SAN Airport Parking: Rates, Lots and Reservations Guide

SAN has daily parking close to Terminals 1 and 2, with frequent shuttle buses serving both terminals.

• Terminal 1 Parking Plaza: 3501 North Harbor Drive, directly across from Terminal 1, with more than 5,200 spaces. Best for short stays and quick pick-ups or drop-offs. Vehicles that enter and exit in under 10 minutes are not charged. $3 for every 15 minutes, $40 daily maximum.
• Terminal 2 Parking Plaza: directly across from Terminal 2. For short and long stays. $3 for every 15 minutes, $40 daily maximum.
• Valet: curbside at both terminals, $60 per day.
• Cell Phone Lot: free, 1 hour limit.

If you park in the Terminal 1 plaza but fly from Terminal 2, go to the Terminal 1 curb and take the Inter-Terminal Shuttle. Prices checked on October 15, 2026. SAN says rates and availability can change, so check san.org.

SAN lets you reserve parking online. SAN's pages give different advance windows. The main page says reservations open up to 30 days ahead, and the FAQ says you can reserve anytime up to 24 hours before the day of parking. A reservation can cover 1 to 60 days. SAN also says you cannot make a new reservation for same-day parking.

Things to know:

• Reservations are single use. They do not allow in and out privileges.
• Enter the license plate of the vehicle you will park so the gate can recognize it.
• You pay when you book, so the reservation is your receipt.
• To edit the date, time or plate, use Manage My Reservation up to 24 hours before the start time.
• Full refunds are issued until 1 hour before your scheduled arrival. Unused reservations are not refunded.
• If you stay longer than you booked, the system charges the daily rate for the extra time.
• Sold out online does not always mean full. Call SP+ Parking at 619.291.2087 (24 hours) to ask if the lot has room for drive-up customers.

Terminal 2 Parking Plaza: drive to the entry gate and wait about 30 seconds while the lane reads your plate. If the gate does not open, scan the QR code from your reservation at the bottom left corner of the entry column. No ticket is issued. Turn your phone to light mode so it scans. At exit, the gate should open on its own. If it does not, press the help button, staffed 24 hours a day.

Do not pay at the pay stations or at the exit, because that means double payment.

If the lot is full and you have a reservation, SAN says reservations are still honored. Drive to the ramp to the upper levels, show your reservation to the attendant and use the lane on the left.

SAN also says Terminal 2 reservation holders can park in any unmarked stall on any level. There are no assigned stalls.

Valet is curbside at both terminals for $60 per day. Look for the valet area at Terminal 1 curbside Zone J or Terminal 2 curbside Zone W.

The attendant gives you a ticket number and asks for your stay details. Show your reservation confirmation if you booked ahead. To get your car back, you can call, text or walk up. Do not pay again if you pay through the text request, and remind the attendant of your reservation number. Valet overstays are added at pick-up.

The free Cell Phone Lot is at 2311 McCain Road, San Diego, CA 92191. You can wait up to 1 hour. SAN says the lots in front of the terminals fill up when you pick someone up, and suggests using the cell phone lot instead of circling the roadways.

For drop-offs, SAN says you can be dropped off curbside at both terminals. Rideshare pick-up is on the ground transportation plaza across the crosswalk from baggage claim at each terminal.

The Terminal Parking Plazas have clean vehicle parking. SAN's page lists 185 charging points and, separately, 16 electric vehicle charge points. SAN's June 2025 release puts 185 EV charging spaces in the Terminal 1 plaza, and the parking page does not split the 16 charge points by plaza. Charging costs $1.00 per session plus $0.55 per kWh, effective May 7, 2024.

SAN also marks Alternative Fuel Vehicle stalls and Clean Air, Vanpool and EV stalls. Pick a stall with the right sign, because EV stalls are meant for vehicles charging.

SAN's pages disagree on one height limit. For the Terminal 1 plaza, SAN says 9 feet 6 inches on level 1 and 8 feet 4 inches on levels 2 through 5. For the Terminal 2 plaza, the FAQ says 8 feet 2 inches, while the amenities text says levels 2 through 5 are under 8 feet 4 inches. If you drive a tall van or truck, use the lower number or call SP+ at 619.291.2087.

Other things SAN lists in the plazas: a free tire inflation station near the exit on level 1, luggage carts on all levels (carts cost a fee), and glass backed elevators. SAN says the Terminal 2 plaza has about 2,900 spaces and opened in May 2018.

SAN lists convenient access to Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 from each plaza and glass backed elevators. SAN says parking for travelers with disabilities is available in all lots, and a wheelchair-accessible complimentary shuttle serves the terminals. We did not find a count of accessible stalls on SAN's pages. For help, call SAN Parking Customer Service at 619.291.2087.

Wheelchair help inside the terminal is arranged through your airline, ideally before you travel.

The new Terminal 1 is being built in phases. SAN says the original Terminal 1 is closed and being demolished, and Phase 1B should finish in 2028. During construction, the roadway between Terminals 1 and 2 is closed to all traffic. Use the Inter-Terminal Shuttle, which runs daily from 4 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The Terminal 1 Parking Plaza at 3501 North Harbor Drive is already open. Its first stage, with 2,834 spaces, opened on August 28, 2024. The second stage opened on June 13, 2025, and SAN says the plaza now offers more than 5,200 spaces. SAN's project page also lists a new on-airport entrance road to bypass local traffic on North Harbor Drive. We did not find an opening date for the road.