Information About Parking in Seattle

Parking in Seattle isn’t getting any easier as the city grows. The pressing need for street parking is balanced against business requirements, traffic flow and the desire to protect residential streets. So while there are plenty of free and paid street parking spots in Seattle, they can be hard to find and inconsistent in availability, with parking restrictions in force at certain times of day, certain days of the week, or along certain routes. The cost of parking in Seattle can also vary widely, from as little as $0.50 an hour to over $20 an hour. A more reliable solution is a paid parking spot in one of the many parking spaces for rent across Seattle, at private residences, in private garages, or in underground car parks.

Seattle Parking Statistics

• Seattle has 1.6 million parking spots for its 725,000 residents, which equates to 5.2 spots per household.
• Nearly a third of all these spots are in purpose-built garages, and another third are on-street parking.
• However, Seattle drivers spend an average of 57 hours looking for parking every year - compared to a national average of 17 hours.
• Seattle has a strict 72-hour rule, where parking on any street for longer than 3 days is prohibited.
• Parking tickets range from $44 to $450.