Parking in Austin

There are many garages and even more surface lots allocated to public parking in downtown Austin. In total there are around 14,000 off-street parking spots and another 3,000 on-street spaces.   

Commercial garages

Lots and garages in downtown are not cheap and some charge up to $6 per hour – the same price that you would pay for parking all day further away from the downtown area. Here are some parking maps to give you an idea of how much you will pay when parking at Austin City Hall, at one of the parking lots at Austin Bergstrom Airport or around the Austin Convention Center.

Note that not all garages operate during night time hours so make sure to double check that if you are parking outside daytime hours.

To keep your valuables and your car safe, opt for parking in a garage overnight instead of leaving your car on the streets. You can even see in advance if there's security available on-site. To do so, check the 'Details' tab for a specific location on our Austin parking map.  

On-street parking

Austin parking meters charge $1 per hour and limit your stay to 4 hours. Meters are enforced during the day and are free during the night and on city holidays. Hours of enforcement differ slightly in some areas of the city:

• Between IH-35 to Lamar Boulevard, and Lady Bird Lake to 10th Street:   

Monday-Wednesday: 8 am - 6 pm

Thursday & Friday: 8 am - Midnight

Saturdays: 11 am – Midnight

• In the area near Barton Springs Road and South Lamar, including Toomey Road, Lee Barton Drive and others:

Monday through Saturday: 8 am - Midnight

If you choose to park the car overnight on-street, choose “next day purchase” on the meter. If you forget to do so and get a ticket, you can still have it dismissed if you provide proof of receipt that you chose an alternate mode of transportation to get home (e.g. bus or taxi). This can be done by contacting Parking Enterprise at 3-1-1 by 4 pm the following day. In addition, check the City of Austin website to find out more on parking violations and ways to pay them.