Airport Parking vs. Ride-Sharing: Which One is Right For You?
Heading to the airport? You have plenty of options to get there – public transit, driving, ridesharing, taking a shuttle – you name it. But which one should you choose? Got lots of luggage? Kids in tow? The most efficient and cost-effective option isn’t always what you think. And, you might be surprised about how much money you can save by planning ahead!
Two factors affect the cost of parking vs. ride-sharing: how far you live from the airport and the length of your trip. With this info, you can find out what will save you the most money. Here’s how: use the charts below to learn how you’ll fare by driving yourself and parking or hailing a ride.
How Did We Do It?
- First, we gathered ride-share fare data for 21 top U.S. airports.
- Then we compared the fares to the lowest airport parking rates on SpotHero.
- Finally, we crunched the numbers in Excel.
Featured Airports
Here are some of the top airports across the country. The blue squares show you how much money you could save by driving and parking. The gray squares indicate when ride-sharing is the better deal. Click on an airport below to jump to its chart.
Rideshare graphics and data were last updated February 2021.
ATL | BOS | DCA | DEN | DFW | EWR | HOU | IAD | IAH | JFK | LAX | LGA | MCO | MDW | OAK | ORD | PHL | PHX | SAN | SEA | SFO
ATL: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest airport, seeing well over 110 million passengers in 2019. ATL serves as a hub for Delta, as well as a popular layover city for other major airlines. A busy airport means getting to your terminal can be hectic. Parking at the airport can save you money, so be sure to check out your parking options before leaving the house!
Book Atlanta Airport Parking
BOS: Boston Logan International Airport
Boston Logan is a hub for the New England area and sees thousands of passengers traveling through each day. More often than not, it’s cheaper to drive and park at the airport and take a shuttle to the terminal!
Book Logan Airport Parking
DCA: Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport
The Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport is one of three major airports that serve the D.C./Baltimore area, the others being Dulles (IAD) and Thurgood Marshal (BWI). Driving and parking at the airport is typically the best cost savings choice. Booking with SpotHero finds you the cheapest rates and lets you extend or cancel your reservation if your plans change.
Book DCA Parking
DEN: Denver International Airport
Did you know that the Denver airport is the largest in the U.S.? Figuring out how to navigate the airport can be tricky, but we’re here to make getting there a little easier. Our rideshare comparison chart estimates it’s cheaper to drive and park at the airport as opposed to calling a cab. We search for the best airport parking rates and find you the best spots, often with free shuttles to your terminal!
Book Denver Airport Parking
DFW: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
The Dallas Fort Worth serves as a hub for American Airlines, making it one of the busiest airports in the U.S. which can make getting to and from your terminal tricky. We’ve rounded up the best airport parking rates in the area and compared them against the average cost of rideshare to DFW and found more oftentimes, it’s much cheaper to drive and park!
Book DFW Airport Parking
EWR: Newark Liberty International Airport
Leaving the city for a long weekend trip? Driving yourself and parking may be cheaper than you think. Check out our rideshare calculator for Newark and see how much you can save instead of calling a cab. We’ve found the cheapest parking deals near the airport so you don’t have to!
Book Newark Airport Parking
IAD: Dulles International Airport
The Dulles International Airport is one of three major airports that serve the D.C./Baltimore area, the others being Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport (DCA) and Thurgood Marshal (BWI). Our rideshare study found that Dulles is one of the most cost-effective airports to park at vs. ridesharing! Check out our rideshare calculator for Dulles airport and see how much you can save.
Book Dulles Airport Parking
IAH: George Bush Intercontinental Airport
IAH Airport is one of two airports serving the Houston area and is the larger of the two. Parking at one of the facilities and taking a shuttle to your terminal can save you tons of money and is often a cheaper option than ridesharing. Check out our calculator below for driving and parking at IAH and see how much you could be saving!
Book IAH Parking
HOU: William P. Hobby Airport
Hobby Airport is one of two airports serving the Houston area and the most convenient in terms of proximity to downtown. Parking at one of the facilities and taking a shuttle can save you tons of money you’d spend parking at the terminal, and is a cheaper option than ridesharing.
Book Hobby Airport Parking
JFK: John F. Kennedy International Airport
Leaving the city for a long weekend trip? Driving yourself and parking may be cheaper than you think. Check out our rideshare calculator for JFK and see how much you can save instead of calling a cab. We’ve found the cheapest parking deals near the airport so you don’t have to!
Book JFK Airport Parking
LAX: Los Angeles International Airport
The Los Angeles International Airport is a hub for multiple airlines across the U.S. and sees thousands of travelers per day. Heading on a trip leaving from LAX? We crunched the numbers and found more often, it’s cheaper to drive and park at LAX than to take rideshare! We’ve rounded up the most affordable parking spots near the airport, from valet to economy, to parking lots with shuttles so you can find a spot that works for you.
Book LAX Parking
LGA: LaGuardia International Airport
Leaving the city for a long weekend trip? Driving yourself and parking may be cheaper than you think. Check out our rideshare calculator for LaGuardia and see how much you can save instead of calling a cab. We’ve found the cheapest parking deals near the airport so you don’t have to!
Book LaGurdia Airport Parking
MCO: Orlando International Airport
Flying out of MCO? SpotHero found it’s oftentimes cheaper to drive and park at the Orlando International Airport than take rideshare! Check out our calculator for Orlando below and calculate the potential savings from parking!
Book Orlando Airport Parking
MDW: Midway International Airport Parking
Midway is located 12 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. Believe it or not, driving and parking at the airport can be cheaper than rideshare! Get rid of the unnecessary stress of scheduling rideshare when you can pack your bags and head to the terminal in your own vehicle. We’ve rounded up the best economy, valet, long-term parking options, and more to ensure you’re getting the best price for your trip!
Book Midway Airport Parking
OAK: Oakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport is located about 40 minutes northeast of SFO in the Bay Area. Whether you’re headed out for a long weekend or summer vacation, oftentimes, it’s easier to drive and park at OAK than hailing a cab. We’ve rounded up the best economy, valet, long-term parking options, and more, so you can ensure you’re getting the best price on SpotHero!
Book Oakland Airport Parking
ORD: Chicago O’Hare International Airport
O’Hare is located 15 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and can be a pain to get to. Believe it or not, driving and parking at the airport can be cheaper than rideshare! Get rid of the unnecessary stress of scheduling rideshare when you can pack your bags and head to the terminal in your own vehicle. We’ve rounded up the best economy, valet, long-term parking options, and more to ensure you’re getting the best price for your trip!
Book O’Hare Parking
PHL: Philadelphia International Airport
The Philadelphia Airport is a hub for American Airlines and sees thousands of passengers each year. Our rideshare comparison chart estimates it’s cheaper to drive and park at the Philly airport as opposed to calling a cab. SpotHero searches for the best airport parking rates and finds you the best spots, often with free shuttles to your terminal!
Book Philadelphia International Parking
PHX: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
The Phoenix Airport is located about three miles east of downtown. We crunched the numbers and found more often, it’s cheaper to drive and park at PHX than to take rideshare! We’ve rounded up the most affordable parking spots near the airport, from valet to economy, to parking lots with shuttles so you can find a spot that works for you.
Book Sky Harbor Airport Parking
SAN: San Diego International Airport
SpotHero found it’s oftentimes cheaper to drive and park at the San Diego International Airport than take rideshare! Check out our calculator for San Deigo below and calculate the potential savings from parking! Beat the California sun by searching covered parking spots that offer free shuttles right to the terminal.
Book San Diego Airport Parking
SEA: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Parking
Serving as a hub for Alaska and American Airlines, the Seattle-Tacoma Airport sees thousands of passengers each day. SpotHero found that oftentimes, it’s cheaper to drive and park at the Sea-Tac airport as opposed to ridesharing! Check out our rideshare calculator below and see how much you can save on your next getaway.
Book SeaTac Airport Parking
SFO: San Francisco International Airport Parking
SFO is the busier of the two airports serving the Bay Area. Leaving the city for a long weekend trip? Driving yourself and parking may be cheaper than you think. Check out our rideshare calculator for SFO and see how much you can save instead of ridesharing. We’ve found the cheapest parking deals near the airport so you don’t have to!
Book SFO Parking
You’ve booked your flight and hotels. If it’s cheaper to drive and park, try SpotHero for airport parking!