Airport Parking Cost Per Day: Posted 24-Hour Rates Compared

Airport parking cost per day is the number that matters once your stay crosses into overnight territory. Operators bill by the minute or hour until they hit a 24-hour maximum for that lot. That cap — not a national average — is what “per day” usually means on the rate board.

What “cost per day” means on an airport lot

Most US airport parking products work the same way: you pay a short-stay slice, then the charge stops climbing for the rest of that 24-hour window. A second day starts a new window. Tax treatment is not uniform; San Francisco International Airport states that stall rates include all taxes and fees, while other airports may post differently. Always read the operator page for the lot you will use.

For a curb pickup, the first hour can matter more than the daily cap. For a multi-day trip, multiply the posted daily maximum by the number of 24-hour periods you will occupy — then add shuttle or walk time so you still reach security with a buffer. See how early to arrive at the airport.

Posted daily maxima at five official airports

These figures come from the airport operator pages fetched for this guide. They are drive-up (or published stall) maxima, not a bargain ranking.

Airport	Lot / product	Posted daily / 24-hour maximum
SFO	Domestic Garage	$39 max per 24 hours
SFO	Long-Term parking	$27 max per 24 hours
SMF	Garage 1	$21 per 24-hour period
SMF	Daily Lot	$14 per day
SMF	Economy lots	$12 per day
Colorado Springs (COS)	Short Term	$15.00 daily maximum
Colorado Springs (COS)	Long Term	$8.00 daily maximum
Colorado Springs (COS)	Overflow (when long-term is full)	$8.00 per day
Eugene (EUG)	Short Term	$28.00 per day
Eugene (EUG)	Long Term	$19.00 per day
Eugene (EUG)	Economy Lot	$13.00 per day
Santa Barbara (SBA)	Short-Term	$32 maximum per 24-hour period

Closer lots cost more per day because you trade money for walking distance. Economy and long-term products cut the daily bill and usually add a shuttle or a longer walk — which is why the “cheap” line can still make you late if you ignore transfer time.

How operators structure the daily bill

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

SFO lists Domestic Garage parking at $4 per 30 minutes with a $39 max per 24 hours, and no vehicles over 6' 6". Long-Term parking lists $4 per 30 minutes with a $27 max per 24 hours. Long-Term connects to terminals by AirTrain; AirTrain service runs 24 hours a day, with station departures as frequent as every 4 minutes. SFO says its lowest Long-Term rates are only available through the online booking system, and you can change or cancel a booking up to 2 hours before the booked entry time. Rates are subject to change.

Sacramento International Airport (SMF)

SMF states that all parking is first-come, first-served and that reservations are not available. Garage 1 is pro-rated at $2 per 30 minutes until it hits the $21 daily maximum per 24-hour period. The Daily Lot reaches $14 per 24-hour period; East, South, and West Economy lots reach $12 per 24-hour period. For longer trips, SMF restates the Daily Lot at $14 per day and Economy at $12 per day, and asks you to call if you will be away more than three weeks. Economy lots require shuttle access with no pedestrian walkway; SMF advises allowing up to 60 minutes from parking to terminal arrival. Free shuttle service runs 24 hours a day to the Daily and Economy lots.

Colorado Springs Airport (COS)

Colorado Springs Airport lists Short Term at $1.00 each half hour with a $15.00 daily maximum, and Long Term at $1.00 each hour with an $8.00 daily maximum. Overflow opens only when long-term lots are full and costs $8.00 per day (card only). Valet is listed at $19 per day, with covered and EV-capable valet at $22 per day. The airport notes more than 5,400 public parking spaces and free shuttle service for long-term users during designated flight times. Vehicles left longer than 90 days without notifying the parking office may be treated as abandoned.

Eugene Airport (EUG)

Eugene Airport lists Short Term at $28.00 per day, Long Term at $19.00 per day, and Economy at $13.00 per day, with a 30-minute grace period in those lots. Reservations are not available. The Economy Lot is about a 0.25-mile walk (about 10–15 minutes) and has no shuttle — use the crosswalk and sidewalk. ADA spaces are charged the Economy rate of $13 per day. Anyone parking more than 30 days must get prior approval or risk citation and towing. New rates are noted as of 4/1/2025 on the official page.

Santa Barbara Airport (SBA)

Santa Barbara Airport lists Short-Term rates with 0–10 minutes free, then $5 for 11–60 minutes, $5 for each additional hour or fraction, and a maximum of $32 per 24-hour period. The page states that SBA parking lots do not take reservations. Live availability is posted for short-term, long-term, and economy lots; refresh the page before you rely on a “full” or open status.

How to estimate your airport parking cost per day

1. Find the official parking page for your departure airport — city aviation department, fly* domain, or port authority — not a third-party roundup.
2. Match the lot to your trip length. Short-term and terminal garages protect walking time; economy and long-term protect the daily bill.
3. Read the 24-hour maximum and whether the rate includes tax. At SFO, stall rates include all taxes and fees.
4. Add transfer time. SMF economy shuttles may need up to 60 minutes to the terminal; EUG economy is a 10–15 minute walk with no shuttle.
5. Check reservation rules. SMF, EUG, and SBA do not take reservations on the pages cited here; SFO sells online booking and says the lowest Long-Term rates are online-only.
6. Confirm the entrance sign on the day you travel. SFO explicitly says rates are subject to change.

Payment, lost tickets, and oversized vehicles

Daily maxima assume a normal exit with a valid ticket or card session. Operator pages add fees when that breaks down. Colorado Springs Airport lists a minimum lost-ticket fee of $15.00 for Short Term and Long Term, and $30.00 for oversized vehicles in those lots. Eugene Airport lists lost-ticket fees that match the daily rate for that lot — $28.00 Short Term, $19.00 Long Term, and $13.00 Economy.

SMF no longer accepts cash at parking lot cashier booths; cash customers must use pay-on-foot self-service kiosks in Garage 1 and outside Door 1 at Terminal B. Vehicles more than 21 feet long are charged double the posted rates at SMF, and Garage 1 vertical clearance is 8 feet 2 inches. Colorado Springs defines oversized vehicles up to a 40-foot length by 8½-foot width limit and charges two times the Short Term or Long Term rate based on where the vehicle parks. SFO Domestic Garage does not allow vehicles over 6' 6".

These rules sit beside the daily rate, not inside it. A lost ticket or overheight vehicle can push the exit charge above the 24-hour maximum you planned for.

Why the cheap daily rate can still cost you a missed flight

Airport parking cost per day is only half of the decision. The other half is time from the stall to the checkpoint. SMF’s economy lots have no pedestrian walkway and advise allowing up to 60 minutes from parking to terminal arrival, with shuttles every 25–30 minutes. Eugene’s Economy Lot is a 10–15 minute walk with no shuttle. SFO Long-Term riders use AirTrain, which runs 24 hours a day with station departures as frequent as every 4 minutes — still not zero minutes. Colorado Springs offers free shuttle service for long-term users during designated flight times; overflow also has complimentary shuttles when that lot is open.

Build the daily rate and the transfer into the same plan: leave home earlier for economy lots, or pay the higher terminal/garage maximum when the schedule is tight. Then confirm the official rate again on the day you travel, because SFO and other operators note that rates are subject to change.

For lot types and booking patterns at other hubs, see airport parking prices, how to book airport parking, and airport parking lots. Products and posted prices change — verify the official airport page and the lot entrance board before you park.