This paper explores the emergence of zoning in early twentieth-century America against the background of zoning in two European countries: Germany and England. The common interpretation is that zoning was first used in these countries and then imported to America. But this interpretation neglects the extent to which American zoning began to deviate from European traditions early on. Based on primary and secondary archival sources, this paper tells a story about two aspects of zoning that set U.S. practice apart from that in Europe. The first is the purely residential district and the second is the purely single-family residential district. The European–American comparison helps highlight the distinct nature of U.S. land-use regulation.