Northwest Parking District
Northwest Portland is a dense neighborhood, in close proximity to the Central City, that attracts many residents, visitors, and employers. The neighborhood’s continued growth necessitates ongoing management of transportation and parking.
The Northwest Parking District is an area with metered parking and parking for residential/business permit holders, located roughly within NW Vaughn St, I-405, W Burnside St, and NW Cornell Rd. It was created in 2013 when Portland City Council adopted the Northwest District Parking Management Plan, to manage the on-street parking system based on best practices and data. An on-street parking analysis is conducted annually. Read about programs in the Northwest Parking District.
The Northwest Parking District was created to:
- Bridge the gap between parking availability and demand
- Support a full range of transportation options within the context of neighborhood livability and economic vitality
- Efficiently manage parking
- Reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles
Learn more about parking management:
View the Northwest Parking District Map:
Northwest Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC)
The Northwest Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) was formed in 2014 to advise the City on transportation and parking issues in the Zone M Parking District. The committee is responsible for developing a list of transportation related projects and programs to spend meter revenues and permit surcharge funds. The committee's mission is to support a full range of transportation options within the context of neighborhood livability and economic vitality with the goal of efficiently managing parking and reducing reliance on single-occupancy vehicles.
he Northwest Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committee includes 4 representatives from Northwest District Association (NWDA), 4 representatives from Northwest Business Association (NWBA), and 5 At-large individuals. Find the full list of members here. Meetings occur on the third Wednesdays of the month from 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM on Zoom. The public is encouraged to attend. Meeting agendas, summaries and materials are posted here.
Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) provides executive and administrative support to the committee. PBOT supports the committee with materials and updates, sends final agendas and meeting notes to interested parties, and leads the projects selected by the committee.
Join our email list Learn About the Northwest Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Overview of Residential and Business Parking Permits (Zone M)
Zone M is an area with metered parking and parking for residential/business permit holders. The Zone M permit program allows permit holders to exceed the signed visitor limit in the permit zone. Visitors have to follow the posted visitor limit whether that time is free or paid.
Permits are not valid for pay-to-park only areas. Currently the permit program hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Outside those hours, anyone can park in any metered or permit-only space for free. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) issues and enforces parking permits. Residents and businesses in the Northwest Parking District can apply for parking permits.
In 2016, City Council allowed the northwest to develop a pilot program with additional tools to manage on-street parking: a permit surcharge fee, capping the total number of permits issued, limiting annual issuance of residential permits, and annual Transportation Demand Management (TDM) surveys. TDM is a collection of strategies and policies to reduce or redistribute travel demand. The permit surcharge must be spent within the northwest parking area on TDM. Examples include reduced cost transit passes and bike sharing. TDM is one of the quickest, least expensive, and most effective strategies to reduce or prevent traffic and parking problems.
Check your address here to see if you live in the Zone M parking permit area.
Residential Parking Permits (Zone M)
Residential Overview
- Permits cost $195 ($75 permit + $120 surcharge).
- Permits are limited to 1 per licensed driver and a maximum of 3 permits per address/unit.
- Permits are intended for people who do not have off-street parking available to them. Zone M applicants are required to declare any off-street parking they have. If you have off-street parking available, you may not qualify for a permit. Applicants complete an off-street declaration with their application.
- Residents living on an income of 80% the Area Median Household Income pay $75 for a permit (the surcharge is waived). Residents buying a parking permit at a reduced rate who live in buildings with off-street parking are still eligible to buy 1 parking permit. Residents applying for an income-based permit must complete an income certification with their application. Review income limits Here.
- Certain buildings have permit caps.
- Buildings that obtained their certificate of occupancy after August 7, 2013 but before September 1, 2017 , are limited to 0.6 permits per number of units in the building. Buildings that obtained their certificate of occupancy September 1, 2017 or after, are limited to 0.4 permits per number of units in the building.
- These dates reflect the adoption of the NW District Parking Management Plan and the introduction of Zone M permits.
- The Zone M Permit Map identifies the buildings with permit caps
Information about building age and permit restrictions can be found here.
Residential Opt-Out Incentive
If a resident chooses to not renew their Zone M parking permit, they can opt to receive a free Transportation Wallet (2021) that includes:
- $100 TriMet Hop card
- Portland Streetcar annual pass
- $25 BIKETOWN credit
- $30 scooter credit for use on with Spin, Lime, or Bird scooter company
Residents also have the option to buy a Transportation Wallet for $99. Visit https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/78470
Click here to apply for a Zone M Area Parking Permit.
Businesses Parking Permits (Zone M)
Business Overview
- Permits cost $195 ($75 permit + $120 surcharge).
- The maximum number of permits issued to any business is 50.
- Businesses requesting more than 30 permits must complete a mandatory survey on their transportation demand management strategy plans and practices, as well as their off-street parking (go to survey).
- Businesses may request an exception to buy more than 50 permits by following the instructions here: Business Hardship Process. These requests require attendance at the Transportation Demand Management Subcommittee on August 3, 2021. The materials must be submitted by July 26, 2021 to Rae-Leigh.Stark@portlandoregon.gov
- Additional permits over the first 50 costs $390 each. Decisions are made based on their strategies to reduce traffic demand and parking management practice
Business Opt-out Incentive
Businesses can receive free Transportation Wallets (valued at $672 in mobility credits) for every permit not renewed from the previous year. Businesses can also receive discounted Transportation Wallets for $25 each if they purchase fewer permits than what they are eligible to buy. Businesses apply for free or discounted Transportation Wallets by visiting portland.gov/zoneparking and filling out a "Business Employee Roster and Transportation Wallet Form". Businesses and employees also have the option to purchase a Transportation Wallet for $99.
Click here to apply for a Zone M Area Parking Permit.
Don’t Qualify for a Permit?
In the Northwest Parking District there is a limited amount of on-street parking with a high demand from residents, businesses, and visitors. Northwest has many transportation options that hopefully provide a solution for you. Here are some resources to explore if you don’t qualify for a permit (due to residential permit caps, access to off-street parking, or business permit caps):
Transportation Wallet: Permit fees in the Northwest Parking District funds the Transportation Wallet. The Transportation Wallet is a collection of passes and credits to use on Trimet, Portland Streetcar, bikeshare, and e-scooters – a $672 value. This is available for $99 to all Zone M residents and employees, or available for FREE to those who live on low incomes, if you’ve just moved to northwest, or if you’re trading in your Zone M permit. Sign up at transportationwallet.com.
Off-Street Parking Guide: Use this website to find off-street parking options in Northwest.
Carshare: Did you know carshare will soon be available in Portland? Check out Free2Move’s website for more information.
Parking Management 101: The Northwest Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) works with PBOT to manage parking in Zone M, with the goal of reducing parking demand and traffic. Click here to learn how and why PBOT manages parking.
On-Street Visitor Parking
Due to high parking demand in northwest Portland, the main commercial corridors of NW 23rd Ave and NW 21st Ave, are metered only. Nearby parking includes a residential permit area (Zone M) with metered parking. If you are a visitor, you will also have to pay for parking in these areas, and the signs in this area indicate that vehicles with residential or business permits can park without paying at the meter. If you are a visitor (without a Zone M permit), keep in mind that that no matter where you park, there is a time limit.
There are different time limits: 4 hours, 2 hours and 30 minutes. 4 hours is the base time limits because it allows time for people to visit several businesses. On NW 21st Avenue and NW 23rd Avenue, about 80 percent of the meters are four hours. 2 hour time limits are mixed in to increase turnover in busy areas — so more people can find available parking. Residentially zoned streets will have one 30-minute short-term space at one corner of each block face. These are to make it easier for loading and unloading vehicles, and other short-term uses.
For more information on parking in Portland, visit our On-Street Parking Guide.
Looking for a disability parking stall? Click the link below for an interactive map. Standard disability stalls are marked with a "D" when you zoom in, and Wheelchair User Only stalls are marked with a "W". Need more information about disability parking in Portland? Click here to read about rules and regulations.
Off-Street Visitor Parking
Click here to learn about off-street options and find a map detailing the locations and hours of off-street parking lots, as well as locations for BIKETOWN bike corrals. BIKETOWN, Portland's bike share program, is a great alternative to parking and re-parking your car once here!
Parking structures are being evaluated for future construction. They are expensive capital projects. The Northwest Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committee and Portland Bureau of Transportation will continue to manage the on-street system based on best practices and data. This includes implementing Transportation Demand Management (TDM or strategies and polices to reduce travel demand), and using the current off-street parking supply and tools to manage the on-street parking prior to moving forward with a parking structure.
Northwest Reports
Parking Studies
Annual Reports
Northwest Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committee Framework