Adair County, Iowa solar ordinance
Solar: 250 ft (Any non-participating parcel) from property lines, 1,000 ft from homes, 50 ft from roads. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 29, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
6 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackAny non-participating parcelAny non - participating parcel 250 feet from property line | 250 ft |
Setback from homesOccupied Residence 1,000 feet from occupied residence | 1,000 ft |
Road setbackPublic road right of way 50 feet from road right of way | 50 ft |
Setback from center of the intersectionPublic road intersectionsPublic road intersections Radius of 150 feet from the center of the intersection | 150 ft |
Setback from property linePublic AirportsPublic Airports 5 miles from property line | 5 miles |
Maximum project sizeTotal Developed Project AcresThere shall be a cap of 400 total Developed Project Acres in Adair County devoted to placement of Utility Scale Solar Energy Systems. | 400 acres |
Source: Adair County ordinance (PDF), read September 29, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Iowa state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Iowa rules and counties.
State siting: Iowa Utilities Commission (formerly Iowa Utilities Board)
A plant of 25 MW or more needs a state certificate before construction.
Iowa Code 476A.1(5), 476A.2. Source
Limits on local rules
For plants of 25 MW or more, the state may issue its certificate even if the project does not meet county zoning; no limit was found for smaller projects.
Iowa Code 476A.5(3). Source
Every Iowa figure in one spreadsheet
114 figures from 17 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 3 of those places are not on this site. Plus the 8 moratoria and bans on file and Iowa state law.
How these figures were read
We found Adair County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Adair County, IA?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 1,000 ft from homes, 250 ft (Any non-participating parcel) from property lines and 50 ft from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.