Where can you park for free in downtown Durango?
Mostly evenings and weekends. The City of Durango enforces parking Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., all year. There's no enforcement on weekends or holidays, so the meters cost nothing then.
Those holidays are New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. A free day isn't a free-for-all, though. The city says red zones, bus zones and registration rules still apply.
Lots are the other free option. Once 5 p.m. hits, the city's municipal lots are free overnight, including the Transit Center lot and the East Lots on 2nd Avenue.
How do the downtown meters work?
Downtown on-street spaces have meters with 30-minute, 3-hour and 10-hour limits. Fees apply Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can pay four ways:
- Coins at the meter (no pennies)
- A credit or debit card, with a $1 minimum charge
- A GEM smart card, a prepaid card you buy in person at the Transit Center, 250 W. 8th Street
- The ParkMobile app, by scanning the QR code on the meter
An expired meter means a ticket. Rates vary by block. The city publishes a map that shows average monthly occupancy and meter rates for each block, which helps if you'd rather skip the busiest streets.
Where is overnight parking allowed?
Not on the street. The city's rule is that nobody parks on the street in the Central Business District between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Cars left there can be towed at the owner's expense. Use a municipal lot after 5 p.m. instead.
What does the Transit Center lot cost?
Five dollars a day. The lot at 250 W. 8th Street has 116 spaces, 17 of them EV charging and 6 accessible. You buy a day pass at the cashier window or online through ParkMobile. It's a paid lot from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and free after hours and on weekends. Monthly permits are sold there too.
The three East Lots along 2nd Avenue are another story. They're permit-only on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and free after hours and on weekends. Lot 2 (42 spaces) is at E. 2nd and E. 7th. Lot 3 (59) covers the 700 block, and Lot 4 (40) the 800 block. Don't pull into one on a Tuesday morning without a permit. Monthly permits come from the Transit Center cashier window, which also takes boot payments, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where can an RV or long vehicle park?
The Transit Center lot, if you buy the $5 day pass at the window. The city's FAQ also says you can use metered spaces downtown, as long as you pay for every space you take up and don't block traffic (City of Durango).
What happens if you get a ticket?
Pay it fast. The city boots vehicles with two unpaid citations that are more than 30 days old. If the boot fee and tickets aren't paid within 72 hours, the car can be towed. You can pay tickets online, by mail, by phone at 970-375-4960, or in person at the Transit Center. Drop boxes sit outside City Hall (949 E. 2nd Avenue) and the post office (222 W. 8th Street). Cards carry a 2.6 percent processing fee.
Not driving at all? The Main Avenue Trolley runs up Main Avenue, and our answer on public transportation in Durango lists its hours. Shopping Main? The Durango shopping guide maps the stores.