Where to park in downtown Wilmington
An updated guide to parking in Downtown Wilmington
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Downtown Wilmington hosts many of the area’s biggest events, but it can also be dizzying to figure out where to park. Whether you only visit downtown occasionally or are a tourist looking to take a break from the beach, this guide is for you.
As of August 1st, prices have increased for most of the public parking in town. The best option for most trips continues to be the off-street parking decks on 2nd St. and Market St., with the metered parking a close second. On Sundays and evenings after 6:30 p.m., metered parking is available for free.
On and off-street metered parking
Wilmington has 975 metered parking spaces scattered throughout the city, but be prepared to potentially parallel park and take note of any time limits.
- Hourly: $2 per hour
- Parking meters are enforced Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
To pay by phone, you’ll need to sign up via the mobile app, online, or by calling 1-888-380-7275. The process takes a little time, so you’ll want to sign up before preparing to park in a metered space.
Some meters allow for credit cards such as those on 2nd Street to Water Street, but others require visitors to pay by phone or via the mobile app.
You can also pay for metered parking with parking tokens bought at the Park Wilmington office at 11 N 2nd Street.
Off-street public parking lots and decks
Some of the cheapest parking for short trips during the day can be found at the Decks on 2nd Street (114 North 2nd Street) and Market Street (115 Market Street)
- Hourly: first 30 minutes free, then $1 per hour up to 4 hours, $6 for up to 5 hours, $9 for 5-12 hours, $12 for up to 24 hours and for losing a ticket
- Open 24/7, $7 flat rate between Thursday and Saturday 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Parking pass for unreserved space for $75 per month, reserved space for $125 per month
The RiverPlace and Wilmington Convention Center parking decks are more expensive, but may still save you money compared to private lots.
Wilmington Convention Center Parking Deck (515 Nutt Street, at the corner of N. Water Street and Estell Lee Drive)
- Hourly: $3 for the first hour, then $2 per hour up to 4 hours, $11 for 4-12 hours and $15 for 12-24 hours. Lost ticket fee is $15.
- Open 24/7
- Parking pass for unreserved space $100 per month, reserved for $130 per month
River Place Parking Deck (14 Grace Street)
- Hourly: $2 per hour for up to 3 hours, $8 for up to 12 hours and $13 for up to 24 hours. Lost ticket fee is $13.
- Open 24/7, $10 flat rate may be charged upon entry Thursday to Saturday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Parking pass for unreserved space $120 per month, reserved for $150 per month.
Accessible, long-term and private parking
On-street metered spaces are available for free to anybody with accessible parking license plates or hanging tags. Off-street parking is available for an unlimited time to accessible-marked vehicles at the hourly rate.
Monthly parking permits and parking violation fines can be found at the City of Wilmington website.
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