- Convenient parking is available for shoppers, workers, merchants and visitors in downtown Palo Alto and California Avenue business districts.
- Parking for people with disabilities is available throughout Palo Alto.
Downtown Parking
Free Parking: The City of Palo Alto provides free two-hour parking (both on-street and off-street) in the downtown area for customers and visitors. Free three-hour parking is available in all the parking garages except in the designated permit zones. Enforcement of parking regulations is conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Before and after those times and on weekends and holidays, you can park anywhere except for restricted areas such as red curbs, spaces designated for persons with disabilities and any other locations prohibited by law.
Color-zone parking: The core business district of downtown Palo Alto is divided into four color-coded parking zones: Purple, Coral, Lime and Blue. Between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, once the time limit expires in a given color zone, you must move your vehicle out of that zone. Vehicles will be ticketed that are reparked in a color zone within the same enforcement day. Example: You park in a 2-hour space in the Coral Zone at noon. You may repark within the Coral Zone during your 2 hours. Your car must leave the Coral Zone by 2 p.m. You may repark in a different color zone but not in the Coral zone.
30-minute Green parking zones, Yellow commercial- loading zones, White passenger-loading zones and disability-designated spaces are exempt from the re-parking requirements.
All-Day visitor parking: Downtown visitors who want to park all day may purchase a one-day permit at the Revenue Collections desk in the City Hall lobby or use the private pay garage located at 525 University Avenue. One-day permits cost $15 per day and are valid in off-street parking lots and garages.
Employee Permit Parking: Downtown employers and employees may purchase permits for long-term parking in any of the nine off-street parking lots and garages. Parking permits are issued for these locations-CC, E, G, K, Q, R, S, T and Webster/Cowper-on a first-come, first-served basis. At times there may be a waiting period to purchase a permit. Transferable permits for use by more than one person or vehicle are issued for a limited number of locations. For permit information, call (650) 329-2317 or visit Revenue Collections in the City Hall lobby. Costs for long-term parking permits vary:
- Downtown parking lots and garages: $420/year, $135/ quarter.
- Sheraton parking lot: $75/ year, $26/quarter
Construction Vehicle Parking : Contractors and construction and maintenance/repair workers may purchase weekly permits to park their vehicles while they conduct their work. Construction and maintenance parking permits are $66 per space per week and can be purchased at the Development Center, 285 Hamilton Avenue.
California Avenue Business District
Free Parking: The City of Palo Alto provides free two-hour parking (both on-street and off-street) in the California Avenue Business district for customers and visitors. Free three-hour parking is available in both the parking garages located along Cambridge Avenue. Enforcement of parking regulations is conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Before and after those times and on weekends and holidays, you can park anywhere except for restricted areas such as red curbs, spaces designated for persons with disabilities and any other locations prohibited by law.
All-day visitor parking: Visitors who want to park all day may purchase a one-day permit at the Revenue Collections desk in the City Hall lobby. One-day permits cost $6 per day and are valid in off-street parking lots and garages.
Permit Parking: Employers and employees may purchase permits for long-term parking in any of nine off-street parking lots and garages. Parking permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. At times there may be a waiting period to purchase a permit. Transferable permits for use by more than one person or vehicle are issued for a limited number of locations. For permit information, call (650) 329-2317 or visit Revenue Collections in the City Hall lobby. Costs for long-term parking permit vary:
Construction Vehicle Parking: Contractors and construction and maintenance/repair workers may purchase weekly permits to park their vehicles while they conduct their work. Construction and maintenance parking permits are $66 per space per week and can be purchased at the Development Center, 285 Hamilton Avenue.
Helpful Hints
On-street bike and parking lanes:
- On a five feet wide bike lane, parking is prohibited all the time.
- On a seven to eight feet wide bike and parking lane, parking is prohibited from 7am to 7pm all day.
- On a twelve feet wide bike and parking lane, parking is allowed all the time.
Parking:
- Parking is prohibited minimum 15 feet on either side of fire hydrant as per California vehicle code.
- Parking is prohibited in a wheel chair parking space and the access space next to it unless the parked vehicle displays the placard issued by DMV.
- Several motorcycle parking spaces are available in Downtown Business district where you may park free for up to all day.
- Electric vehicle outlets are available in the High/Alma south garage, and on the "A" level of the City Hall Garage. There is no charge to use these outlets.
