Congratulations, you’re about to lock down a monthly parking spot in the City of Chicago!  I’m going to walk you through the how-to guide so that you can navigate the world of monthly parking in this here city.

What can you expect to pay? 

(In the Loop / Downtown area) ***Source - Colliers Parking Rate Survey***

• Reserved (a dedicated spot) - $400 
• Unreserved (any open spot) - $289

The further away from the downtown you get, the more likely that price is to fall!

Where can you go to find options today?

1)      Craigslist  – Here’s a 1,2,3 cheat sheet on how to identify a good spot:          

         a.  Is there a picture of the spot, lot or garage?          

         b.  Is there a detailed description?

***A good post will tell you all of the amenities: Indoor, Heated, Secured, 24/7, etc…

All parking spots are NOT created equal!          

         c.  Is there a way to reach a real person? There’s nothing more frustrating than having a parking problem and having no one to help.  The right parking spot has people who want to help.

2)      Chicago Monthly Parking.com–  Searching for parking in your neighborhood or through different parking companies and parking garages through helpful parking links!

3)      SpotHero parking – A website all about discounted Chicago parking.          

         a.  They have some monthly options around the downtown Chicago and other areas across the city like River North, Wrigleyville, and Lakeview among other.  If they don’t have options where you want, you can contact them and let them know where you need a spot!  What's great is you can checkout by purchasing the 1st month through the site and you can begin parking right away.

4)      Checkout the Church or Religious center in your area.  They always need some extra cash and are usually have nice large parking lots in good areas.  There may be restrictions on Sundays and certain religious holidays but this can be a great place to find parking options.

5)      Word of Mouth – Before you hit the streets ask someone who might already have done it!          

a.  Other tenants, friends, HR, building managers, concierge services.  They’ve all done it before and they know how much of a pain it is!

Other tips:

Your schedule can affect the price of your parking spot wildly.  If for example, you only need parking in the evenings, there are many Chicago parking garages that have special rates for only overnight parking.  This can be as low at $40 a month which allows you to enter after a certain cut off time (for example 5pm, but you have to be out by 7am).  Even if you don't use it every single day, it might be worth it to have the spot available depending on how often you commute.  If you only need a parking spot on weekends, evenings or daytime hours, you might be able to grab a great a deal. Now you are ready to attack and find your Chicago parking spot. Hopefully this guide will be useful and save you some much needed time when you are going through your search!  

For more on Chicago parking see:

Chicago Parking - The Local Tourist

Chicago Parking Tips - The Local Tourist

Chicago Street Parking Tips - The Local Tourist

United Center Parking Tips - The Local Tourist