# Corridor: Building Code Definition

> How the IBC 2009, IFC 2009 define corridor, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

- Canonical: https://harth.build/resources/glossary/corridor/
- Last updated: 2026-09-07
- Data source: Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Defined in | IBC 2009, IFC 2009 (2009 editions transcribed in this corpus) |
| Primary source | IBC 2009 Means of Egress (model text, not a jurisdiction's adopted text) |
| Chapters using the term | 29 (counted across the codes hosted here) |
| Wording identical across codes | Yes (compare before citing one code's wording under another) |

## Direct answer

Corridor is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Means of Egress. The code's own words are: “An enclosed exit access component that defines and provides a path of egress travel to an exit.” The IFC 2009 carries the same definition word for word, so the term means the same thing in each. The term is used in 29 chapters of this corpus, most often in Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009), Means of Egress (IBC 2009), Means of Egress (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.

*Content and cited inputs reviewed by [Scott Barrington](https://nz.linkedin.com/in/barrington), Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.*

## What does this term mean?

**Corridor** — IBC 2009, Means of Egress:

> An enclosed exit access component that defines and provides a path of egress travel to an exit.

![Labeled code-term definition diagram: Corridor: Building Code Definition](https://efwwel0vyt9vy5so.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/images/glossary/corridor/diagram-1344.webp)

*How the IBC 2009, IFC 2009 define corridor, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.*

## What must be verified before using this guidance?

Two of the I-Codes in this corpus define **Corridor**, in identical words.

| Code | Where it is defined | Definition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| IBC 2009 | [Means of Egress](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/means-of-egress.md) | An enclosed exit access component that defines and provides a path of egress travel to an exit. |
| IFC 2009 | [Means of Egress](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/means-of-egress.md) | An enclosed exit access component that defines and provides a path of egress travel to an exit. |

## Where corridor is used in the code

The term appears in 29 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/special-detailed-requirements-based-on-use-and-occupancy.md) | IBC 2009 | 227 |
| [Means of Egress](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/means-of-egress.md) | IBC 2009 | 129 |
| [Means of Egress](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/means-of-egress.md) | IFC 2009 | 103 |
| [Fire and Smoke Protection Features](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/fire-and-smoke-protection-features.md) | IBC 2009 | 85 |
| [Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/semiconductor-fabrication-facilities.md) | IFC 2009 | 75 |
| [Fire Protection Systems](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/fire-protection-systems.md) | IBC 2009 | 67 |
| [Fire Protection Systems](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/fire-protection-systems.md) | IFC 2009 | 63 |
| [Duct Systems](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/imc-2009/duct-systems.md) | IMC 2009 | 63 |
| [Construction Requirements for Existing Buildings](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/construction-requirements-for-existing-buildings.md) | IFC 2009 | 61 |
| [Interior Finish, Decorative Materials and Furnishings](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/interior-finish-decorative-materials-and-furnishings.md) | IFC 2009 | 35 |
| [Existing Structures](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/existing-structures.md) | IBC 2009 | 14 |
| [Hazardous Materials-general Provisions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/hazardous-materials-general-provisions.md) | IFC 2009 | 14 |

_17 further chapters mention the term._

### The term in use

How the code actually writes about corridor, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:

> The minimum width of an exitpassageway or corridor from a mall shall be 66 inches (1676 mm).

— [IBC 2009 §402.4.5](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/special-detailed-requirements-based-on-use-and-occupancy.md)

> Exit sign placement shall be such that no point in an exit access corridor or exit passageway is more than 100 feet (30 480 mm) or the listed viewing distance for the sign, whichever is less, from the nearest visible exit sign.

— [IBC 2009 §1011.1](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/means-of-egress.md)

> Floor level identification signs in tactile characters complying with ICC Al17.1 shall be located at each floor level landing adjacent to the door leading from the enclosure into the corridor to identify the floor level.

— [IFC 2009 §1022.8](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/means-of-egress.md)


## Corridor compared with Aisle

These two are the closest pair in the 2009 I-Codes: about 65 per cent of their defining words are the same. The code states both and compares neither, so the difference is worth naming.

| | Wording unique to it |
| --- | --- |
| **Corridor** (IBC 2009) | enclosed, exit, access |
| [Aisle](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/aisle.md) (IBC 2009) | unenclosed, exitaccess |

Everything else in the two definitions is shared. If a project turns on which of the two applies, those words are the whole of the test — and a local amendment that edits one of them without editing the other moves the boundary between corridor and aisle.

## The terms corridor is built out of

The definition above leans on 2 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what corridor covers:

- **[Exit Access](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/exit-access.md)** — IBC 2009: That portion of a means of egress system that leads from any occupied portion of a building or structure to an exit.
- **[Enclosed](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/enclosed.md)** — IRC 2009: Surrounded by a case, housing, fence or walls that will prevent persons from accidentally contacting energized parts.

## Corridor: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) cover the middle rows.

| Check | Where | Confirmed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read the definition in the adopted IBC | Means of Egress | |
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Means of Egress | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Means of Egress (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Means of Egress (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Fire and Smoke Protection Features (IBC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Exit Access | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Enclosed | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list | |

**A research aid, not a code determination.** The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.

## Where can you explore related guidance?

- [Explore all glossary guidance](https://harth.build/resources/glossary.md)
- [Exit Access: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/exit-access.md)
- [Enclosed: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/enclosed.md)

## Sources and method

Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

### Source links

- [codes.iccsafe.org](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes)

- [iccsafe.org](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the code definition of corridor?

The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Means of Egress as: “An enclosed exit access component that defines and provides a path of egress travel to an exit.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.

### Which parts of the code depend on corridor?

In this corpus the term is used across 29 chapters, led by Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy in the IBC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.

### What is considered a corridor in a building?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Means of Egress: “An enclosed exit access component that defines and provides a path of egress travel to an exit.” It is defined in IBC 2009, IFC 2009. It is not the same as Building, which the IBC 2009 defines separately as “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.

### What counts as a corridor?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Means of Egress: “An enclosed exit access component that defines and provides a path of egress travel to an exit.” It is defined in IBC 2009, IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.

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