Parking in Washington DC

Being the capital of the United States, Washington attracts millions of visitors every year. If you happen to be one of them, check out the following guidelines designed to help you with finding parking in Washington DC.

Parking in Washington is plentiful but you’re looking for cheap parking in DC, downtown is definitely not the place to find it. The average hourly rate for public parking is $9-$10 and if you need parking for 24 hours, be prepared to pay upwards of $35. Monthly parking costs around $250 per month.

You may also be interested in the following parking maps that will give you an idea of how much you’ll be paying for parking at Verizon Center, Union Station, National Mall, Dulles International Airport, or near major sightseeing places such as Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial Park or Museum of Natural History.

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) manages approximately 18,000 on-street parking spots in DC. There are two parking zones in Washington DC:

• Premium demand zone: $2.30/hour. Meters are enforced 7am-10pm, Mon-Sat.
• Normal demand zone: $2.30/hour. Meters are enforced 7am-6:30pm, Mon-Sat.

Though it might look expensive, the hourly rate in premium and normal demand zones is lower than the average on-street rate in other major US cities where rates can start at $3.00.

Motorcycle parking costs $0.25/hour citywide.

Remember the ‘Washington-parking-rule-of-thumb’: avoid parking during rush hour and read the parking signs carefully!