Where to park in Old Town Alexandria — the short answer: park in a garage or at a street meter, pay at the meter or by phone, and on Sundays park free at most meters. One thing has changed that older guides miss: the Market Square Garage under City Hall is closed while City Hall and Market Square are renovated, work the City expects to take two to three years. This guide lists the garages and lots the City runs now, what the meters cost and when they are free, how paying by phone works, and how to leave the car at home. Every rule here comes from the City of Alexandria's own parking pages, checked on October 1, 2026.
Where to Park in Old Town Alexandria: The Quick Version
- Market Square Garage: closed for the City Hall renovation. The City runs the Courthouse Garage at 111 S. Pitt St., just south of King Street, and the garages and lots listed below.
- Meters: $2.75 an hour at most metered spaces since July 1, 2026, usually with a two- or three-hour limit.
- When you pay: most metered spaces charge Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Sundays and state holidays: usually free on metered blocks that are not residential. Some residential blocks charge cars without a permit, Sundays included.
- Pay by phone: ParkMobile, with the five-digit zone number (it starts with 44) on the block's signs.
- Saturday Farmers' Market: free parking at the Tavern Square garage (418 Cameron St.) and the Courthouse Garage, 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Garages and Lots the City Runs
The City of Alexandria owns and operates these garages and lots, listed on its Parking in Old Town Alexandria page (updated September 25, 2026):
| Garage or lot | Address | Near |
|---|---|---|
| Courthouse Garage | 111 S. Pitt St. | King Street at Pitt Street |
| North Union Street Garage | 220 N. Union St. | The waterfront, two blocks north of King Street |
| Thompson's Alley Garage | 10 Thompson's Alley | The waterfront, just north of Cameron Street |
| Cameron & Saint Asaph Streets Lot | 517 Cameron St. | Cameron Street at St. Asaph, a block north of King |
| South Henry Lot | 116 S. Henry St. | Henry Street just south of King, toward the Metro |
| Union Station Lot | 110 Callahan Dr. | Alexandria Union Station (Amtrak and VRE), by the King St–Old Town Metro |
The City's page does not list garage rates, so read the rate posted at the entrance. Its "Where to Park in Old Town" map also shows the privately run garages around King Street, but the rates printed on that map date from May 2024. Apps such as SpotHero, Parkopedia and ParkWhiz also list garages and can reserve a space, the City notes.
Street Meters: What They Cost and When
Metered parking runs along King Street and the blocks running north and south off it. Since July 1, 2026, the rate at most meters is $2.75 an hour, and a parking ticket is $55, according to the City's announcement of the change. Most metered spaces require payment Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the usual limit is two or three hours.
Times, days and prices vary by block, so the City asks drivers to read every sign before parking. Its online Parking Viewer shows the restrictions block by block.
With a disability license plate or hangtag, parking at a meter is free for up to four hours, and you can stay twice the posted time in time-limited zones (City parking restrictions).
Paying by Phone
The City's pay-by-phone service is ParkMobile, the same system used in Washington, D.C. and Arlington County. Look for the zone number on the signs or the pay station: in Alexandria, zones are five digits long and all start with 44. You choose how long to stay, up to the posted limit, and if you leave early you can stop the session and pay only for the time used. Each session adds a 45-cent convenience fee to the meter rate. Without the app, you can text PARK to 77223 or pay on ParkMobile's website, and the meters and pay stations still take cash and cards.
Is Parking Free on Sundays?
At most meters, yes. The City says it is usually free to park on metered blocks that are not residential on Sundays and state holidays, and on the other days most meters stop charging at 9 p.m.
The exception catches visitors. Some residential blocks near the shops and restaurants require payment from any car without that district's parking permit, including on Sundays, and these blocks may charge more and for longer hours and days. They usually have no meters: you pay with ParkMobile or by a receipt from a kiosk on a nearby block (the City's residential pay-by-phone program). On other residential blocks, signs limit parking to two or three hours except for cars with the district's permit. Read the sign on the block before you leave the car.
Saturdays: The Farmers' Market
The Old Town Farmers' Market is open every Saturday, 7 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. While Market Square is renovated it runs on the 100 block of N. Royal Street and in the courtyard at Tavern Square, across the street. Market visitors park free on Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Tavern Square garage (418 Cameron St.) or the Courthouse garage (111 S. Pitt St.).
Leave the Car at Home
The City encourages visitors to walk, bike or take Metrorail's Blue or Yellow line to King St–Old Town station. From there, the free King Street Trolley runs between the Metro and City Hall/Market Square every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., 365 days a year, with stops every couple of blocks. DASH buses are free too, and there are several Capital Bikeshare stations in Old Town.
Rules That Catch Visitors
- 20 feet from the corner. City Code bans parking within 20 feet of the curb lines at every intersection, signs or not, as well as in front of a driveway or within five feet of an alley.
- The sign wins. Limits, hours and prices differ from block to block, and on residential blocks they can apply on Sundays.
- The time limit is a limit. ParkMobile sells time only up to the posted limit, so a two-hour space means two hours.
Planning the rest of the day? See Plan Your Visit for getting here, and the events calendar before a festival or parade day.