March 29, 2024

TravelBank Press Release

The cheapest -- and most expensive -- airport parking in America

With the holidays right around the corner, you’re bound to be rushing to the airport this season to catch a flight back home to celebrate with family and friends, make one more business trip before the quarter ends, or even take a long-awaited vacation to recharge the batteries going into the new year.

And while most people book their flights out months in advance, almost no one plans ahead when it comes to how they’re actually going to get to the airport.

Will you be taking a Lyft or Uber, public transport, driving yourself or having a friend drop you off?

With this in mind, we decided to find out which U.S. airports are the cheapest and most expensive for parking, so that you can easily plan ahead before your next big trip — whether you’re making a business trip and just trying to arrive on time for your meetings or flying home to see family.

In the below study, we sourced pricing data from each airport to determine the cheapest and most expensive major U.S. airports for parking. By analyzing the daily cost of both “short-term/terminal-side” and “long-term/economy” options, TravelBank was able to determine the most and least expensive airport parking rates in the country.

The Top 5 Cheapest Airports for Parking

#1 ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL (MCO)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $17
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $10

#1 CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL (CLT)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $20
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $7

Tied for first place as the cheapest major U.S. airports for parking are Orlando International and Charlotte Douglas International. These airports clearly prioritize passenger satisfaction and keep their parking rates low and competitive with off-site companies. If you’re looking to upgrade VIP-style, then Orlando also has the second cheapest curbside/valet parking of all major U.S. airports ringing in at only $25 per day.

#2 HOUSTON GEORGE BUSH INTERNATIONAL (IAH)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $22
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $6

Coming in second on our list is Houston George Bush International, and with all those wide open spaces in Texas, it’s no wonder that IAH has tons of parking at affordable prices. Out of all the major airports in the U.S., Houston has the cheapest airport parking charging only $6 per day in its covered ecopark2 lot.

#3 BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL (BWI)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $22
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $8

Ranking third on our list of cheapest airports for parking is Baltimore-Washington International. Compared with other DC metro-area airports, BWI is a real bargain compared to Reagan and Dulles and will only set you back $8 a day in its on-site long-term parking lot.

#4 TAMPA INTERNATIONAL (TPA)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $22
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $10

#4 DENVER INTERNATIONAL (DEN)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $24
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $8

Tied for fourth are Tampa International and Denver International. With both Tampa and Orlando making the top 5 cheapest airports on our list, it’s clear that Florida airports are making it easier than ever for passengers to park on site, in order to compete with the ever-growing, competitive ride-sharing economy and off-site airport parking industry.

#5 HONOLULU DANIEL K. INOUYE INTERNATIONAL (HNL)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $18
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $15

Although many of the finer things in life tend to cost more in Hawaii, it’s not the case with airport parking, since Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International ranks at the fifth cheapest major airport for parking in the U.S. With only a $3 difference between economy and terminal-side parking rates, why not spoil yourself and park as close to the terminal as possible!

The Top 5 Most Expensive Airports for Parking

 

#1 NEW YORK LAGUARDIA (LGA)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $59
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $39

Argued to be the worst airport in the U.S., LaGuardia also has the most expensive parking in the country. With public transport being a bit of a nightmare due to current terminal renovations, we suggest using ride-sharing apps like Lyft, Uber, or even local alternatives like Juno or Via, to make the trek to LaGuardia.

#2 BOSTON LOGAN INTERNATIONAL (BOS)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $70* ($35 a day after the first day)
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $26

Not far behind LaGuardia, Boston Logan International ranks as second most expensive airport for parking on our list. Charging a staggering $70 daily rate for the first day of terminal-side parking is the most expensive of all airports, and is sure to make anyone’s wallet hurt just thinking about it. As with LaGuardia, it would be best to find a friend who can drop you off, take public transport or schedule a Lyft or Uber if you’re flying out of Logan anytime soon.

#3 SEATTLE-TACOMA INTERNATIONAL (SEA)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $37
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $30

Although Seattle-Tacoma International ranks as the third most expensive according to its daily rate, the airport is actually running a great promotion charging a weekly rate of just $140 for long-term/economy parking (no coupon required). That’s a total savings of $70 a week for those of you jetting off on an extended trip this year!

#4 SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL (SFO)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $36
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $25

It’s no wonder that ride sharing apps were the brainchild of Silicon Valley execs with the high cost of airport parking at San Francisco International. With a one-way BART train ticket from SFO to downtown costing roughly $9, and Lyfts and Ubers on almost every corner, it’s much cheaper and easier to hitch a ride to the airport than fuss with parking.

#5 NEW YORK JOHN F. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL (JFK)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $39
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $18

#5 NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL (EWR)

Short-term/terminal-side parking daily rate: $39
Long-term/economy parking daily rate: $18

It’s no surprise to see New York JFK and Newark Liberty ranking as two of the most expensive airports for parking in the U.S. With all three New York City metro-area airports coming in the bottom 5 on our list, it goes without a doubt that New Yorkers are paying the most for airport parking in the country. To try and save some cash consider the multiple public transit options starting at just $2.75 per way, or using ride hailing apps like Lyft or Uber to save on these extravagant parking fees. For those of you who do plan to drive and park on site, then JFK is at least running a special promotion for $10 off the daily rate with this special holiday coupon!

THE LEAST AND MOST EXPENSIVE AIRPORT PARKING IN AMERICA

In the table below, see the full data set on the 30 top U.S. airports:

AirportStateDaily Parking Price (Short-term / Terminal-side)Daily Parking Price (Long-term / Economy)Score
Orlando International (MCO) FL $17 $10 27
Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) NC $20 $7 27
Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) TX $22 $6 28
Baltimore–Washington International (BWI) MD $22 $8 30
Tampa International (TPA) FL $22 $10 32
Denver International (DEN) CO $24 $8 32
Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International (HNL) HI $18 $15 33
Miami International (MIA) FL $17 $17 34
Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) TX $24 $10 34
Portland International (PDX) OR $27 $10 37
Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) AZ $27 $10 37
Dulles International (IAD) VA $30 $10 40
Salt Lake City International (SLC) UT $32 $9 41
Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) VA $25 $17 42
Los Angeles International (LAX) CA $30 $12 42
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International (MSP) MN $26 $17 43
Detroit Metropolitan International (DTW) MI $33 $11 44
San Diego International (SAN) CA $32 $13 45
Las Vegas McCarran International (LAS) NV $36 $10 46
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) GA $36 $10 46
Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) IL $40 $10 50
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) FL $36 $15 51
Chicago Midway International (MDW) IL $40 $15 55
Philadelphia International (PHL) PA $44 $11 55
Newark Liberty International (EWR) NJ $39 $18 57
New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK) NY $39 $18 57
San Francisco International (SFO) CA $36 $25 61
Seattle–Tacoma International (SEA) WA $37 $30 67
Boston Logan International (BOS) MA $70 $26 96
New York LaGuardia (LGA) NY $59 $39 98

Methodology: All pricing data was sourced from each airport’s website in November 2017. The airports were ranked on a scale of zero to 100, with zero being the cheapest and 100 being the most expensive parking costs nationwide. Parking options considered were “short-term/terminal-side” — meaning the garage is closest to the terminal and walkable — and “long-term/economy” — constituting lots or garages requiring shuttle bus or tram transportation to reach the terminal. All rates expressed are on a per-day, drive-up basis (rounded to the nearest dollar). No coupons or advance reservation deals are taken into account, although specials are often available online when booked in advance. The study analyzed the top 30 U.S. airports by passenger volume according to data from 2016.

This story is from TravelBank.

Tags: Transportation

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