Blog

Oct 15, 2024

Parking in Portland | The Official Guide to Portland

From city-run parking garages to private lots to an app for on-street parking, Portland offers reliable options for parking during your visit. The city owns SmartPark garages in the central city with

From city-run parking garages to private lots to an app for on-street parking, Portland offers reliable options for parking during your visit.

The city owns SmartPark garages in the central city with roughly 4,000 public spaces across five convenient locations. Each lot displays the number of available spots above the entrance in real-time. More than 375 businesses downtown will provide a validation voucher for SmartPark parking with qualifying purchases.

Additional privately owned parking lots with varying daily, hourly, evening and weekend rates can be found throughout the central city.

In Portland’s central city, there are over 20,000 metered parking spaces. Parking hours and costs vary by neighborhood and time of day; parking is even free during some off-peak hours. Plan your parking in the downtown area or Portland’s residential neighborhoods in advance by checking the city’s public parking guide.

Portland offers two ways to pay for parking on the street: via a mobile app or at a pay station. The latter option uses a pay-by-plate system, meaning no more running back to your car with a paper receipt. Simply enter your license plate number and select the amount of time you wish to purchase; pay stations accept major credit cards and cash. The other option is paying via “Parking Kitty.”

Simplify your public parking experience by using Parking Kitty. This free-to-download, city-owned smartphone app allows you to pay for parking using just your phone — no more digging for coins for the parking meter. To use Parking Kitty, download the app from the App Store or Google Play (or use the web version), then create an account within the app and set up your payment information.

The next time you’re parking, open Parking Kitty, select the zone number for the area where you’re parked, select the amount of time you’ll be parked there, and pay directly through the app. While you’re out and about, you can use the app to check how much time you have left.

Parking enforcement officers will be able to see your mobile payment with their own handheld devices, so there’s no need to worry about those parking meters. (Note that there’s a small fee for each use of Parking Kitty — 40 cents per session as of 2024.)

Read on for parking options near some of Portland’s must-see attractions. (Don’t forget that there are other great ways to travel in the City of Roses — from MAX Light Rail to Portland Streetcar, from bus to bicycle.) In each case below, the following applies:

Hugging the Willamette River in downtown Portland, this once bustling highway now offers a strollable, bikeable and dog-walkable public park with historical and cultural monuments, and kid-friendly fun.

Located in the heart of downtown Portland, the city’s “living room” is close to shopping, restaurants, and hotels, and hosts hundreds of events each year.

Downtown Portland’s Director Park is a European-style, granite-paved plaza with outdoor seating and a fountain; a perfect respite from the bustle of the city.

Open every weekend from March–December, Portland Saturday Market is the largest arts-and-crafts fair in the U.S.

In times of social upheaval and political uncertainty, museums like OJMCHE are more relevant than ever. Explore the rich history and ongoing resiliency of Oregon’s diverse Jewish community with interactive exhibits and experiences for all ages.

While Portland prides itself on being a city that’s easy to get around without a car, these tips will help you tour the city in four-wheeled fashion.

When driving Downtown and in the Pearl District, you’ll notice the abundance of one-way streets. Watch the signs, and know that the one-way streets generally alternate directions.

West Burnside Street carries two-way traffic, but left turns are not generally permitted. If you need to get to the left of Burnside, plan to take two rights to get on the cross street going the desired direction.

In downtown, buses, trains, cars and bikes all share the road on the Portland Transit Mall, which encompasses two one-way streets (Fifth Avenue running south, where most right turns are not permitted, and Sixth Avenue running north, where most left turns are not permitted).

Alternatives to the bus mall include Second and Fourth avenues (southbound) and Third Avenue and Broadway (northbound).

Portland’s many bike lanes, moderate climate and gentle slopes all add up to a lot of bicyclists on the roads.

While sharing the road with cyclists is usually just a matter of common sense and attention to signs, here are some tips to help smooth the way:

Downtown Portland is ringed by Interstate 5, the main north-south route from Canada to Mexico, and Interstate 405, a loop that encircles Downtown and the Pearl District.

Interstate 84 originates at I-5 on Portland’s inner east side and continues east to Portland International Airport (which can be reached via the connecting Interstate 205), the Columbia River Gorge and on to Idaho and Utah. I-84 in Portland is also known as the Banfield Expressway, or just “the Banfield.”

Running west to the Oregon Coast and east to Mount Hood is U.S. Route 26. The westbound stretch is also known as the Sunset Highway and leads to Beaverton, Hillsboro and Forest Grove. Eastbound Highway 26 is dubbed the Mount Hood Highway. Mount Hood is about 55 miles from downtown Portland; the highway continues east to Nebraska.

If not otherwise marked, the speed limit is 20 mph in business districts and 25 mph in residential districts. Speed limits vary on highways but are usually 55 mph or under within Portland city limits.

Left and right turns onto one-way roads are permitted even with a red light, provided you first stop and yield to traffic and pedestrians.

Using a cell phone while driving is only allowed for adults using hands-free accessories. People under 18 are not allowed to use any mobile communication device while driving; this includes texting or talking on a cell phone, even with a hands-free accessory. Talking or texting without a hands-free accessory is illegal for individuals of any age.

Portland's efficient light rail system connects the metro area and downtown core. Learn how to ride and where to go on MAX.

The City of Roses built the nation’s first modern-day streetcar in 2001: the sleek and modern Portland Streetcar.

One of the best ways to explore the Rose City is on two wheels.

Introduced in 2016, Portland’s bike-share program brings 1,000 smart bicycles to the central city.

E-scooter sharing lets users rent vehicles via an app for one-way trips. Before boarding, check out our dos and don’ts for riding e-scooters in Portland.

Was this page helpful?