Visitor Parking
Because certain campus areas are accessible only to pedestrians, you will need to park your car. Visitors and Guests to The Ohio State University are required to purchase parking at all times. There are two basic options for visitor parking:
Garage Parking: Prevalent in the dense Academic Core and Wexner Medical Center areas.
Surface Lot Parking: Typically located in less dense areas along the campus perimeter.
Both options have a variety of payment methods which are outlined below.
Parking Areas
All parking on campus is allocated and signed for specific uses. Parking regulations are enforced and permits are required 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The remote parking boundary is designated as any area west of State Route 315. Blankenship is the sole exception to this designation. Remote permit holders must park in the parking lots located west of State Route 315 (except the Blankenship lot). For a detailed map of parking areas click here.
Many lots on campus that are reserved strictly for football parking and all vehicles must be removed from these lots by 5:00AM on the day of game. Any vehicle not removed by that time will be towed at the owners expense.
Weekend/Off Peak Parking
To promote safety, some restrictions are reduced after 4:00PM weekdays, all day on weekends and holidays to encourage customers to use the proximity parking lots. The following times are considered off peak parking:
- Weekday Evenings: 4:00PM – 3:00AM Monday through Thursday
- Weekends: 4:00PM Friday through 3:00AM Monday
- Holidays: 12:00 Midnight – 3:00AM the following day
During these times, additional parking garages become available for visitor use and remote surface lot permits are valid in central campus A, B, or C spaces. On Weekend and Holidays, Surface Lot Visitor Permits are permitted to park overnight.
Overnight Parking
Overnight visitor parking is available seven days a week in designated 24/7 Visitor Garages, and with paid parking via Single Space Meters, Pay-N-Display, or ParkMobile. Surface Lot Visitor Permits are restricted to the West Campus WC5 parking lot during the overnight hours (3AM-5AM). Due to the limited parking on campus, vehicles may not be parked for an extended time (more than 72 hours in one location/space – unless otherwise posted). If a vehicle needs to be stored on campus for an extend time, the owner should contact CampusParc.
Disability Parking
Signed visitor disability parking spaces can be found in all visitor parking garages, single space meters, and in surface lots at the posted rate.
Motorcycle Parking
Motorcycles are permitted to park at a meter as long as the meter fee is paid. Motorcycles are not permitted to park in most of the garages on campus at any time because of the limitations of the parking gates. However, our newer garages have separate entrances for motorcycles and they are the SafeAuto Hospitals, Neil Ave., Ohio Union South, 9th Ave. East, West Lane, and Lane Ave. garages.