Parking Utility

About the Parking Utility

The goal of the City of Columbia parking utility is to provide safe and affordable parking to visitors, residents and employees in the downtown area.

Parking meters and rates

The City of Columbia has nearly 1,700 parking spaces on downtown streets, 2,300 spaces in six garages, and 535 spaces on 6 lots, plus 100 accessible parking spaces.

Most parking spaces on City streets have hourly meters.  Garages and lots have a combination of hourly parking and permits.

The Parking Utility maintains parking facilities, surface lots and meters, including preventive maintenance, repairs and daily housekeeping, and administers the sale of monthly, quarterly and annual permits for daily parking. The City of Columbia police department enforces parking ordinances.

Color-coded meters

Figure showing parking meters and time allopwed at each

Helpful resources

Street meters and parking lots

Parking rates Enforcement hours Accepted payments

Downtown Zone
60 cents/hour

Campus Zone
$1.00/hour

Parking Lots
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Street Meters
Monday – Saturday
8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

  • Change
  • CoMo Park Card
  • ParkMobile

Parking garages

Parking rates* Enforcement hours Accepted payments
  • 0-1 hours = Free
  • 1-2 hours = $1.00
  • 2-4 hours = $2.00
  • 4-6 hours = $3.00
  • 6-8 hours = $4.00
  • 8-10 hours = $5.00
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Visa
  • Discover
  • MasterCard
  • American Express
  • CoMo Park Card
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Samsung Pay
  • Cash

* no stays over 72 hours

Parking citations