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Civilization VI: District Adjacency Master Guide

Maximize every district bonus. Campus, Industrial Zone, Theater Square adjacency charts. Wonder placement optimization and the IZ-aqueduct-dam triangle explained.

19 min read4,500 words2025-12-18

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District placement is the most important skill in Civilization VI. Every district generates yields based on adjacent terrain, features, and other districts. A +4 Campus doubles to +8 with the right policy card. A +6 Industrial Zone becomes +12 and then radiates that production to every city within 6 tiles through the Factory and Power Plant. This is the complete reference for every district's adjacency math.

🏛️ Campus (Science)

Unlocked: Writing. Best civilizations: Korea, Maya, Australia, Scotland, Arabia.

Adjacent Feature	Bonus	Notes
Mountain	+1 🔬	Per adjacent mountain tile. No limit. The most reliable adjacency source.
Reef	+2 🔬	Coastal tile. Counts as both mountain adjacency AND a feature. Extremely valuable — a campus between 2 reefs = +4 base.
Geothermal Fissure	+2 🔬	Rare terrain feature. +1 Amenity if improved. +2 science adjacency. Top-tier campus tile.
Rainforest	+1 🔬	Per 2 adjacent rainforest tiles. Half-value adjacency. Better for Brazil.
Government Plaza	+1 🔬	Standard district adjacency (+1 for every 2 districts adjacent, including this one).
Other Districts	+1 🔬	Standard minor adjacency. Per 2 adjacent districts. Campus + City Center = +0.5.

Campus Placement Priority

Goal: +3 adjacency minimum. The ideal campus: surrounded by 3 mountains and 1 reef = +5 base (+10 with Natural Philosophy). Settle cities specifically at the base of mountain clusters. One +5 campus with Pingala (Researcher) is worth 3 mediocre campuses.

Mountain Campus

+3 to +6

Campus adjacent to 3-6 mountains. Easiest setup. Look for mountain ranges when scouting.

Reef Campus

+4 to +8

Campus between 2 reefs on coast. Reefs give +2 each. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus bonus adjacency.

Fissure Campus

+4 to +6

Campus between 2 geothermal fissures. Rare but incredibly powerful if you can find it. Place immediately.

Policy Cards

Natural Philosophy (Economic, unlocks at Recorded History): Doubles Campus adjacency bonus. Five-Year Plan (Economic, Class Struggle civic): Doubles Campus AND Industrial Zone adjacency. Rationalism (Economic, The Enlightenment): Campuses with +3 adjacency OR 10+ population get +100% science from buildings.

⚒️ Industrial Zone (Production)

Unlocked: Apprenticeship. Best civs: Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Gaul.

Adjacent Feature	Bonus	Notes
Aqueduct	+2 ⚙️	The strongest IZ adjacency. Must connect city center to fresh water or mountain. Place BEFORE IZ.
Dam	+2 ⚙️	Must be on Floodplains, adjacent to river on 2+ sides. Only one per river. Place before IZ.
Canal	+2 ⚙️	Connects water bodies or city centers. Unlocked at Steam Power. Niche — only for +7+ IZs.
Strategic Resource	+1 ⚙️	Per adjacent strategic resource tile (Iron, Niter, Coal, Oil, Aluminum, Uranium).
Mine	+1 ⚙️	Per 2 adjacent mines. Half-value. Build mines around your IZ after placing the district.
Quarry	+1 ⚙️	Per 2 adjacent quarries. Same half-value rule as mines.
Other District	+1 ⚙️	Per 2 adjacent districts. Government Plaza, Commercial Hub, and Campus are common companions.

The IZ-Aqueduct-Dam Triangle

An IZ flanked by an Aqueduct (+2) and Dam (+2) = +4 base adjacency. With Craftsmen policy (+100%) = +8 production. Add a Coal Power Plant and the regional production bonus is +8 to every city within 6 tiles. If you do this in 3 adjacent cities, each IZ gets adjacency from its own Aqueduct + Dam PLUS the neighboring city's Aqueduct for +6 to +8 base.

Standard

+4 base → +8

IZ between 1 Aqueduct + 1 Dam. Every city should aim for this. Minimum acceptable adjacency.

Advanced

+7 base → +14

IZ touching 2 Aqueducts (from 2 cities), 1 Dam, and 1 strategic resource. City clustering required.

Germany God

+12 base → +24

3 Hansas touching 4 Commercial Hubs, 2 Aqueducts, 2 Dams. Requires 3-city triangle with perfect terrain.

🎭 Theater Square (Culture)

Unlocked: Drama and Poetry. Best civs: Greece, Sweden, Kongo, China (Qin Mandate).

Adjacent Feature	Bonus	Notes
World Wonder	+2 🎵	Per adjacent wonder (any wonder, any era). Stack multiple wonders around a single Theater Square.
Entertainment Complex	+2 🎵	+2 major adjacency. Also gives +1 Amenity to city. Good pairing with wonder-adjacent Theater Squares.
Water Park	+2 🎵	Coastal equivalent of Entertainment Complex. +2 adjacency. Unlocked at Natural History (later).
Other Districts	+1 🎵	Standard minor adjacency. Per 2 adjacent districts. Harder to stack than other specialty districts.

Wonder Clustering

The Theater Square is the hardest district to get high adjacency on. The key: cluster 2-3 wonders around a single tile and place the Theater Square there. Oracle (+2), Apadana (+2), and Colosseum (+2 around one tile gives +6 base adjacency. Add Aesthetics policy (+100%) for +12.

⛪ Holy Site (Faith)

Unlocked: Astrology. Best civs: Russia, Arabia, Byzantium, Khmer, Mali, Ethiopia.

Adjacent Feature	Bonus	Notes
Mountain	+1 🙏	Per adjacent mountain. Same as Campus. Tundra mountains are Russia's specialty.
Natural Wonder	+2 🙏	Per adjacent natural wonder tile. Some wonders are 2+ tiles — adjacency per tile.
Woods	+1 🙏	Per 2 adjacent woods tiles. Brazil gets +1 per woods (not per 2). Dance of the Aurora (pantheon) gives +1 per adjacent tundra.
Other Districts	+1 🙏	Standard minor adjacency. Per 2 adjacent districts.

Pantheon Picks by Adjacency

Dance of the Aurora: +1 faith per adjacent tundra. Russia Lavra on tundra: +6/+7 base adjacency before Scripture. Desert Folklore: +1 faith per adjacent desert. Mali can hit +8 easily. Sacred Path: +1 faith per adjacent rainforest. Brazil gets double value.

💰 Commercial Hub (Gold)

Unlocked: Currency. Best civs: Mali, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany (for Hansa adjacency).

Adjacent Feature	Bonus	Notes
River	+2 💰	Major adjacency. Commercial Hub must be on a river to get this. Priority #1 for placement.
Harbor	+2 💰	Major adjacency. Cheap to build. Great pairing — Harbor + CH on adjacent coastal tiles.
Other Districts	+1 💰	Standard minor adjacency. Per 2 adjacent. Government Plaza gives +1. Pair with Hansa for Germany.

Owls of Minerva (Secret Society)

Gilded Vault replaces the Bank: Commercial Hub gets culture equal to its gold adjacency. +4 gold CH → +4 culture AND +4 gold. With Town Charters (+100%): +8 culture + 8 gold. This makes Commercial Hubs the best all-around district in the game.

⚓ Harbor (Naval / Gold)

Unlocked: Celestial Navigation. Best civs: England, Indonesia, Portugal, Phoenicia.

Adjacent Feature	Bonus	Notes
Sea Resource	+1 💰	Per adjacent sea resource (Fish, Crabs, Whales, Pearls, Amber, Turtles).
City Center	+2 💰	Major adjacency. Place Harbor adjacent to city center on coast for easy +2.
Other Districts	+1 💰	Standard minor adjacency. Per 2 adjacent. Commercial Hub + Harbor pair is meta.

📋 Complete District Adjacency Reference

District	Unlock	Major Adjacency (+2)	Minor Adjacency (+1)	Doubling Policy
🏛️ Campus	Writing	Reefs, Geothermal Fissures, Reef (+2) — Mountains (+1)	Per 2: Rainforest / Districts	Natural Philosophy
⚒️ Industrial Zone	Apprenticeship	Aqueduct, Dam, Canal	Per 2: Mine / Quarry / District	Craftsmen / Five-Year Plan
🎭 Theater Square	Drama & Poetry	Wonders, Entertainment Complex, Water Park	Per 2: Districts	Aesthetics
⛪ Holy Site	Astrology	Natural Wonders	Per 2: Woods / Districts. Per 1: Mountain.	Scripture
💰 Commercial Hub	Currency	River, Harbor	Per 2: Districts	Town Charters
⚓ Harbor	Celestial Navigation	City Center	Per 1: Sea Resource. Per 2: Districts.	Naval Infrastructure
🏟️ Entertainment Complex	Games & Recreation	Theater Square	Per 2: Districts	Sports Media
🏛️ Government Plaza	State Workforce	N/A (gives adjacency)	Gives +1 to ALL adjacent specialty districts	N/A
🎓 Diplomatic Quarter	Diplomatic Service	N/A (delegates only)	+1 Diplo Favor per adjacent district or City Center	N/A
🛡️ Encampment	Bronze Working	N/A (no adjacency)	No adjacency yields — provides defense and +1 Strategic Resource stockpile	N/A
🏥 Preserve	Mysticism	Unimproved Charming/Breathtaking tiles	Grove (+2 Food/Faith/Culture to adjacent unimproved tiles)	N/A

🏴 Unique District Replacements

Civ	Unique District	Replaces	Adjacency Advantage
🇩🇪 Germany	Hansa	Industrial Zone	+2 from Commercial Hubs (instead of +1 from districts). +2 from resources (instead of +1). Half cost. Can hit +12 base adjacency with proper city clustering.
🇯🇵 Japan	All specialty districts	Standard	Meiji Restoration: +1 adjacency per adjacent district (standard is +1 per 2). Stack every district together for massive yields. +3 from 3 adjacent districts vs normal +1.5.
🇰🇷 Korea	Seowon	Campus	Always +4 base science. But: LOSES 1 adjacency per adjacent district. Place on hills, isolated from all other districts. Surrounded by farms and mines — not districts.
🇷🇺 Russia	Lavra	Holy Site	Half cost. Expands city borders on Great Person use. Tundra start bias. Dance of the Aurora pantheon: +1 per tundra tile = +6/+7 base adjacency.
🇬🇷 Greece	Acropolis	Theater Square	Must be built on hills. +1 adjacency per adjacent city center. +1 per wonder. Half cost. Place on hill next to your city center for +3 base before wonders.
🇲🇱 Mali	Suguba	Commercial Hub	+2 from Holy Site (instead of +1 from districts). +2 from River. +1 per adjacent Pamukkale or Oasis tile. Stack Suguba + Holy Site + River for +6 base.

🏗️ Wonder Placement Optimization

Wonder	Best Adjacent To	Strategic Reason
Ruhr Valley	IZ + Aqueduct cluster	+20% production to the city. Must be adjacent to IZ and river. Place in your highest-production city.
Oxford University	Next to Plaza + high-adj Campus	+20% science. +2 free techs. Doesn't need adjacency, but adjacency to Campus/Plaza gives minor bonuses.
Broadway	Theater Square cluster	+20% culture. Free Great Work slots. Adjacent to Theater Square for +2 adjacency.
Petra	Flat desert (no hills/floodplains)	+2 food, +2 gold, +1 production on all desert tiles in city. Turns useless desert into a powerhouse.
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus	Harbor with sea resources	+1 science/culture/faith on coast tiles. Great Engineers get +1 charge. Stack with Leonardo da Vinci.
Colosseum	Center of 3+ cities within 6 tiles	+2 culture, +2 loyalty, +3 amenities to all cities within 6 tiles. Must be adjacent to Entertainment Complex.
Kilwa Kisiwani	Coast, near multiple city-states	+3 envoys. If you're suzerain of 2+ city-states of same type, their bonus increases by +15% empire-wide.

FAQ

What's the minimum IZ adjacency I should accept?+

+4 base (+8 with Craftsmen). Anything less and you're wasting the Power Plant's regional effect, which radiates the IZ's adjacency to all cities within 6 tiles.

When should I place districts vs improve tiles?+

Place districts FIRST — they lock in production cost at the current era. Tile improvements can come later. District cost scales with your tech/civic tree progress. A turn-50 Campus costs half of a turn-200 Campus.

Best district to build first in a new city?+

Depends on victory path. Science: Campus. Culture: Theater Square. Faith: Holy Site. Generalist: Commercial Hub (gold + trade route capacity). Always check terrain first — a +5 Campus beats a +2 CH even if you're going for gold.

How does Japan's Meiji Restoration work?+

+1 adjacency per adjacent district (standard is +1 per 2). This means 3 adjacent districts = +3 adjacency (vs normal +1.5). Stack all districts together in a cluster for massive yields. Japan is the best district-clustering civ in the game.