SMF Airport Parking: Rates, Lots, Shuttles and EV Charging

Every paid lot charges $2 per 30 minutes or part of that, up to a daily maximum. These are the rates the airport posted on October 15, 2026:

• Garage 1: $21 per 24 hours, reached after 3.5 hours.
• Daily Lot: $14 per 24 hours, reached after 2.5 hours.
• South, East and West Economy lots: $12 per 24 hours, reached after 2 hours.

All parking is first come, first served. The airport says reservations are not available now. Prices change, so check flysmf.gov before you go.

SMF is building Garage 2, a six-story garage with 5,537 spaces next to Terminal B. The airport's parking page lists it as opening in fall 2026, and a September 17, 2026 release says it opens later this year.

When it opens, daily maximums go up: Economy from $12 to $14, the Daily Lot from $14 to $19 and the garage from $21 to $28. The airport says there is no further increase in 2027, then $1 more per year from January 1, 2028 through 2031.

Parking reservations are planned to start in 2027. For now, the airport asks you to show up and use whichever lot is open.

Garage 1 is covered and has pedestrian bridges to both terminals: on the third floor for Terminal A and the fifth floor for Terminal B. Vertical clearance is 8 feet 2 inches. There is no shuttle inside the garage, since you can walk to either terminal. For Terminal A, cross the third-floor bridge to Terminal A level 2, where the TSA checkpoint is. For Terminal B, take the elevator to level 5 and cross the bridge to Terminal B level 3, where the Automated People Mover is ahead and to the right of Old Soul Baking Co.

The rate is $2 per 30 minutes until you reach 3.5 hours, then the $21 daily maximum. The garage and the Economy lot are the lots most likely to fill and close.

The Daily Lot is on Airport Boulevard before the entrance to the garage. It costs $2 per 30 minutes until 2.5 hours, then $14 a day. Vehicles longer than 21 feet pay double the posted rate.

The parking page says the shuttle runs every 15 to 20 minutes. The airport FAQ says the Daily Lot shuttle between the terminals comes every 10 minutes, and the parking map says 10 to 15 minutes, so plan for a wait of up to 20. The lot has four Level 2 EV chargers and one paddle charger.

SMF has three Economy lots: South (south of the airport roadways), East (east of the terminals near Airport Boulevard) and West (west of the terminals along Airport Boulevard). Each costs $2 per 30 minutes until 2 hours, then $12 a day. The West Economy Lot showed as closed on the airport's parking page on October 15, 2026. Check the live space counts on flysmf.gov before you go.

There is no walkway to the terminals. The shuttle runs every 25 to 30 minutes, and the airport says to allow up to 60 minutes from parking to the terminal. The airport says shuttles run 24 hours a day to both terminals. At Terminal B, shuttles drop off and pick up at the east entrance on the first level, outside doors 3 and 4. Ticket counters are one level up.

You take a ticket when you enter any paid lot and pay when you leave. The lots take Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express, plus contactless digital payments. Unattended lanes take cards only and are the fastest way out.

The airport's parking page says cash is no longer accepted at the exit booths, but the airport FAQ still says an attendant takes cash at each lot, so bring a card in case. To pay cash, use a pay-on-foot kiosk before you return to your car. The kiosks take bills up to $50, not coins, and you need your ticket. After you pay, you have 20 minutes to exit. Kiosks are in Garage 1 and outside Door 1 at Terminal B. For Terminal A, they are on Level 1 in lobbies C and D and on Level 3 in lobby C of the garage. For Terminal B, they are on Level 5 of the garage, but the airport names lobby E on one page and lobby C on another, so follow the signs. If a machine fails, push the intercom button and an attendant helps.

Lost your ticket? Drive to the exit. Your license plate is read and the amount due is calculated. If no amount shows, press the call button.

EV chargers are in Garage 1, the Daily Lot and the Free Waiting Area. The charging itself is free in the garage and Daily Lot, but standard parking fees apply. Spots are first come, first served.

• Garage 1: two Level 2 chargers on each floor near the Terminal A elevators, and twelve Level 1 chargers near the Terminal B elevators (two each on floors 2, 3, 4 and 6, and four on floor 5).
• Daily Lot: four Level 2 chargers and one paddle charger.
• Free Waiting Area: a DC fast charger and two Level 2 chargers run by SMUD. The DC fast charger takes most major credit cards, and the Level 2 chargers need the Greenlots app. There is a fee. The airport's parking map also marks an Electrify America station but gives no details, so check the map.

The Economy lots have no EV charging.

The Free Waiting Area, also called the cell phone lot, is near the Interstate 5 entrance and exit with access to both terminals. It is free. There is a three-hour limit, your vehicle must stay attended and there are portable restrooms.

The curb is only for active loading and unloading. Cars that wait or are left unattended are ticketed or towed. Drop-offs are fine, but wait for your passenger at the Free Waiting Area.

With a valid disabled plate or placard, you can use designated spaces in any lot at the posted rate. Shuttles have lifts. No shuttle runs in the garage. For help with lot access, call (916) 874-0681.

For a dead battery or a car you cannot find in a lot or the garage, call (916) 874-0825. The same number is for trips longer than three weeks. Lots can fill and close without notice. The airport says a lot may close when its space count shows about 250 spots. Watch the overhead signs and pick another lot at its posted rate.