ASCE 7 · WIND SPEED ZONES
The U.S. mapped into wind speed regions
ASCE 7 draws basic wind speed contours across the country, then layers special rules onto the windiest areas. Here is how the regions break down and what each one demands.
ILLUSTRATIVE · NOT TO SCALE
Where the zones fall
A simplified view of how the bands stack up: high speeds hug the hurricane coasts, a narrow debris band rides the shoreline, scattered mountain pockets need local data, and the interior runs lower.
THE FRAMEWORK
The main wind regions
Four region types do most of the work in ASCE 7. Each one changes which map you read and which provisions apply.
Hurricane-prone regions
Atlantic and Gulf coasts where the basic wind speed climbs past ASCE 7's threshold for hurricane exposure.
COASTALWind-borne-debris region
The band inside hurricane-prone areas, near the coast or where speeds run highest, where flying-debris protection is required.
SHORELINE BANDSpecial wind regions
Mountainous and gorge terrain where local acceleration can exceed the mapped value, so site-specific data is required.
LOCAL DATAInterior lower-wind regions
The inland bulk of the country, where basic wind speeds settle into the lower end of the mapped contours.
INLANDDESIGN IMPACT
What each zone requires
The region you land in drives the wind speed you design to and the protective provisions you must add.
Hurricane-prone
Read the higher coastal contours and meet enhanced detailing for the elevated design wind speeds.
HIGHER VWind-borne-debris
Openings need impact-rated glazing or shutters so the envelope is not breached by flying debris.
IMPACT PROTECTIONSpecial wind regions
The mapped speed is a floor only; you must obtain local wind data and justify the value used.
SITE STUDYInterior lower-wind
Standard mapped speeds and conventional ASCE 7 provisions apply, with no coastal debris overlay.
STANDARD RULESPUT THE ZONES TO WORK
Find your wind speed and build the loads
Pin down the region, pull the right basic wind speed, and turn it into code-compliant pressures.
KEEP READING
Related guides
ASCE 7-22 Wind Speed Maps
The current basic wind speed maps and how to read them.
MAPSWind Speed by Location
Look up the basic wind speed for a specific site.
LOOKUPHVHZ vs Standard Zones
How High-Velocity Hurricane Zones differ from standard wind zones.
HVHZBasic Wind Speed Explained
What the basic wind speed V means and where it comes from.
FUNDAMENTALS