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Parking in Ballard, Seattle

There are 8 parking facilities tracked in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Below you'll find each lot or garage with structured rates, hours and access category.

What Ballard parking is like

The Ballard area sits within the broader Seattle driving market, and parking dynamics here generally reflect the neighborhood's mix of residential, commercial and entertainment use. During weekday business hours, expect higher demand around office buildings and lunch-rush commercial blocks; on evenings and weekends, demand often shifts toward bars, restaurants and event venues. If you arrive during a known peak window, plan a backup option two or three blocks beyond your primary destination.

Street parking in Ballard is governed by the same Seattle citywide framework: metered zones, time-limited free spots, residential permit areas and event-window restrictions. Always check the topmost sign on a post — when restrictions stack, the highest sign generally wins. see Ballard permit zone map.

8 facilities in Ballard

First Hill Plaza Public Parking
Public access · underground garage · Open 24 hours, 7 days
$3/hr
Seattle Arboretum Parking Lot 7
Public access · surface lot · Open 24 hours, 7 days
$6/hr
2500 Lake Washington Boulevard East Parking
Public access · surface lot · 2500 Lake Washington Boulevard East · Open 24 hours, 7 days
$7/hr
P5
Public access · surface lot · Open 24 hours, 7 days
$2/hr
9th Avenue Garage
Customers only · multi-level garage · 1101 9th Avenue · Open 24 hours, 7 days
$8/hr
Parking Lot #15
Open access · surface lot · Open 24 hours, 7 days
$6/hr
Parking Lot #16
Open access · surface lot · Open 24 hours, 7 days
$7/hr
Japanese Garden Parking Lot
Open access · surface lot · Open 24 hours, 7 days
$6/hr

Driver tips for Ballard

If you're new to driving in Ballard, three habits will save you time and money. First, identify one reliable off-street facility from the list above and treat it as your default — that eliminates the circling pattern that drains both your time and your tank. Second, save the parking facility's address as a navigation favorite so you can route directly without re-searching from inside a busy block. Third, read every meter post fully before stepping away from the car — many Seattle tickets come from drivers who missed a rush-hour tow-away clause stacked above a paid-meter sign.

Frequent visitors should explore monthly contracts at a single garage; the savings versus daily rates often exceed 40% in busy Seattle neighborhoods. Special-event days (sports, concerts, conventions) routinely surge garage rates by 100–300%, so if your visit overlaps a known event, plan to arrive early or use transit for the last leg. compare event-day parking deals.

Why we cover Ballard: Comprehensive coverage of every neighborhood in our 20 supported cities is the core ParkSpotter promise. If a facility is missing, anyone can add it to OpenStreetMap and it will appear in our next data refresh.