City meters cost $3 an hour with a one-hour minimum and require payment Monday through Saturday, 9am to 6pm. Outside those hours, including Sundays and official city holidays, they do not require payment. City-operated garages charge $1 per 20 minutes with a $24 daily maximum.
Charleston's peninsula was laid out long before cars, which is why the streets are narrow and the parking rules are fussier than most cities. None of it is difficult once you know the pattern.
This guide covers what it costs, when it is free, and which garage suits where you are actually going. If you are staying downtown, there is a section near the end on why your rental's parking arrangement often matters more than the garage rate.
What does parking cost in Charleston?
Metered street parking is $3 an hour with a one-hour minimum. City-operated garages charge $1 per 20 minutes with a $24 daily maximum. The parking day runs midnight to midnight.
All of the rates below come from the City of Charleston parking information page, which is the source to check if you are planning a longer stay.
| Option | Cost | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Metered street | $3 per hour, one hour minimum | Anything under about two hours |
| Street outside meter hours | No payment required | Evenings, Sundays, city holidays |
| City garage | $1 per 20 minutes, $24 daily maximum | Half a day or more |
| Park-and-ride | Check CARTA for current rates | A full day, if the service suits your dates |
| Included with your rental | Free | The reason a lot of people stay downtown |
Meters accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express, the City of Charleston SmartCard, and pay-by-text and pay-by-app options. Check the meter for the method available at that space. Rates change, so the City of Charleston parking page is the source to check before a long stay.
Is there free parking in downtown Charleston?
City meters require payment only Monday through Saturday, 9am to 6pm. Outside those hours, including Sundays and official city holidays, they do not require payment. That covers most evenings out.
The evening window is the useful one. If you are going out for dinner on King Street, arrive after six and the meter costs nothing. Plenty of visitors pay anyway because nobody told them.
Sunday is a good day to drive downtown, because city meters do not require payment. Private garages set their own rates and may still charge.
One exception if you are driving on a weekend. The city prohibits street parking on King Street between Spring and John Streets from 6pm to 3am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, so do not assume the normal evening rules apply there.
Where are the city parking garages?
The City operates the public garages below at $1 per 20 minutes with a $24 daily maximum. Choosing one near your destination cuts down the walk at both ends of the day.
| Garage | Address |
|---|---|
| Aquarium | 24 Calhoun Street |
| Camden / Exchange | 35 John Street |
| Charleston Place | 85 Hasell Street |
| Charleston Tech Center | 4 Conroy Street |
| Concord / Cumberland | 1 Cumberland Street |
| East Bay / Prioleau | 25 Prioleau Street |
| Gaillard Auditorium | 32 Alexander Street |
| Majestic | 211 King Street |
| Marion Square | 399 King Street |
| Midtown | 558 King Street |
| 93 Queen | 93 Queen Street |
| 34 Saint Philip | 34 Saint Philip Street |
| 99 West Edge | 99 West Edge Street |
Two pairings worth naming
The South Carolina Aquarium recommends the Aquarium Garage at 24 Calhoun Street for its own visitors. For the Gaillard Center, the City-operated Gaillard Auditorium Garage is at 32 Alexander Street, directly serving the Gaillard Center area.
For King Street, Midtown at 558 King, Marion Square at 399 King and Majestic at 211 King are all on the street itself, so pick by which end of King you are heading for.
What is the cheapest way to park for a full day?
A city garage caps at $24 for the parking day. A park-and-ride can be lower again, but availability, location, hours and pricing change, so check current CARTA information before relying on it.
CARTA has run a park-and-ride service into downtown Charleston, and it is worth checking if you are leaving the car for most of a day. Routes, lots, hours and prices change, so the CARTA park-and-ride page is the place to check what is running on your dates rather than any figure published elsewhere, including on this page.
If you are here for a month or more, the arithmetic changes again. Garage costs compound in a way a weekend visitor never notices, which is why our monthly stays come with a parking space where the property has one.
Once you are downtown, CARTA runs a free shuttle service called DASH throughout the historic peninsula, serving King Street, the City Market, Waterfront Park and the Aquarium among other stops. CARTA publishes current routes and schedules.
Do you need a car in Charleston at all?
Not if you are staying downtown. Based on the peninsula you can often park once and walk between many restaurants, shops and attractions. A car earns its keep for a beach day or a trip out of town.
If you are still deciding, our guide on whether you need a car in Charleston goes through it properly.
If you do bring one, bring a small one. The alleys and driveways here were sized for a different century, and some downtown spaces are tight. Where you base yourself changes this too, and our guide on where to stay in Charleston goes through the peninsula neighborhood by neighborhood.
What if your rental includes parking?
Then most of this guide stops mattering. If you are staying downtown, your rental's parking arrangement can matter more than the garage rate, because it removes the daily calculation entirely.
Some of our downtown Charleston rentals include free off-street parking, which is unusual this close to King Street. Cannon 407, Suite One, 3 Tully and 33 B Cannon each include a space, and the larger 118 President homes include more. Availability and space size vary by property, so check the individual listing before booking, and check the vehicle size if you are driving something large.
Over a week that is real money against garage rates, and it is one of the practical reasons people choose a rental over a hotel here. Couples usually land in the one-bedroom rentals. Browse everything or call us and we can talk through which properties suit your trip.
Frequently asked questions
Metered street parking is $3 an hour with a one-hour minimum, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm. City-operated garages charge $1 per 20 minutes with a $24 daily maximum.
City meters require payment only Monday through Saturday, 9am to 6pm, so they do not require payment in the evenings, on Sundays or on official city holidays. Other restrictions can still apply at individual spaces, so read the sign.
Pick a City-operated garage near your destination. These are $1 per 20 minutes with a $24 daily maximum, and they are spread across the peninsula from Calhoun Street down to Queen Street. Downtown also has garages not operated by the City, which set their own rates.
Midtown at 558 King, Marion Square at 399 King and Majestic at 211 King are all city garages on King Street. Note that street parking on King between Spring and John is prohibited from 6pm to 3am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The Aquarium recommends the Aquarium Garage at 24 Calhoun Street, which is the closest city garage to it.
City garages do not. The parking day runs midnight to midnight and the rate clock restarts when a vehicle re-enters, so plan around a single exit.
City meters do not require payment on Sundays or official city holidays. Private garages set their own rates and may still charge.
Meters accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express, the City of Charleston SmartCard, and pay-by-text and pay-by-app options. Check the meter for the method available at that space.
Once the car is parked, our King Street food guide covers what is within walking distance, and the downtown collection shows where our properties sit relative to it.