Chicago Parking Costs 2026: Permits, Meters and Garages

Key takeaway: Parking in Chicago runs from a $25 to $35 yearly residential zone permit and $2.50 an hour at most neighborhood meters up to $7 an hour at Loop meters and $135 to $320 a month for a downtown garage.

Chicago parking costs: $25 to $35 residential zone permit a year; $2.50 an hour at most neighborhood meters; $135 to $320 a month for a downtown garage — Key numbers from this guide, fall 2026. Each figure is sourced in the text below.

Where you park changes the cost of owning a car here more than almost anything else. Here are the official rates, so you can budget for the spot that fits your block.

How much is a Chicago residential parking permit?

Many neighborhood blocks are residential permit zones. During posted hours, your car needs a City Sticker with the matching zone number, or a daily guest pass. Zones are created by City Council ordinance, usually at a neighborhood’s request (City Clerk).

Item	Cost
Residential zone permit	$25 to $35 a year, added to your City Sticker (the Clerk’s City Sticker page lists $25 and its zone FAQ lists $35)
Daily guest passes	$15 for a sheet of 15
Guest pass limit	Up to 3 sheets ($45) per 30 days
Changing zones	$20

Source: City Clerk of Chicago, residential zone parking FAQs, checked October 25, 2026. Daily passes expire every December 31. The City Sticker itself is $105.18 a year for a small passenger vehicle; see our guide to what it costs to own a car in Chicago.

What do Chicago parking meters cost?

Area	Rate per hour	Hours
The Loop	$7.00 ($3.50 overnight)	8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; overnight 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Downtown outside the Loop (Lake Michigan to Halsted, North Ave to Roosevelt)	$4.75	8 a.m. to midnight
West Loop (Grand to I-290, Halsted to Ashland)	$4.75	Posted on meters
Neighborhoods	$2.50 at most meters	8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Source: ParkChicago rates and hours, checked October 25, 2026. Some neighborhood meters are free on Sundays; check the meter.

Garages and lots

Monthly garage rates listed on SpotHero for downtown garages ranged from $135 to $320 when we checked in October 2026. Paid parking in lots and garages also carries combined city, county and state parking taxes: 35.25% on hourly and daily stays and 41.25% on monthly parking, according to the Civic Federation. Most posted rates already include them, but ask before you sign a monthly contract.

Ways to cut your Chicago parking costs

Ask your building about a parking spot before you sign. A monthly spot often costs less than a downtown garage.
Use the ParkChicago app to pay meters and avoid overtime tickets.
Book garages ahead for events and downtown trips; app rates are often lower than drive-up prices.
For guests, a $1 daily pass beats a meter or a ticket.

Winter parking bans

Chicago has two snow rules that can cost you a tow. Both are on the Department of Streets and Sanitation winter parking page.

Winter overnight parking ban: no parking from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. on 107 miles of arterial streets, December 1 through April 1, whether or not it snows.
Two-inch parking ban: once at least two inches of snow are on the street, it can be turned on for another 500 miles of main streets, at any time of day or date.

Breaking the overnight ban means a minimum $150 towing fee, a $60 ticket and storage of $25 a day, per the city. Pick up the car after two days of storage and you pay $260 (our calculation: $150 + $60 + 2 x $25). Check the signs on your block before the first of December.

Street sweeping tickets

Street sweeping started April 1, 2026 and runs through the end of November, weather permitting. Fines are $50 to $60, per WTTW News. Orange “no parking” signs usually go up two days ahead, and Streets and Sanitation posts a ward-by-ward schedule.

What a boot or tow costs

Fee	Passenger vehicle
Boot	$100
Tow, under 8,000 pounds	$150
Storage, under 8,000 pounds	$25 a day, $1,000 maximum

Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance: Relocated and Towed Vehicle Information, checked October 27, 2026.

To get the car back you also pay any final-determination tickets on vehicles in your name. The pound holds a car for 21 days before it can be auctioned. You can ask for a 15-day extension by calling 312-746-4954.

Airport parking at O’Hare and Midway

Lot	Up to 24 hours
O’Hare Economy Lots G and H	$16
O’Hare Economy Lot F	$30
O’Hare Main Garage, daily levels	$43
O’Hare Main Garage, hourly level	$79
Midway Economy	$15
Midway Terminal Garage, daily	$43

Source: O’Hare Economy Parking, O’Hare Main Garage Daily, O’Hare Main Garage Hourly, Midway Economy Parking and Midway Terminal Garage Daily, checked October 27, 2026. Rates include all taxes.

For a five-day trip, O’Hare Lot G costs about $80 and the Main Garage daily levels about $215 (our calculation: 5 x the 24-hour rate, assuming each day bills at that rate).

Chicago parking costs 2026: permits, meters and garages