numbers:

TSP plans for future growth of the City to an approximately 165,000 person population and 135,000 jobs (from about a population of more than 108,000 and 80,000 jobs currently).
A total of 143 road improvement projects including:
- 46 projects for safety and capacity (21 lane miles of vehicle travel lanes and 15 lane miles of center turn lanes)
- 36 projects for new roads (50 lane miles of new travel lanes with sidewalks and bike facilities)
- 89 projects for sidewalks and bike facilities infill

Total of 110 intersection improvement projects including:
- 48 new traffic signals
- 48 modifications to existing signals
- 45 intersections with new turn lanes for improved capacity
- 5 new roundabouts

Additional citywide safety, fiber, transit and future high capacity transit projects
Existing streets with over 82% complete sidewalks (420 curb miles); remaining 90 curb miles planned in TSP projects
Existing streets with 140 curb miles of bike facilities; total 232 curb miles planned (121 miles buffered bike lanes, 62 miles cycle tracks, 45 miles standard bike lanes, 4 miles shared-use path)

The Transportation System Plan guides transportation-related decision making and investment in Hillsboro. The City Council approved a major update to the Transportation Systems Plan in the Spring of 2022.

Transportation System Plan Chapters

Appendices

Recent Amendments

Prior Versions

Transportation System Plan (2004)

Community Development Code

The Community Development Code provides detailed land use and zoning information.

Current Version

Community Development Code

Prior Versions

Sign Code

Site Development Design & Construction Standards

Public Works and Water Design and Construction Standards

The City of Hillsboro Design and Construction Standards help to keep people and property safe by setting minimum standards for the design and construction of public infrastructure. The Design and Construction Standards ensure adequate quality and function of public improvements.

While the information in the Design and Construction Standards is most relevant to developers and engineers, there are some sections that are applicable to home and land owners in Hillsboro. These include:

Driveway renovation
Drainage
Erosion control
Street tree and sidewalk maintenance and replacement

The Design and Construction Standards also regulate the design and construction of private transportation and utility improvements which connect to or impact public infrastructure.

Fire Standards

Hillsboro Fire and Rescue plays an integrated role in community development, coordinating with applicants and other departments to review plans and provide support from land use, to site development, to building construction.

Fire standards include:

Fire access and water supply
Assignment and posting of addressing
Emergency responder radio coverage

Visit the Fire & Rescue Community Development webpage for design and construction standards.

Building Codes

The City of Hillsboro utilizes the most current codes as they are adopted by the State of Oregon. The State of Oregon Building Codes Division website has electronic versions of the adopted codes available.

Statewide Adopted Codes Used in Hillsboro

2022 Oregon Structural Specialty Code
2022 Oregon Fire Code
2022 Oregon Mechanical Specialty Code
2021 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code (Based on the 2019 ASHRAE 90.1)
2022 Oregon Commercial Reach Code
2021 Oregon Residential Reach Code
2023 Oregon Residential Specialty Code
2023 Oregon Electrical Specialty Code
2023 Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code
2010 Oregon Manufactured Dwelling Installation Specialty Code
2002 Oregon Manufactured Dwelling and Parks Specialty Code
Department of Energy (DOE) Building Energy Codes

Other Citywide Codes & Standards

Municipal Code

Floodplain Information

Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. To reduce the impact of flooding on communities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires communities to manage development in floodplains and publishes maps of floodplains.

These maps are used:

By the City to manage development through our Community Development Code (CDC)
By lending institutions and companies that offer flood insurance under the National Flood Insurance Program.