The bustling business district of downtown Dallas is a constant hubbub of activity, both on its sidewalks and on its roads.
The Dallas skyline, shot from Reunion Tower (Photo: Michael Zanussi via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
With its beautiful arts scene, urban green spaces, fine dining and high-end shopping, most visitors to Dallas are likely to pass through the city’s vibrant downtown neighbourhood during their stay. If you’re in Dallas and have your own car, then parking in downtown isn’t always the most attractive option, given how busy it gets. But for those who need to leave their car for short spells and don’t mind paying extra for the convenience, there are plenty of parking lots to be found here.
Short-stay parking in downtown Dallas
The main choice for short-term parking in downtown Dallas is metred street parking or, with a huge number of cheap metered spots to be found in roads dotted around the district. However, most parking of this time is limited to a maximum of just four hours – no good if you’re planning to leave your car for the day. All street metres are enforced from Monday to Sunday, 7am to 6pm, and accept $1.00 and $0.25 coins.
If you prefer the security of covered parking and don’t mind paying that bit extra, there are also several multi-storey car parks and covered garages in downtown Dallas that offer short-term parking. Centrally located, these garages accept cash or credit card and some are staffed 24/7.
Our top suggestion is Elm Street Garage at 103 S Pearl Expy close to Main Street Garden Park, where rates start at $2 for each 20 minutes and rise to a maximum of $14 for 24 hours (ending at 3am). This parking lot offers easy access to downtown’s main attractions, and since you can leave it overnight you even have the choice of picking it up in the morning – meaning no designated driver required. Alternatively, if you don’t need overnight parking, another option we’d recommend is George Allen Courts – Underground Garage at 601 Commerce Street, near to the notorious site of Dealey Plaza, where JFK was assassinated. Here, rates begin at $3 for 30 minutes and increase to $10 for 12 hours.
You can book both of these garages on Spothero.com, as well as several other parking lots in downtown Dallas.
Free parking in downtown Dallas
Unless you’re staying at a centrally located hotel with on-site parking, free parking spots in downtown Dallas are somewhat thin on the ground. Your best bet is if you’re heading for an evening out in downtown and have a willing designated driver, as you can then park in on-street metred bays for free after 6pm, seven days a week.
Alternatively, if you’re only planning a quick duck into downtown, some garages, such as The Interurban Garage at 1500 Jackson Street, offer two hours of free parking with lobby validation. Another option is to park at a DART station for free and then use public transport to get to your desired downtown destination.
Long-stay parking in downtown Dallas
If you’re visiting downtown Dallas for an extended period – more than a couple of weeks, for example – but don’t have any parking at your hotel or apartment, it’s likely to be cheaper for you to find long-term parking, rather than hunting around for metred parking each day or paying higher daily garage or multi-storey rates.
So, for example, at SP+ Parking in the heart of downtown, day rates are around $15 but monthly parking starts at $140 per month – a saving of around $10 per day. Or another option can be found at Spurgeon Harris Garage, where you’ll pay rates starting at $194 per month, whereas daily rates are $25, representing an even bigger saving of almost $20 per day.
For the best parking rates in downtown Dallas, go to Spothero.com.