Effective Jan. 31, hourly rates have doubled for parking meters in the City of San Diego. The rate increase, from $1.25 to $2.50 per hour for most meters, follows a resolution by the San Diego City Council. 

The resolution raises rates for most of the City’s parking meters to $2.50 an hour. There are 5,332 parking metered spaces in the city, located in the neighborhoods of Downtown, Uptown, Mid-City and Pacific Beach. The vast majority of the meters, more than 4,400, will charge the maximum $2.50 rate, as permitted by the Municipal Code. The remainder of the meters, which previously charged 50 cents to $1, will see their rates double, as well. 

Meter fees help fund maintenance of transportation infrastructure like streets, sidewalks and streetlights in areas with parking meters. It’s been at least 20 years since parking meter fees have been increased in the City of San Diego. 

Even with the rate increase, San Diego’s parking meter fees remain among the lowest in the state of California. Oakland’s parking meters cost up to $4 an hour, Los Angeles charges up to $6 an hour, and San Francisco’s meters cost up to $11. Rates will not change for waterfront parking meters operated by the Port of San Diego, which are already set at $2.50 an hour. 

For comparison, here are current parking rates for San Diego and other California locations:

The City Council has also requested a package of additional proposed reforms to the City’s parking program, to be implemented in Fiscal Year 2026. For more information on parking meter rates and revenues, see the Independent Budget Analyst’s report.