Which U.S. Supreme Court case upheld comprehensive municipal zoning in the Village of Euclid in 1926?

Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. was the 1926 U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld comprehensive municipal zoning in Euclid, Ohio.

Ambler Realty challenged Euclid’s zoning ordinance, arguing that the restrictions reduced the value of its land and violated constitutional protections. The Supreme Court rejected the challenge and held that zoning could be a valid exercise of the police power when reasonably related to public health, safety, morals, or general welfare.

The decision gave municipalities broad constitutional support for separating land uses and regulating building form. It became a foundational case in American land-use law, and the term “Euclidean zoning” comes from the village involved in the litigation.

The ruling did not mean every zoning restriction was automatically valid. Courts could still examine whether a regulation was arbitrary, unreasonable, or unrelated to legitimate public purposes.