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Sixt Magazine / Guides & Tips / A Helpful Guide to Parking in Baltimore with Tips and Recommendations

A Helpful Guide to Parking in Baltimore with Tips and Recommendations

Planning a trip to Baltimore offers the perfect mix of history, waterfront views, and vibrant city culture. For the best experience, it’s smart to rent a car in Baltimore, with options readily available when you arrive at Baltimore Airport. Whether you’re here for Chesapeake Bay seafood, museums, sports at the Orioles and Ravens stadiums, or just on a day trip from DC, driving gives you flexibility. This guide to parking in Baltimore will help you find the best spots.   

General Tips for Parking in Baltimore

Baltimore's waterfront with residential buildings, harbor and illuminated downtown skyscrapers at dusk.
Pay via app, watch time limits and check zone signs to park stress-free in Baltimore.

Keep these Baltimore parking tips in mind before you head out: 

  • Payment apps: You can pay for on-street meters using your phone via the ParkMobile and PayByPhone apps. 
  • Time limits: Many metered spots have a 2-4 hour time limit.  
  • Residential zones: Non-residents are often limited to 2-hour parking in Residential Permit Parking (RPP) zones. Always check for signs.  

Where Can I Find Parking Garages and Lots in Baltimore?

Multi-level parking garage with rows of cars and red availability indicators on the ceiling.
Find convenient parking garages across Baltimore’s top neighborhoods.

You’ll find plenty of garages and lots in popular areas around Baltimore:  

Mount Vernon

  • Mt. Vernon Lot: Short-term parking charges range from $8 to $16, and daily parking charges range from $10 to $20.  
  • Baltimore Sun Garage: Parking rates start at $8 per hour with a daily maximum of $15.  
  • St. Paul Street Lot: Parking charges start at $5.20 per hour and cap at $17 for 24 hours.  

Fells Point

  • Caroline Street Garage: Hourly rates start at $8 for the first hour, reaching a 24-hour maximum of $17.  
  • Thames Street Garage: Standard drive-up rates start at $8 per hour, with a 24-hour maximum of $25.

Federal Hill and Cross Street Market

  • West Street Garage: Hourly rates start at $1 for the first hour, $6 for 2 hours, and the daily maximum rate is $15.  
  • Federal Hill Lot: Parking starts from $5 per hour, with a daily maximum of $18.  
  • South Charles Street Lot: Parking rates start at $4 per hour, with a daily maximum of $29. 

Inner Harbor

  • Inner Harbor Garage: Parking is available starting from $6 per hour, with daily rates starting at $25.  
  • Marriott Inner Harbor Garage: Parking typically costs $20 for the first hour and $34 for 24 hours.  

Camden Yards

  • Hilton Baltimore Garage: Hourly parking charges start from $16, with a maximum daily rate of $36. 
  • Camden Yards Lots: Hourly parking rates range from $5 to $11; daily rates range from $25 to $35; and special event parking typically costs $35 to $45. 

Hippodrome and Everyman Theatre

  • Atrium Garage: Charges start at $8 for the first hour, $13 for 2 hours, and a daily maximum of $18.  
  • CFG Bank Arena Garage: Standard hourly rates are $12 for the first hour and $3 for each extra hour, up to a 12-hour maximum of $22 and a 24-hour max of $24.  

SIXT Pro Tip: Use mobile apps to pre-book parking to save more compared to drive-up rates.  

Where Can I Find Street Parking in Baltimore?

Cars parked on a sunny palm-lined street with shops and blue sky.
Street parking in Baltimore is available across key neighborhoods, from Inner Harbor to Fells Point and Hampden.

Standard hours for street parking in Baltimore are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and rates typically run around $2 per hour.

  • Downtown and Inner Harbor: Street parking is limited; look for spots on Lombard, Pratt, or Gay Streets early in the day.  
  • Fells Point, Canton, and Federal Hill: Parking is scarce in the evenings, and watch for RPP zones.  
  • Mount Vernon and Charles Village: Busy, but easier to park in. Check metered spaces along Charles Street and St. Paul Street.  
  • Hampden: Metered parking is common on The Avenue (36th Street), while nearby residential streets often offer free parking.  

SIXT Pro Tip: When visiting busy areas like Fells Point, Federal Hill, or Canton, park a few blocks inland to find easier, often free, and longer-term parking.  

Where Can I Find Free Parking in Baltimore?

Busy city street corner with stop signs, one-way signs and parked cars outside a row of shops.
Take advantage of Baltimore’s free parking.

Here’s how to access free parking in Baltimore: 

  • Sundays: On-street parking meters are free citywide all day.  
  • After hours: You can park at a meter for free after 6 p.m. and leave your car overnight.  
  • City holidays: Baltimore observes free parking on major holidays.  
  • Residential neighborhoods: Free parking is often available in residential parts of Canton, Federal Hill, and Mount Vernon; check signs for restrictions.   

SIXT Pro Tip: Look for the blocks where paid parking zones transition into free residential streets.  

Where Can I Find Park & Ride Lots in Baltimore?

Aerial view of a large outdoor parking lot with palm trees and a row of shops in the background.
Use Baltimore’s Park & Ride lots near Metro and MARC stations to skip downtown traffic stress-free.

These Park & Ride lots are the easiest way to avoid downtown traffic: 

Metro Subway Stations

  • Owings Mills Station 
  • Old Court Station 
  • Reisterstown Plaza 
  • Rogers Avenue Station 
  • West Cold Spring Station 

Highway Corridors

  • Security Boulevard Park & Ride 
  • Cromwell Bridge 
  • Rolling Road Park & Ride 

MARC Train Commuter Lots 

  • West Baltimore 
  • Halethorpe 
  • Martin State Airport  

SIXT Pro Tip: Owings Mills Station is a reliable option for midday parking with 3,500 spaces; it rarely fills up.