Looking to park in Columbia? Here’s what to know before you head downtown
Finding a spot downtown doesn’t have to be a scavenger hunt.
City of Columbia officials point visitors to an interactive city parking map as the fastest way to locate metered street parking and city-owned garages and lots. If you land an open meter, drivers can also pay by phone using the PassportParking app — a common workaround for anyone who doesn’t have cash handy.
Below is a practical guide to rates, time limits and where the major public decks and lots are clustered.
The basics: meters are $1.50 an hour
Metered parking in Columbia costs $1.50 per hour, up to the posted maximum time limit, and is free after 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday.
Know your meter color: time limits vary by block
Downtown time limits depend on the color of the meter, according to the city’s parking information:
- Blue meters: 5 to 10 hours
- Green meters: 2 hours
- Silver meters: 1 hour
- Red meters: 30 minutes
How to pay
Accepted payment methods for meters include:
- Passport app
- Coins
- City of Columbia smart cards
- City of Columbia parking tokens
For garage parking, visitors can also expect to use pay stations that accept cash, coins and credit cards, according to the city’s tourism website.
PassportParking app: how it works
If you use the app, you’ll need the zone number posted on the zone sticker on the meter.
The city notes two key rules:
- You can add time remotely via your phone until you hit the maximum time limit for parking
- Once you reach the maximum time, you can’t re-feed the meter — you must move your vehicle.
Where to park: major city-owned garages and lots by district
The city’s public parking is spread across several popular visitor areas. Here are the city-owned garages and public lots listed on the Experience Columbia website.
Main Street District:
- Lady Street Deck, located at 1100 Lady Street — Gated facility; hourly ticketed parking
- PJ Cannon Deck, located at 1227 Taylor Street — Non-gated; pay station parking on level 1 and level 1 ramp
- Sumter Street Deck, located 1400 Sumter Street — Gated; hourly ticketed parking on levels 1B through 4A
- Sumter Street Surface Lot, located at 1700 Sumter Street — Metered parking within the lot
- Taylor Street Deck, located at 1600 Assembly Street — Metered parking available on level 1A
- Washington Street Deck, located at 1100 Washington Street — Non-gated; metered parking on levels 1A and 1B
The Vista:
- Lincoln Street Deck, located at 820 Washington Street — Gated; hourly ticketed parking
- Park Street Deck, located at 1007 Park Street — Gated; hourly ticketed parking
Five Points:
- Devine Street Lot, located at 2126 Devine Street — complimentary visitor parking after 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and on weekends
- Five Points Surface Lot, located at 727 Harden Street — metered parking within the lot
- Pavillion Street Surface Lot, located at 812 Pavillion Street — complimentary parking Monday through Sunday
Arsenal Hill
- Arsenal Hill Deck, located at 1812 Lincoln Street — metered parking available on lower level
Arsenal Hill Deck — 1812 Lincoln St. (Metered parking available on the lower level) Need help? Here’s how to reach the city parking office
For more information, the city encourages residents and visitors to contact the parking services department by either e-mail or phone at (803) 545-4015 — Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and a 5 p.m.
