10 Best Locations To Build Your Base In Project Zomboid

While most Project Zomboid players will opt to live in houses, heavily barricading their walls and doors with planks, metal sheets, and curtains to shield themselves from the decaying world, many survivors have other ideas. Some players might opt to take residence in the rural nature of Knox County’s forests, nesting in their tents with only luck and a fading campfire to guide them.

With limitless possibilities for locations to set up a home sturdy enough to ensure survival, some base locations can provide a long-lasting solution to outlive the ever-growing zombie population.

Updated on June 28, 2024, by Abigail Angell: Build 41’s new city as well as the overhaul to the foraging system begun in build 41 and expected to continue in build 42, has changed the meta for base locations in Project Zomboid. In addition, the changes to the map system have given players new ways to find their way around Knox County. To this end, coordination has become more important in finding locations, and several potential bases have moved from one of the older regions to the new region. In addition, the cut-away style of buildings introduced in Build 41 has encouraged players to find locations based on the building’s outline, rather than only the exterior.

10 North Farm, Muldraugh

Secluded With Lots Of Space

• Perfect for growing food
• A sparse local zombie population & located in a secluded area
• An interesting location to experiment with tameable animals

The North Farm is a great location for survivors looking to lead a quiet life, with the added luxury of spacious farmland where typically very few zombies inhabit the area. Found in the northern part of Muldraugh (7857×13171), this location provides space for building buildings and a natural line of sight covered from wandering hordes due to its forested perimeter.

With a cozy home interior, coupled with a barn equipped to store any goods and resources, players can even be well-prepared for the upcoming Build 42 update, which will introduce tameable animals for the first time. Next to the barn sits a ripe field ready to sow the next harvest, proving North Farm to be a farmer’s delight.

9 Lake Manors, Westpoint

Fish For Food & Live In Luxury

• Ideal for fishing
• Large houses make for good bases in group play.
• Includes some natural fortifications

Westpoint is a notoriously difficult starting location for even veteran Project Zomboid players. Its high spawn rates, forcing zombies to relentlessly attack after each turn of a corner, can make settling down difficult. Westpoint’s Lake Manors (9746×6565) are some of the calmer POIs in the locality.

There are three large houses, each accompanied by garages and decently sized gardens, with a mixture of fences and shrubbery surrounding each one for additional protection. The southernmost house borders a lake at the edge of its garden, and a river on the north side, making it another valuable position to fish and stay away from denser, more infested zombie populations. With careful planning, clever use of defense, and the right mindset, players can turn one of the lake manors into a thriving little settlement.

The HOA At The End Of The World

• A gated community perfect for cooperative multiplayer set-ups.
• Semi-secluded area with fewer zombies
• Louisville is within easy driving distance.

Having one entrance can either be a blessing or a curse – depending on the situation. With three gated houses and only one way in, living in the gated communities of eastern Louisville (14152×2639) certainly has its benefits.

Living on the outskirts of Louisville, players are less likely to encounter hordes as the area is semi-secluded, with a forest neighboring nearby. Survivors should expect to create a small, homely community in this location, while still enjoying the spoils of living in a loot-heavy Louisville.

7 MASS GENFAC, Muldraugh

Oodles Of Storage & A Rooftop

• Ideal for a rooftop garden
• Nearby Muldraugh’s town center for loot
• Spawns large amounts of loot.

The MASS-GENFAC warehouse (10612×9312) provides dozens of storage crates with plenty of loot to settle down and start planning for any journeys that lie ahead. With a large, multistory building, players can even choose to grow their crops on its roof, rather than on the surface of the grass outside.

With the rooftop access comes the additional perk of being able to leave out pots, pans, and rain barrels in order to collect valuable rainwater. GENFAC is just a short walk away from Muldraugh’s various and now defunct establishments, which are crawling with resources ready to be looted.

6 The Military Base

Well Fortified Once Cleared & Secluded

• Remote Location
• Well Fortified
• Zombies here are likely equipped with military armor and guns

The Military Base (5475×12605) is extremely well protected and hidden. Tucked away in the far reaches of South-Western Knox Country, getting here is quite the journey, so bring a vehicle in good condition with plenty of fuel. While players will have access to a deadly arsenal of guns and ammo once the area has been cleared, doing so is no simple task.

Much like Knox Prison, the base is teeming with the undead, so players will want to strategically eliminate them with cunning precision, or look to bring in some friends and some heavy firepower. With the expansiveness that the Military Base offers, for solo players the place can feel a little overwhelming should they decide to clear it themselves and live there. The cost of living in such a well-guarded perimeter is its loneliness, as it’s one of the most rural and isolated areas in the game. Players who choose to live in the Military base should plan on having a working car and gas at all times to secure important loot.

5 Kentucky State Prison, Rosewood

A Giant Complex With Challenges

• Comes with premade fortifications
• Difficult to enter and clear of zombies
• Plenty of space for farming and storage

Knox Prison (7718×11881) is the most heavily fortified area in the game, surrounded by layers of unclimbable protective fencing, iron bars, and metal sheets. Getting inside requires calculation and wit, all while being able to fight hordes of undead inmates as players carefully route their way inside. With a long fence perimeter, it’s easy to be backed into a corner with no way out.

Players should be warned that this area is incredibly dangerous, and should come prepared with a well-equipped arsenal, as hordes will be looking to sink their teeth into unsuspecting players from all directions. Once the area has been cleared, through sheer firepower or lured away in groups via horns or alarms, players can rest assured that zombies won’t be able to claw their way through the fences.

4 Central Apartments, Louisville

An Easily Barracaded Neighborhood In Lousiville

• High Loot Density
• High Difficulty due to Zombie Density
• Plenty of creative opportunities for building

Louisville has hundreds of apartments, many of which will be one-time pit-stops for the night, areas players decide to loot, or places to try to recover in while dozens of the dead wander the streets searching for their next meal. The Central Louisville Apartments (12844×1472) is an ideal location for players seeking a more urban destination to increase the difficulty and intensity of their survival.

However, one such apartment complex right next to a busy, retail-heavy street, is a great candidate for a more permanent home. Because of the complex’s central location in Louisville, getting enough loot there will be no issue. Additionally, fortifications can effectively cut this small neighborhood off from the rest of the city for defense purposes. Building fortifications in the right places, and or even utilizing cars as a means to block unwanted zombie access, can turn the area into a flourishing settlement. While central Louisville is one of the hardest areas in the game due to its insanely high zombie population, living here and thriving can feel extremely rewarding.

3 Police Station, Riverside

A Quaint, Newbie Friendly Base

• Located in an easy start location
• Nearby the Police Station
• Near a local Gas Station

Riverside is one of the easiest starting towns to begin a character’s journey, which makes the Riverside Police Station (12844×1472) a good early base contender. With low spawn rates and an abundance of houses and loot, it makes an ideal location for players looking to create a base where they can lie low or knuckle down with their skill development.

With easy access to the police station’s firearms cache after clearing the place of zombies, players can level up their firearms skills efficiently, and in this location, with minimal risk. With access to a gas station across the road, players should strive to acquire a generator early on, to continue to manually power the gas station when the electricity turns off.

2 Western Lakeside Houses, Louisville

Ideal For Fishing & Well Fenced

• Scenic houses make a beautiful base.
• Piers in the nearby lake provide fishing opportunities.
• Just outside Louisville for Looting

The lakeside houses (12016×2825) can be located at the westernmost point of Louisville, right next to the river water source. There are 19 houses, each unique in its own way with tennis courts, lavish drives, and even one with a mechanic’s garage. Different fence types suit each player’s style, including wooden fences, white pickets, barbed wire, or spiked metal. Fourteen of the houses have a pier, perfect for someone looking to kick their legs up and fish to maintain a steady and stable source of food.

These houses sit on a long and accessible stretch of road, on the edge of the chaos that is central Louisville. This makes coming and going easy, and it’s just a short drive north from St. Peregrin Hospital, which can house a lifetime supply of medical supplies if players can successfully scavenge them.

1 McCoy Logging Camp, Muldraugh

Ideal For Builders & Surrounded By Trees

• Flush with Building Materials & Resources
• Nearby Muldraugh’s Shopping district
• Chance to locate a Sledgehammer

The McCoy Logging Camp (10266×9743) is perfect for players selecting classes with an aptitude for carpentry and building. It has three large warehouses, each housing dozens of storage crates packed heavy with materials, weaponry, and resources. A short walk east will lead to the town of Muldraugh and its many shops. Heading south will lead to a large lumber mill, which has hundreds of heavy logs ready to be cut into planks to help any fortification efforts. Follow the road west to find a construction site.

In either of these places, players have a chance to locate a sledgehammer, which is a crucial asset early in the game, allowing the destruction of gun store security fences and any other walls that players wish to destroy to expand on existing locations. With all these places within walking distance from one another, the logging camp is the perfect location to hammer down for the long haul.