It can be stressful to travel in an unfamiliar city, from navigating directions to understanding speed limits. Then there's the arduous task of finding a parking spot that won't cost you a fortune and will keep your car safe.
A new study by driving test prep app Zutobi explored the best parking options across the U.S. by looking into the most affordable and secure car parks, as well as accessible parking, valet parking, EV charging, and the top-rated options for each city.
If you’re looking for the easiest place to find a parking space, look no further than Milwaukee, Wisc., and Oakland, Calif. Both cities scored an 8.27 on the 10-point Car Park Score and shared first place overall. Rounding out the top five are Minneapolis and Baltimore.
The Zutobi researchers dug a lot deeper than that, though. Here’s what they found for all sorts parking angles.
Accessibility
One of the reasons that helped Milwaukee and Oakland rank that high is the number of accessible parking options it has – Milwaukee has 23 wheelchair-accessible parks and Oakland has 20. Atlanta and Washington D.C. tie for third with 24 wheelchair-accessible car parks.
There are some places, unfortunately, that don’t succeed in this category. The cities with the least amount of accessible car parks are, in order, Omaha, Neb., Long Beach, Calif., Kansas City, Mo., Tucson, Ariz., Fort Worth, Tex., Scottsdale, Ariz., Santa Ana, Calif., Glendale, Ariz., Colorado Springs, Toledo, Ohio, Baton Rouge, La., Norfolk, Va., Reno, Nev., and Jacksonville.
EV charging
As the popularity of electric vehicles grew, so did the need for cities to find ways for EV owners to recharge. What cities respond the best? The number one would be Chicago with 14 EV Charging Car Parks. Second is Baltimore with eight, then Los Angeles with seven.
Then, there are places that EV owners may want to avoid. The cities with the fewest electric vehicle charging facilities break out like this: Omaha, Long Beach, Kansas City, Tucson, Fort Worth, Scottsdale, Santa Ana, Glendale, Colorado Springs, Toledo, Baton Rouge, Norfolk, Reno, Jacksonville, Hialeah, Tampa, Riverside, Lexington, Buffalo, Richmond, Va., Oklahoma City, El Paso, Tex., and Tulsa, Okla.
Valet service
If you’re someone who doesn’t like the hassle of finding a parking spot, you’re in luck in New York City. It leads the country in the number of valet car parks, with 30 total. San Francisco is next with 22, then Washington D.C. with 18.
Then, there are the cities with the least number of valet parking opportunities. Those include: Omaha, Long Beach, Kansas City, Tucson, Fort Worth, Scottsdale, Santa Ana, Glendale, Colorado Springs, Toledo, Baton Rouge, Norfolk, Reno, Jacksonville, Tampa, Riverside, Lexington, Ky., Buffalo, El Paso, Tulsa, Charlotte, Orlando, St. Louis, Memphis, Cincinnati, and Raleigh, N.C., which all had zero valet parking options.
Covered and uncovered parking
When visiting a new city for the first time, many drivers are concerned about security and seek out car parks that are covered because those spaces tend to attract fewer thieves, as well as protecting vehicles from bad weather. Washington D.C. and Chicago are number one on this list with 29 covered car parks each. Boston is right behind with 28, then New York City with 27.
Then come the cities with the fewest covered car parks: Omaha, Kansas City, Tucson, Scottsdale, Santa Ana, Glendale, Colorado Springs, Toledo, Baton Rouge, Norfolk, Reno, Jacksonville, Riverside, Buffalo, and Richmond.
As far as uncovered lots go, that would be Raleigh N.C., with 26 lots, followed by El Paso with 25, and Cincinnati with 24. Bringing up the rear with the lowest number of uncovered lot car parks are Glendale, Toledo, Baton Rouge, Norfolk, Reno, Jacksonville, Hialeah, Long Beach, Washington, Tucson, Santa Ana, Tampa, Lexington, and Sacramento, along with Chicago.
Cheapest vs. most expensive
The researchers also looked into the cities that have the cheapest price for a three-hour stay. Coming in first was Cleveland with an average of $1.50 per hour for a 3-hour stay. Then, Tulsa with $1.63, Houston and El Paso with a $2.00 per hour average.
As far as expensive places to park, it’s Boston. The lowest price for 3 hours of parking in Beantown is $20. New York City’s 3-hour rate averages $17 and, then, San Francisco’s and Philadelphia’s $15.