Full Definition
The Right-of-Way (ROW) is the legal corridor of land dedicated for public transportation infrastructure — roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, and utility lines. The ROW width is typically wider than the pavement itself and is measured from property line to property line across the street.
? Setbacks are measured from the ROW line — not from the curb or edge of pavement. On a road with a 100-ft ROW, your property line begins 50 ft from the road centerline. A 25-ft front setback means your building is 75 ft from the road centerline.
?
- Narrower ROW = your property line is closer to the road = your site appears larger but setback math is the same
- FDOT/TxDOT arterials often have 80–120 ft ROW
- Local streets may have only 40–60 ft ROW
? When a county or city widens a road, they may require you to dedicate a strip of your property as additional ROW. This is called a "ROW dedication" and reduces your effective lot area — sometimes significantly on corner lots.
? Setbacks are measured from the ROW line — not from the curb or edge of pavement. On a road with a 100-ft ROW, your property line begins 50 ft from the road centerline. A 25-ft front setback means your building is 75 ft from the road centerline.
?
- Narrower ROW = your property line is closer to the road = your site appears larger but setback math is the same
- FDOT/TxDOT arterials often have 80–120 ft ROW
- Local streets may have only 40–60 ft ROW
? When a county or city widens a road, they may require you to dedicate a strip of your property as additional ROW. This is called a "ROW dedication" and reduces your effective lot area — sometimes significantly on corner lots.
📐 Practical Example
A road with 100-ft ROW: your property line is 50 ft from road centerline. A 25-ft setback places your building 75 ft from centerline.
How This Appears on ByRightHQ Zone Pages
On every zone detail page, ByRightHQ shows Right-of-Way (ROW) data sourced directly from the county LDC. Terms like this one are underlined with a dotted line — hover to see the definition.
See C-2 Orange County FL → (example zone page)
Also known as:
right-of-way · ROW · road right of way · public ROW