Parking in Gainesville

There can be limited parking in Gainesville, both on and off-campus. Most large apartment complexes have plenty of parking, but other places might be another story.

parking at midtown in gainesville

Campus Parking

Parking on campus usually requires a decal, unless it’s before 7:30am, after 4:30pm, on weekends or not during the semester. In general, if you plan on driving to school, you’ll need a decal or you will probably get ticketed – often. And it’s not just any decal – there are multiple categories and various coordinating parking lots, so we recommend checking a campus map before you drive to school. See www.parking.ufl.edu.

Oh, and for home football games, your decal is probably not valid.

Non-Campus Parking

Parking downtown and around campus can be tricky, especially if you’re looking for a free spot. You might have to drive a bit and walk a couple blocks to find something. Around campus and downtown, there are a couple of paid lots and garages that charge by the hour that can really help out in a bind – just make sure you have cash!

Roam Towing

Most parking apartments and businesses have towing companies that police their parking lots 24 hrs per day, 7 days per week. The best advice to avoid getting towed in Gainesville is to pay attention! Read the signs, and believe them when they say you’ll get towed. Getting towed costs $100, and of course, you’ll have to figure out a way to get there. Like it or not, towing is a necessary evil in Gainesville. Without it, you probably wouldn’t have a spot in front of your apartment when you get home at night.

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