5 Places to Park in Downtown Pittsburgh for Cheap

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Pittsburgh Parking Authority Garages Are the Answer

Before diving into it, we need to just make a blanket statement that there are two kinds of parking garages in Pittsburgh- those operated by the Pittsburgh Parking Authority (PPA) and everything else.

A general rule of thumb to follow here is that, in the vast majority of cases, PPA garages are almost always the cheapest options. 

You will likely see this all over the city, but it is especially true in downtown Pittsburgh- private garages are almost always significantly more expensive than the PPA garage around the corner.

So it should be no surprise that all of our favorite places to park are, you guessed it, PPA-operated. When in doubt, look for the PPA logo.

Smithfield-Liberty Garage

The Smithfield-Liberty garage is located right in the heart of the Cultural District, and is our preferred garage when going to shows in the Cultural District or events at the convention center.

This one has easy access in and out on both streets, and for North Siders like us, makes for a straight shot down 9th Street and across the Rachel Carson Bridge while avoiding downtown traffic. Although this one can fill up for leases for the day, night time parking is often readily available outside of some of the more popular downtown festivals and events, and is one of our first choices when looking for cheap parking in downtown Pittsburgh.

At the time of publication in July 2025, weekday rates start at $7 for an hour, increase up to $20 for more than four hours, and has a flat $8 for nights after 4 pm/weekends/holidays. 

The Smithfield-Liberty Garage is located at 111 9th St.

Third Avenue Garage

The Third Avenue garage is located between Third and Fourth Avenue just outside of PPG Place, and is our preferred garage when going to Market Square or the southern half of downtown.

This one has easy access for those coming in from the South, and entry points on both Third and Fourth Avenue makes this one fairly accessible, too. But it's location is hard to beat when hitting Market Square, as you can be hitting the businesses in the square in just a few minutes of walking. 

Even better? For those are interested in metered street parking (typically free after 6 pm and on Sundays), we often have the best luck on these two streets next to the garage (as well as Wood Street nearby). So we generally do a loop around the block here to check to see if we can save some money, and then swing into the garage if the public spots are all taken.

At the time of publication in July 2025, weekday rates start at $7 for an hour, increase up to $20 for more than four hours, and has a flat $6 for nights after 4 pm/weekends/holidays.

The Third Avenue Garage is located at 240 Fourth Ave.

Mellon Square Garage

Mellon Square garage is located under Mellon Square right in the heart of downtown, and is our preferred garage when visiting restaurants nearby or, with a bit of a walk, heading to Penguins games.

This garage feels a bit more claustrophobic than others due to it being below ground, so if you are adverse to perceived tighter spaces, we would recommend avoiding this one. Likewise, getting in and out of the garage can be a bit trickier than others during peak traffic hours as well.

At the time of publication in July 2025, weekday rates start at $7 for an hour, increase up to $20 for more than four hours, and has a flat $8 for nights after 4 pm/weekends/holidays.

The Mellon Square Garage is located at 152222, 529-540 Smithfield St.

Oliver Garage

The Oliver garage is located at the intersection of Oliver Avenue near Wood Street.

This garage often feels like it is forgotten about spot in the middle of the city, and is a good garage to try when others are all at capacity nearby (particularly during prime events). Even better? It has perhaps the cheapest rate in all of the city when it comes to parking. But, in being in the center of downtown, you may have to navigate traffic to reach the entrance during peak hours.

At the time of publication in July 2025, weekday rates start at $6 for an hour, increase up to $19 for more than four hours, and has a flat $5 for nights after 4 pm/weekends/holidays.

The Oliver Garage is located on Oliver Ave, and typically is only accessible by turning west off Smithfield.

Sixth and Fort Duquesne (Surge Pricing May Apply)

The Sixth and Fort Duquesne garage is located at the intersection of the same name and is found next to the Clemente Bridge on the downtown side.

This garage has prime access to the Cultural District, Market Square, and even the North Shore, and has one of the best locations for many downtown amenities. For those like us coming in from the North Side, you're in and out within minutes and can avoid a lot of downtown traffic in the process.

The only downside with this garage is that the PPA reserves the right to charge surge pricing during events, and prices can rise as high as $10-$20 flat rate- particularly during Pirates games, Steelers games, and select shows downtown. (Be mindful of when these let out too, as the traffic to exit the garage after a game/show can be considerable.)

Still, this is a great one to check out, and if pricing is not to your liking, head to another garage on the list to save a bit of cost.

At the time of publication in July 2025, weekday rates start at $7 for an hour, increase up to $16 for more than four hours, and has a flat rate of $8 for nights after 4 pm/weekends/holidays.

The Sixth and Fort Duquesne Garage is located at 126 6th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

Do you have a favorite place to park in downtown Pittsburgh? Comment to share! To look up pricing at Pittsburgh Parking Authority garages, click here. Don't forget that ParkPGH also shows real-time availability, too!