Articles · Drones
The drones came first. Drone hubs in Round Rock and Rowlett
Zipline started taking drone delivery orders in Round Rock from a hub outside city limits. The city says its zoning doesn't specifically cover drone hubs. Rowlett wrote its rule first.
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Zipline began taking First Flight orders in Round Rock in October, DroneXL reported. Round Rock says the company is flying from a facility near North Kenney Fort and Joe DiMaggio Boulevards in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction. DroneXL reported that the site is outside its city limits. The city says its current zoning ordinances don't specifically cover drone delivery hubs.
Round Rock is now working with Zipline toward a proposed hub inside city limits, behind the Renaissance Square shopping center along northbound Interstate 35. The city says that site will let it evaluate drone delivery and develop regulations for future facilities inside its limits. In Round Rock the hub came before the rule. Rowlett, east of Dallas, did it the other way, DroneXL reported.
What the city says it controls
Round Rock tells residents the FAA regulates drone flight operations, airspace and flight paths included. The city says delivery drones may cross residential areas on approved flight paths and that it can't regulate those paths. It says federal rules and state law leave it land use and zoning control over where drone infrastructure sits inside city limits.
Inside its limits the city says it may keep delivery hubs from sitting next to homes. Citing the company, it says customers within three miles of the facility outside its limits can be served. Operational feedback goes to Zipline at community@zipline.com. Safety concerns and suspected FAA violations go to the FAA.
What the company says the aircraft decides
Zipline says each aircraft reserves its own route in an FAA approved traffic management system before launch. It says an onboard detect and avoid system keeps the aircraft clear of other aircraft and that onboard flight computers detect problems and respond to them automatically. An aircraft that can't resolve a problem deploys a parachute, the company says. Trained staff watch the flights from a remote operations center. Every one of those statements is Zipline's own.
Citing Community Impact, DroneXL reported a limit of about 5 pounds per order, lowered on a tether to a spot the customer picks. The FAA's comment period on a draft covering Zipline's Texas metros, Austin among them, closed two days after the first Round Rock order, DroneXL reported.
Rowlett wrote the rule first
Rowlett's City Council met on May 20th, 2025. Its minutes record a 6 to 0 vote adding drone hub and kiosk uses to its zoning code, with use specific standards. Zipline was the applicant. The city's Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended that a hub or kiosk sit more than 200 feet from any residential property.
In the minutes a councilmember says the special use permit for a hub is the control. Ms. Musser told the council that requiring that permit for hubs gives the city a lot of latitude. Round Rock's first hub sits where its zoning doesn't reach, and its permit questions arrive with a site already proposed.
What the record can't show yet
Round Rock says the Renaissance Square site will help it write rules for future facilities. The city's drone delivery page names no draft rules and no hearing date. For now the city's stated levers are where a hub sits inside its limits and routing complaints to the operator and the FAA.
Sources for this story
- Drone Delivery in Round Rock
- Safety Facts
- Zipline Starts Austin Deliveries With FAA Comment Window Still Open
- Round Rock Says It Has No Zoning Rule for Zipline's Drone Hub
- City of Rowlett City Council Meeting Minutes, Tuesday May 20, 2025
Claim-by-claim verification · 55 claims
The City of Round Rock says drone delivery hubs are not specifically covered by its current zoning ordinances.
are not specifically addressed under the City’s current zoning ordinances
Round Rock says Zipline is beginning commercial drone deliveries from a facility near North Kenney Fort and Joe DiMaggio Boulevards in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction.
from a facility near the intersection of North Kenney Fort and Joe DiMaggio Boulevards, in Round Rock’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ)
Citing the company, Round Rock says eligible customers within three miles of the facility can be served.
According to the company, service will be available to eligible customers within three miles of this location
Round Rock tells residents the FAA regulates drone flight operations including airspace and flight paths.
The FAA regulates drone flight operations, including airspace and flight paths.
Round Rock lists operator certification among the FAA's requirements and says delivery services are typically certified under Part 135.
Certification of the operator (typically under Part 135 for delivery services)
Round Rock says delivery drones may cross residential areas on approved flight paths.
Drones may fly over residential areas as part of approved flight paths.
Round Rock says it can't regulate drone flight paths.
The City cannot regulate drone flight paths.
Round Rock says FAA regulations and state law preempt its power over drone flight paths. It keeps land use and zoning control over where drone infrastructure sits inside city limits.
Local governments, including the City of Round Rock, may regulate land use and zoning, such as where drone infrastructure can be located within city limits, but FAA regulations and state law preempt the City’s ability to regulate the flight paths or prohibit the presence of drones in the city
Round Rock says it is working with Zipline to allow a proposed hub inside city limits behind the Renaissance Square shopping center along northbound Interstate 35.
The City is working with Zipline to allow a proposed in-City hub at the rear of Renaissance Square shopping center along northbound I-35
Round Rock says the Renaissance Square site will let it evaluate drone delivery operations and develop regulations for future facilities within city limits.
evaluate drone delivery operations and their impacts, helping the City develop appropriate regulations for future facilities within city limits
Round Rock says it may regulate where delivery hubs go inside city limits so they are not adjacent to residential properties.
The City is allowed to regulate the location of delivery hubs inside city limits to ensure they are not adjacent to residential properties
Round Rock compares delivery drone noise at a distance to a small electric device or lawn equipment.
Delivery drones produce noise similar to a small electric device or lawn equipment at a distance.
Round Rock routes operational or company feedback to Zipline at community@zipline.com.
For any operational or company-specific feedback, contact the operator directly at community@zipline.com.
Round Rock directs safety concerns and suspected FAA violations to the FAA.
For any safety concerns or suspected FAA violations, contact the FAA.
Round Rock cites Texas Government Code Chapter 423 as restricting the use of drones for surveillance.
State law (Texas Government Code Chapter 423) currently restricts the use of drones for surveillance
Round Rock says capturing images of people or private property with intent to conduct surveillance is a Class C misdemeanor under Section 423.003.
Capturing images of individuals or private property with the intent to conduct surveillance is a Class C misdemeanor (Section 423.003).
Round Rock says civil fines can reach $5,000 per incident for unlawful image capture and $10,000 for distribution under Section 423.006.
Civil penalties may apply, including fines of up to $5,000 per incident for unlawful image capture and up to $10,000 for distribution (Section 423.006).
Zipline says each of its aircraft carries an onboard Detect-and-Avoid system to avoid other aircraft.
Each aircraft has a Detect-and-Avoid system onboard to avoid other aircraft.
Zipline says its aircraft automatically reserve their own flight route in an FAA-approved traffic management system before launch.
Before launch, aircraft automatically reserve their own strategic flight route in our FAA-approved traffic management system to avoid conflicts.
Zipline says onboard flight computers on its aircraft can detect issues and respond to them automatically.
The onboard flight computers can detect and automatically respond to issues.
Zipline says its aircraft perform more than 500 safety checks a second and adjust their positioning every 20 milliseconds.
Zips perform more than 500 safety checks a second and are able to adjust their positioning every 20 milliseconds, five times faster than the blink of an eye.
Zipline says its FlightIQ system helps an aircraft choose the safest response to a mid-flight issue such as returning to the dock.
the Zip’s FlightIQ system helps it determine the safest course of action, such as returning to the dock or flagging a repair for maintenance
Zipline says an aircraft that can't resolve an issue deploys a parachute and floats to the ground.
the aircraft will deploy its parachute so that the aircraft can float down to the ground
Zipline says trained staff watch its flights from a remote operations center.
Trained Zipline personnel monitor flights from a remote operations center.
Zipline claims nearly 150 million commercial autonomous miles flown without injury.
Flown nearly 150 million commercial autonomous miles since we started, the same as driving on every road in America 35 times, without injury.
Zipline claims more than 3 million deliveries.
Made more than 3 million deliveries.
Zipline claims it makes an autonomous delivery somewhere in the world every 15 seconds.
Zipline now makes an autonomous delivery somewhere in the world every 15 seconds.
Zipline's Austin announcement says its First Flight program starts in Round Rock and will expand as the company grows availability across Austin.
First Flight starts in Round Rock and will expand over time as Zipline grows its availability throughout Austin.
Zipline says the first 5,000 residents in First Flight get exclusive access to its deliveries.
With First Flight, the first 5,000 residents get exclusive access to Zipline deliveries of everyday goods
Zipline's Austin announcement claims its drones have flown more than 140 million miles.
autonomous drones have safely flown more than 140 million miles across multiple continents
Zipline's announcement quotes Williamson County Judge Steven Snell calling the county an important technology center.
Williamson County has developed into an important technology center
DroneXL reports Zipline opened Austin-area drone delivery on Friday, October 9th, taking First Flight orders in Round Rock for the first 5,000 residents who sign up.
Zipline opened drone delivery in the Austin area on Friday, October 9, with its First Flight early-access program taking orders in Round Rock for the first 5,000 residents who sign up.
DroneXL reports customers within 3 miles of 3000 E. Palm Valley Blvd. can order through the Zipline app.
Customers within 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) of 3000 E. Palm Valley Blvd. can order from the Zipline app
DroneXL reports Austin is Zipline's third Texas metro in 14 months, after Dallas-Fort Worth in August 2025 and Houston in April.
Austin is Zipline’s third Texas metro in 14 months, after Dallas-Fort Worth in August 2025 and Houston in April.
DroneXL reports the FAA's September 11th draft would amend Zipline's Part 135 operations specifications to cover five Texas metros including Austin.
The FAA’s September 11 draft would amend Zipline’s Part 135 operations specifications to cover five Texas metros, Austin among them.
As relayed by DroneXL, the FAA draft sets an Austin ceiling of 30 Chargers, 600 Dropbox pickup kiosks and 30,000 deliveries a day across 2,498 square miles.
For Austin, the ceiling is 30 Chargers, 600 Dropbox pickup kiosks and 30,000 deliveries a day across 2,498 square miles (6,470 square kilometers).
DroneXL reports the FAA comment period on the draft closes Sunday, October 11th, two days after the first Round Rock order.
The comment period closes on Sunday, October 11, two days after the first Round Rock order.
Citing Community Impact, DroneXL reports a delivery weight limit of about 5 pounds per order lowered on a tether to a spot the customer picks.
reports a delivery weight limit of about 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms) per order, lowered on a tether into a backyard or another spot the customer picks
DroneXL reports the delivery sequence with the droid on its tether takes about 90 seconds.
The delivery sequence, droid on its tether, takes about 90 seconds.
DroneXL reports the Platform 2 aircraft holds station above 300 feet while the droid rides the tether down to the customer.
The Platform 2 holds station above 300 feet (91 meters) while the droid rides the tether down to the customer.
DroneXL places Round Rock in Williamson County.
Round Rock, in Williamson County north of the city, is the answer.
DroneXL reports the Rowlett City Council voted 6 to 0 on May 20th, 2025 to add drone hubs and kiosks to its zoning code. Hubs need a special use permit and kiosks are allowed by right.
The Rowlett City Council voted 6 to 0 on May 20, 2025, to add unmanned aircraft hubs and kiosks to its zoning code as new uses in nonresidential districts, hubs by special use permit and kiosks by right, according to the council record.
DroneXL reports Rowlett put drone hubs into its zoning code before Zipline opened there.
Rowlett, east of Dallas, wrote drone hubs into its zoning code before Zipline opened there.
DroneXL relays a News 4 San Antonio count of 25 businesses on the Zipline app in Round Rock on Saturday, October 10th, one day into service.
News 4 San Antonio reporter Brianna Perez counted 25 businesses on the Zipline app in Round Rock in a report published Saturday, October 10, one day into service.
DroneXL reports the aircraft fly at up to 75 mph and about 300 feet.
The aircraft fly at up to 75 mph (121 km/h) and about 300 feet (91 meters)
Rowlett's City Council met on Tuesday, May 20th, 2025.
Tuesday May 20, 2025
Rowlett's council passed the motion adding Unmanned Aircraft System Hub and Kiosk uses with use-specific standards by a vote of 6 to 0.
Unmanned Aircraft System Kiosk as new uses to the Table of Allowed Uses and to establish use-specific standards. Motion passed 6-0.
The Rowlett minutes record the drone hub and kiosk zoning ordinance as ORD-014-25.
This item was approved as ORD-014-25.
Ms. Musser told Rowlett's council that requiring an SUP for hubs gives the city a lot of latitude.
Ms. Musser stated having an SUP for the hubs does give the city a lot of latitude.
Rowlett's mayor confirmed the ordinance allows drone delivery kiosks by right.
Mayor Winget confirmed that the proposed ordinance does allow the kiosks by right
Zipline was the applicant for Rowlett's drone hub and kiosk zoning change, represented by Stephanie Cook.
The applicant, Stephanie Cook with Zipline, gave a brief background about Zipline.
Zipline's representative told Rowlett's council the company had two sites in use, in Mesquite and Waxahachie, and seven under construction.
currently have seven sites under construction and have two sites in use, in Mesquite and Waxahachie
Rowlett's Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that a drone hub or kiosk sit more than 200 feet from any residential property.
A UAS HUB or UAS Kiosk shall be located more than 200 feet from any residential property.
A Rowlett councilmember said the special use permit for the hub is the control.
Councilmember Reaves stated that the SUP for the hub is the control.
DroneXL reports Zipline's first Austin area drone hub sits outside Round Rock's city limits.
first Austin-area drone hub sits outside Round Rock’s city limits, and the City of Round Rock says its zoning code has no rule for drone hubs at all.