Free Parking Options
More than 900 FREE off-street and on-street parking spaces are available downtown.
Monday to Friday, 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. and all day on weekends:
- Court Avenue Bridge
- 5th & Cherry St. (Courthouse Lot)
- NE corner of 2nd & Court Ave. (Polk County Admin Lot)
- SW corner of 2nd & Court Ave. (Election Office Lot)
Monday to Friday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. and all day on weekends:
- SE corner of 10th & Locust (FHLB lot by the Temple)
All-day, every day: (Vehicles must move every 24 hours.)
- Pennsylvania Ave. and E. 7th Street from E. Court to Des Moines St.
- Bridges over the Des Moines River
- Walnut Street bridge
- Grand Street Bridge (north side)
- Northside of Locust St. from 15th to 17th
Parking Meter Rates
Parking meter rates vary from $0.25 per hour to $1.25 per hour. Higher rates are charged in areas of higher demand for short-term parking. In the Historic Court District after 5 p.m., meters cost $1.75 per hour.
All downtown parking meters accept SmartCards and coin payment. Credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) are also accepted at silver-topped parking meters in the Historic Court District and Western Gateway areas.
View the interactive parking map showing each meter by rate, hours and accepted payment type.
Parking meters are free on the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- July 4th
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
If you received a parking ticket you may pay or appeal your ticket online.
To temporarily reserve parking meters for construction work or an event, submit a special parking permit application a minimum of three days prior to the requested reservation date.
Parking Garage Rates
The City of Des Moines offers seven public parking ramps throughout downtown, operated and managed by ABM Parking Services.
City Parking Garages are available seven days a week. Rates apply Monday through Saturday.
Rate: $1.00/hour, $10 daily max (excluding special events)
- 5th & Keo Parking Garage, - 525 5th Ave (close to the Iowa Events Center)
- 4th & Grand Parking Garage - 400 Grand Ave (close to the Civic Center)
- 3rd & Court Parking Garage - 210 2nd Ave (close to the Civic Center and Farmer's Market)
- 9th & Locust Parking Garage - 801 Locust St
- East 2nd Street Parking Garage - 402 E. 2nd Street
- E 4th & Des Moines Parking Garage - 555 E 4th Street (ground level)
- 235 5th Avenue (close to Farmer's Market)
Rate: $1.00/hour for the first two hours, $0.50/hour for each additional hour, $10 daily max (excluding special events)
- Center Street Park & Ride Parking Garage - 830 6th Ave (close to the Iowa Event Center)
You may view the garages on the Park Downtown Des Moines Parking Map.
Monthly parking options are available at all City-owned garages. For information about monthly parking options and rates, contact ABM Parking Services.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Reserved parking for charging electric vehicles is available in the following City-owned parking garages. All EV charging spaces provide free electricity included with the standard rate of parking.
Level 1 EV charging spaces include a standard wall outlet for patrons to connect their own charger.
Level 2 EV charging spaces include ChargePoint Stations and require the ChargePoint app.
- 3rd & Court
Level 1: 2 spaces Level 2: 4 spaces
- 4th & Grand
Level 1: 2 spaces Level 2: 2 spaces
- 5th & Keo
Level 1: 2 spaces Level 2: 4 spaces
- 9th & Locust
Level 1: 3 spaces Level 2: 3 spaces
- E 2nd & Grand
Level 2: 2 spaces
- E 4th & Des Moines Street
Level 1: 1 space Level 2: 1 space
- 5th & Walnut
Level 1: 3 spaces Level 2: 3 spaces
Handicap Parking
The City of Des Moines offers handicapped parking spaces at City-owned parking ramps and at blue-topped parking meters throughout downtown.
View our interactive map to locate a parking ramp or a blue parking meter closest to your destination.
How do I park my car with the new signs?
The new pay-by-space markers will be installed on the same posts used for the old parking meters, meaning the parking spaces have not changed.
The new space markers will have an arrow that will help show which space it applies to. The arrow on the signs should be pointing to either the front or rear of your vehicle.
What type of payment methods are available?
Payment methods for the kiosk
The new kiosks expand payment options available to users. The kiosks now allow for debit/credit cards, and 25-cent coins (quarters).
Payment methods for the ParkDSM mobile app
Payment on the new mobile app, ParkDSM, will accept major debit/credit cards, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.
Other payment methods
There is also a text to pay option or if someone has a cell phone without app capabilities, they can call 833-930-0050 to make a payment over the phone.
How do I get a receipt for my payment?
Getting a receipt using the kiosk
When using the kiosk, at the end of your transaction you will have the option of having a text receipt sent to you by entering your 10-digit phone number. We do not offer paper receipts in an effort to save paper and eliminate machine maintenance.
Getting a receipt using the ParkDSM mobile app
The ParkDSM app automatically stores the transaction and is accessible through the ParkDSM app or by logging into your account through ParkDSM on a computer.
I arrive for work before parking is enforced. Can I prepay my parking spot?
Yes, you can pay for your parking at the time of your arrival. The ParkDSM app and kiosk will not start charging time for parking until the designated time (9 a.m.).
While parking is enforced during the designated times, we strongly encourage users NOT to prepay for a parking space. While it might seem convenient, there is no system to guarantee the parking space will be available upon your arrival. We suggest you pay for your space after you park your vehicle.
I parked at a space but the app/kiosk won't let me enter that space number, will I get a ticket?
If the payment method, you are using is not accepting the space number, it is best to move to another space to avoid being ticketed.
NOTE: Regardless of how you choose to pay for parking, you will need to remember the six-digit number on the space marker. This number is the unique identifier for the space you parked in, and the only way to make sure you paid for your parking.
Contact
City-owned parking garages are managed by ABM Parking Services. If you have questions or concerns regarding ramp operations, contact them:
To report a broken parking meter or to find more information about downtown parking, please contact the City's Traffic & Transportation Division staff:
If you received a parking ticket you may
pay or
appeal your ticket online.
