Parking in downtown Saratoga Springs

This guide is for anyone driving into downtown Saratoga Springs, whether you live here and want to use a resident permit or you are visiting for dinner, a show or race season. It covers the city’s garages and lots, the summer paid-parking program, the permits, and the handful of rules that catch people out.

The basic rule

Street parking on Broadway and the side streets is free, but it fills first and usually has time limits. The city’s garages and lots are the reliable choice. For most of the year they are free with time limits. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, the city charges in those garages and lots, and on-street parking stays free.

The summer paid-parking program

In 2026 the program ran from Friday, May 22, through Monday, September 7. The terms were the same as in 2025.

• Parking in city-owned garages and surface lots cost $2 an hour.
• The overnight rate was $12 from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.
• On-street parking remained free for everyone.
• City residents in the city tax district could get a free permit with proof of residency.
• Residents of the Saratoga Springs City School District who live outside the city could buy permits: $35 a month for May and June, $45 for July, $55 for August and September, or $100 for the season if bought in May or June.
• Downtown employees could get free permits through their employers, who register with the city.

Local coverage of the 2026 program ran in The Daily Gazette and on News10. Residents register through the city’s parking portal or at the Department of Public Works in City Hall, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Permit holders still have to follow time limits in the garages, so park in a 24-hour area if you will be there a while.

The garages and lots

These are the city facilities covered by the program, with what each one is good for.

Woodlawn Avenue garage

The big one: four levels, half a block off Broadway on the west side. The outside lot, ground level and ramp have had three-hour limits from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with 24-hour parking on the middle levels and more on the roof. Best for Broadway shopping, restaurants and anything near the middle of downtown.

Walton Street garage

Off Church Street near City Hall and the post office, at the north end of downtown. The upper deck has no time limit but has closed every night from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. for maintenance. Downstairs, the area south of the entrance has a three-hour limit during the day and the area north of it allows 24 hours.

Putnam Street garage

Between Spring and Putnam streets, on the east side of Broadway near Congress Park. It is the closest garage for Phila Street, Caroline Street, Maple Avenue and Caffe Lena. The lower level has had three-hour daytime parking and the upper level 24-hour parking, except for a row of three-hour spaces. It has banned all parking from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. between November 1 and April 1, which matters for winter overnight guests.

High Rock lots and the Woodlawn/Walton garage off Lake Avenue

The High Rock Avenue lots serve the north end of downtown and the farmers market at High Rock Park. The garage at Woodlawn and Walton off Lake Avenue was also part of the 2026 paid program.

The library lot

The lot at the Saratoga Springs Public Library on Putnam Street works differently. During the summer program, it has been limited to library permit holders from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the library issues those permits at its front desk. Do not count on it as general parking.

Private lots

A few private lots charge more than the city. Discover Saratoga lists a private lot on Broadway across from Walton Street at $6 an hour or $37 a day. The Saratoga Springs City Center garage, at 522 Broadway next to the City Center, has more than 600 spaces and is often suggested for big events.

Race season and big event days

On Travers Day, during Chowderfest in February and on the night of the Victorian Streetwalk in December, downtown parking goes fast. These tips help.

• Arrive before 10 a.m. on summer weekends if you want a garage space near Broadway.
• Use the free shuttles when they run. Chowderfest and the Beekman Street Art Fair have both offered free shuttles from the Saratoga Casino Hotel lot.
• Walk from the edges. Parking on the West Side or East Side and walking 10 minutes is often faster than circling downtown.
• For the track itself, the New York Racing Association runs its own lots, and on race days you will often see neighbors near the track selling spaces in their driveways.

Good to know

The city sets the paid-parking terms each spring. If the program returns in 2027, expect it to start around Memorial Day weekend, and check the city’s parking portal for the final rates. Until then, the garages are back to free parking with time limits. Around Saratoga Springs, always read the signs, since limits vary by level and by side of the entrance.

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