Finding somewhere to park in downtown Kansas City that won’t break the bank can be tricky – so we’ve put together a short guide to help you.
A view over downtown Kansas City (Photo: Tyler Thompson via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
The options for short-term parking in downtown Kansas City mainly come down to metred street parking or off-street lots and garages. There are a large number of metered street parking spaces available, priced at anything from $1 to $5 per hour, depending on the area. Evening and weekend parking is free of charge. However, paid street parking is often limited to two hours, so you need to be aware of the time limit and move your car accordingly.
Alternatively, if you prefer the security of off-street covered parking and don’t mind paying that bit extra, there are several multi-storey car parks and covered garages in downtown Kansas City offering pre-bookable short-term parking. Our number one pick is the Auditorium Plaza Garage at 1220 Wyandotte, where you’ll pay $1 for every 15 minutes, with a daily maximum charge of $12.00. Another garage we’d recommend is West Bottoms Garage at 1601 State Line Road, where you pay a flat rate of just $3 for all-day parking.
You can book both garages on Spothero.com, as well as at several other parking lots in downtown Kansas City
Free parking in downtown Kansas City
While most downtown parking lots charge for their use, there are a few that offer free parking on weekends. Among them are lots at 7th & Main on Saturdays & Sundays, adjacent to the North Loop streetcar stops at 601 Main and 711 Main St. Here, you’re a short walk from the free one-stop ride on the KC Streetcar, which runs the two-mile journey to the heart of downtown. Alternatively, as mentioned above, metered street parking is free of charge during evenings and weekends. Or if you need to pop into downtown on a weekday, you can park for free in City Market Square for up to two hours.
Long-stay parking in downtown Kansas City
If you’re staying in Kansas City for a longer period, but don’t have any private parking at your accommodation, it may be both cheaper and more convenient for you to find a long-term parking spot, rather than looking for metred street parking or paying daily rates in a garage. So, for example, at KC Live Parking Garage on the fringes of the city’s vibrant Power & Light district, day rates are $25, but monthly rates start at just $75 – representing a huge saving of over $20 per day compared with paying for individual days for an entire month.
For the best parking rates in downtown Kansas City, go to Spothero.com.