If you have plans to drive into Seattle but are unsure about parking, don’t worry. We have you covered with easy hacks to always find cheap parking in Seattle. Of course, the easiest way is to pre-book a guaranteed spot online through professional parking providers. Without any further ado, let’s dive into hacks to always find cheap parking in Seattle.
Seattle has gone through some drastic changes over the last decade, which has made parking in Seattle quite tricky. The city has seen a quite visible increase in the number of vehicles on the road. However, parking spots have more or less remained the same. This has eventually resulted in a scenario where there is just never enough parking in Seattle. The issue of parking is even worse in downtown Seattle, the central hub of all activities happening in Seattle.
Download a Parking App
Yes, you read it right. Downloading a parking app can help you save lots of money, time, and unwanted stress. Most importantly, a parking app like the ones provided by Way.com provides detailed maps that display real-time results of vacant spots, parking reservations, and parking rates. You can compare different lots, check availability, reserve a spot in advance, and travel without worries to the spot, knowing that you have a guaranteed parking spot at a place next to your target destination.
Never Park Carelessly
The only thing more expensive than parking lots when it comes to parking in Seattle is the citations you receive for parking violations. It is always quite easy to pick up parking infringements. Keep an eye out for traffic signs and curb colors to avoid some of the most expensive parking tickets.
Practice good driving habits, and you will be able to avoid most traffic citations. Just make sure that the spot you are parked in does not have any parking restrictions like street-cleaning schedules, time-restricted parking, or peak period restrictions.
Seattle also has angled parking only (back-in angled parking) zones where you can only park at an angle to the curb. Failure to do so could result in expensive parking citations being charged against you.
Utilize Free Parking
Seattle has one of the most flexible street parking rules in the United States. Make the most of it by going for free overnight parking. Yes, you read it right! Street parking in Seattle is free between 8 PM and 8 AM across all metered lots.
However, finding a spot for street parking is not exactly as easy as you think, and you need to move your car from the parking spot before the meters start working again by 8 AM. Overnight parking is also free in residential parking zones from 8 PM to 8 AM.
You need not move your cars by 8 AM the next morning, but you will have to move your car before the maximum time limit of 72 hours. However, these spots do tend to get full pretty fast. You can check out parking services like Way.com to get your hands on some of the lowest rates for parking lots and garages in Seattle.
Renée Martin is a travel and car expert who focuses on road and air travel in the U.S. For the past 6 years, she’s been helping make driving and trip planning easier and budget-friendly for everyday travelers.
