Parking In Chicago
Parking is the main reason not to drive in Chicago. Sure, there are stereotypical cab drivers, Hummers that take up whole blocks, streets that end or seem to reverse direction for no apparent reason, and pedestrians that casually cross intersections with no awareness that the light turned red a minute ago. But the absolute worst thing about driving in Chicago is that at some point you will get to your destination and will have to park your car. That being said, here are a few hints:
- The main thing to be aware of when parking in downtown Chicago is to Watch Your Time!
- There's metered parking on most downtown Chicago streets, but it's difficult to find an open spot. They only let you park in two hour increments. DO NOT let the time elapse. You'll get a ticket faster than you can say "wait, I'm right here" while running towards your car with a quarter in your outstretched hand.
- Read all street signs carefully before parking!!! If it says no parking between 4 and 6, move your car at 3:50. You WILL be towed. Tow trucks roam the alleys and streets like hyenas waiting for the eldest in the pack to drop.
- If your car gets towed you can find it on the City of Chicago's website.
- It's also important to keep track of the time if you valet park your car. Most of the rates are good for three hours, and are half-again as much after that.
- Avoid hotel parking garages: rates are upwards of $50/day!
- Chicago Parking lots are (generally) cheaper the further away from downtown you get. You could park a little distance away and then walk in or take a cab or bus.
- There is a huge lot underneath Grant Park with fairly reasonable rates - for downtown Chicago.
- While street parking can be near impossible to find and expensive ($5 an hour in the loop), note the meters do "conveniently" accept credit cards. With $5 an hour parking who has 40 quarters lying around in their car anyways?!
Chicago Parking Links
- Chicago Parking SpotHero
You can actually reserve yourself a parking spot in Chicago! Put in an address or neighborhood and see maps with discounted garage parking where you can make an online parking reservation for. - Best Parking
Not only can you search by address & neighborhood, you can put in your arrival and departure times to find out how much it'll cost! - PILMC Parking Maps
Interactive parking maps for downtown Chicago and O'Hare & Midway airports
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I am driving to Chicago doing
I am driving to Chicago doing a little sightseeing and then taking the Amtrak to South Bend to take my daughter to Notre Dame. I want to park outside Chicago and then take the El, train or amtrak into Chicago. I am driving from Kansas CIty and will be coming in on I-88 E/IL-110. Where is there a place I can park reasonable and then go into the city some way? I want to miss the traffic and the expensive parking areas.
Another great bonus I found
Another great bonus I found this summer is the lot underneath the Aon Building. On weekdays, if you arrive between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. you can park for a flat rate of $6 for the entire evening. Compared to other rates in that area, that's almost free!
Another option which makes
Another option which makes things much more affordable is to pay ahead of time and "reserve" a parking spot with http://spothero.com/. Downtown is usually around $45 / day - with spothero is only $19! Other places like cubs games, parking in river north, or for the theater / financial district - its prices are way cheaper as well.
I wish i would have read this
I wish i would have read this or should I say had my hubby read this before our car was ticketed and towed yesterday , a long with about 40 others give or take,
What a scam 160.00 for the towing and 60.00 for the vilolation, I have no desire to return to Chicago unless it is on a train.There wasnt anything posting on the machine that stated to pay attention to the signs, but easily took our money for parking 14.90 to be exact, oh and x2 my son got one also, what an expensive day in Chicago, guess they had to have someone pay for their free air and water show, the tourist.
Was able to park for my whole
Was able to park for my whole 8 day visit without paying meters. I was able to even use the car one day to visit Starved Rock and still found a spot when I returned! Drive along Chicago and Segwick - there are about two blocks of parking along Chicago and more if you park off Chicago but I was not too sure of the area so I stayed on Chicago which seemed safe...and it was. There were almost always lots of cars on the road or people walking by. No break-ins for me, none seen near my car, and NO PAYING FOR PARKING!!!! This area is where our dear friend lives and is right off the Brown line so if you parked here you could easily get to other parts of the city. This spot was in such a good location that each day we walked to the city center so we didn't need to keep accessing the car, but if we did it wouldn't have been problem to find parking again as there we often many open spots in the evenings. Enjoy the free parking and Chicago....what a fun city!
These are all great tips!
These are all great tips! Parking can be such a hassle in Chicago. It's crazy! Here's another tip. There's tons of free street parking right next to the United Center that don't have game and event restrictions. When going to a United Center Event, use this Chicago Parking Free United Center Parking Map and park for free on the street if you'd like.
That's great! Thanks for
That's great! Thanks for posting the link!
I think every big city like
I think every big city like Chicago has parking problems, but unfortunately for someone who loves to travel that might be a problem, no one wants to get into a new town and have to pay unreasonable prices for parking his/her car. I haven't been in Chicago so far, but i am always on the road and i know what a pain it is to find a clear parking lot in any such city. Still this is not always the case. San Francisco for example can be quite awesome when it comes to parking, i discovered that a couple of months ago during my staying there when i left sfo parking professionals to take care of my car. It was such a relief, and the prices weren't high either!
resident sticker only parking
resident sticker only parking signs, you also need to watch out for objects such as lawn chairs, milk crates, buckets or cones marking the parking spot for a local resident who shoveled out the spot for their car.
and that's coming up soon!
and that's coming up soon! Thanks for the heads up!
Thanks for the parking tips.
Thanks for the parking tips. I agree that driving a car is not the best way to move around Chicago. Public transportation is the way to go. If you are coming in to Chicago from the surrounding areas, take the Metra into the city and then use a taxi, bus or the El to get around.
I love the parking
I love the parking reccomendations, but could you list a few lots in River North that have more affordable parking rates?
Very true! Thanks for the
Very true! Thanks for the heads-up.
If are you driving into
If are you driving into Chicago and parking out in any of the neighborhoods in the snowy winter months, in addition to watching out for all the snowfall tow signs and resident sticker only parking signs, you also need to watch out for objects such as lawn chairs, milk crates, buckets or cones marking the parking spot for a local resident who shoveled out the spot for their car.