Cascade County, Montana solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 6 ft (side yards) from property lines. Wind: 1,000 ft (commercial wind farms not to exceed one (1) megawatt) setback from permitted principal use in the rural residential – 5 (rr-5) zone. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 8, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
3 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackside yards(2) Setbacks. Solar power plant structures shall be set back from all property lines at least thirty (30) feet from the front and six (6) feet from the side yards | 6 ft |
Property line setbackrear yard(2) Setbacks. Solar power plant structures shall be set back from all property lines at least thirty (30) feet from the front and six (6) feet from the side yards, and ten (10) feet from a rear yard. | 10 ft |
Maximum lot coverage(1) Lot coverage. All buildings including accessory buildings shall not cover more than thirty-five percent (35%) of a lot unless adjusted by the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBOA). | 35% |
Source: Cascade County ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
4 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Setback from permitted principal use in the Rural Residential – 5 (RR-5) Zonecommercial wind farms not to exceed one (1) megawatt(6) Must be located at least 1000 feet from any permitted principal use in the Rural Residential – 5 (RR-5) Zone. | 1,000 ft |
Noise limitcommercial wind farms not to exceed one (1) megawatt; residential zones; 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.Turbine Noise Limitations (8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.) Measured from property lines: Residential Zones 50 dB(A) | 50 dBA |
Noise limitcommercial wind farms not to exceed one (1) megawatt; commercial zones; 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.Turbine Noise Limitations (8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.) Measured from property lines: Commercial Zones 60 dB(A) | 60 dBA |
Noise limitcommercial wind farms not to exceed one (1) megawatt; industrial zones; 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.Turbine Noise Limitations (8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.) Measured from property lines: Industrial Zones 75 dB(A) | 75 dBA |
Source: Cascade County ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Every Montana figure in one spreadsheet
23 figures from 6 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 3 of those places are not on this site. Plus Montana state law.
How these figures were read
We found Cascade 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 Cascade County, MT?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 6 ft (side yards) from property lines and 10 ft (rear yard) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.