Free Parking Options
Over 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 (Closing Monday, February 19, for replacement)
- Grand Avenue 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.
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 with the City Clerk's Office.
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 Locations & Rates
The City of Des Moines offers parking garages throughout the City. Below is a list of where the parking ramps are and the cost to park on each ramp. A $10 or $5 flat rate will be applied to City-owned garages during special events downtown. Signs at the entrance of each garage will have special event pricing available.
E 2nd & Grand
Monday through Saturday: $1 per hour with a $10 max per day.
3rd & Court
Monday through Saturday: $1 per hour, with a $10 maximum per day. During the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market: $5 flat fee.
4th & Grand
Monday through Saturday: $1 per hour, with a $10 maximum per day. During the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market: $5 flat fee.
E 4th & Des Moines Street
Monday through Saturday: $1 per hour with a $10 max per day.
5th & Keo
Monday through Saturday: $1 per hour with a $10 max per day.
5th & Walnut
Monday through Saturday: $1 per hour, with a $10 maximum per day. During the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market: $5 flat fee.
9th & Locust
Monday through Saturday: $1 per hour with a $10 max per day.
Center Street Park & Ride
Monday through Saturday: $1 per hour for the first two hours, $.50 for each additional hour, and $6.00 max per day.
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: 4 spaces
- 5th & Keo
Level 1: 2 spaces Level 2: 4 spaces
- 9th & Locust
Level 2: 10 spaces
- E 2nd & Grand
Level 2: 4 spaces
- E 4th & Des Moines Street
Level 2: 1 space
- 5th & Walnut
Level 2: 3 spaces
- Center Street Park & Ride
Level 2: 2 spaces
Accessible Parking
The City of Des Moines offers accessible parking spaces at City-owned parking ramps and blue stall markers throughout downtown.
View our interactive map to locate a parking ramp or a blue stall marker closest to your destination.
How do I park my car with the new signs?
The new space markers will have an arrow that will help show which space it applies to. The arrow on the signs should point 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 and Google Pay. A one-time $0.25 transaction fee will be added to each parking session initiated. No fee will be charged for time extensions during parking sessions.
Other payment methods
Text-to-Pay – There is also a text-to-pay option where you can text the message "PARK" to 77223 to receive a link to pay online that allows access to the ParkMobile website. You must be able to access the internet to complete the payment.
Call to Pay – If someone has a cell phone without app or internet capabilities, they can call 833-930-0050 (this only applies to the ParkDSM system) to pay over the phone.
A Park Mobile account needs to be created in advance that includes the cell phone number is used in the user's profile. There is no additional charge associated with setting up an account.
A member services representative from Park Mobile can assist in creating an account over the phone. Utilizing a member services representative has a $5.00 fee associated with the service.
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 can have a text receipt sent to you by entering your 10-digit phone number. We do not offer paper receipts 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. You can pay using the ParkDSM app or at a kiosk from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. 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 with the City Clerk's Office.
