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.
The Northwest Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committeeincludes 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
Parking District Pause and Refresh
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has temporarily paused work related to the NW Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committee and other officially established parking district advisory bodies. This includes meetings of the NW Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
During the pause, we will develop recommendations to the Bureau Director that align our reduced resources with ways to better enable all parking districts to better serve PBOT's mission and strategic plan, encourage a balance of perspectives, improve efficiency, cost recovery, align with recommendations from the Pricing Options for Equitable Mobility (POEM) task force, as well as improve safety and transportation.
We will continue basic and routine administration of all parking districts and will also continue to work on previously committed tasks and projects that do not require public input at this time. We look forward to resume meeting in 2024 after a refresh.
We will keep you all updated through our email bulletins.
In the meantime, stay up-to-date on parking management in the NW Parking District:
Projects and Programs
NW Parking Management Plan
Off-Street Parking Action Plan
Parking Management 101 Videos
Performance-Based Parking Management Manual
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 to see if you live in the Zone M parking permit area.
Use the online parking permit look up tool to see if a vehicle has an active Zone M parking permit.
Residential Parking Permits (Zone M)
Residential Overview
- Permits cost $202.50 ($82.50 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 $82.50 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 are limited to 0.3 permits per number of units in the building.
- This date reflects the adoption of the NW District Parking Management Plan
- The Zone M Permit Map identifies the buildings with permit caps
Information about building age and permit restrictions can be found here.
Residential Parking Permit Trade-In Incentive
If a resident chooses to not renew their Zone M parking permit, they can trade in their permit and receive a free Transportation Wallet that includes a collection of passes and credits to use on TriMet, Portland Streetcar, bikeshare, e-scooters, and carshare – a $775 value. Visit transportationwallet.com to sign up or find more information!
Businesses Parking Permits (Zone M)
Business Overview
- Permits cost $202.50 ($82.50 permit + $120 surcharge).
- Businesses are eligible to purchase up to 0.8 permits per full time equivalent employee.
- 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).
- The maximum number of permits issued to any business is 50.
- 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 and materials must be submitted prior to PBOTParkingDistricts@portlandoregon.gov
- Additional permits over the first 50 costs $397.50 each. Decisions are made based on their strategies to reduce traffic demand and parking management practices.
Business Parking Permit Trade In Incentive
Businesses can receive free Transportation Wallets (valued at $775 in transportation passes and credits) if they purchase fewer permits than what they are eligible to buy, up to 20 free transportation wallets. Businesses apply for free Transportation Wallets by visiting portland.gov/zoneparking and filling out a "Zone Parking Permit Employee Roster and Transportation Wallet Forms". Visit transportationwallet.com to find more information about the Transportation Wallet.
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):
Off-Street Parking Guide: Use this website to find off-street parking options in Northwest.
Carshare: Did you know carshare is now 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.
Transportation Wallet
Permit surcharge fees collected in the Northwest Parking District fund the Transportation Wallet. The Transportation Wallet is a collection of passes and credits to use on TriMet, Portland Streetcar, bike-share, and e-scooters offered at 87% off the retail cost of the entire package.
The 2024 Transportation Wallet includes:
- $200 TriMet Hop card
- Annual Portland Streetcar pass
- $30 e-scooter credits
- $99 BIKETOWN credit
One Transportation Wallet per person per calendar year.
There are many ways to get a Transportation Wallet as a resident or employee in the Northwest Parking District (Zone M)
Buy one for $99
Trade in a Zone M permit (free)
As a new resident to the district and you don’t get a parking permit (free)
As a person living on a low income (free)
Learn more at transportationwallet.com.
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 optionsand 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 Committeeand 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.
Timbers and Thorns Parking
The Timbers’ and Thorns' seasons are kicking off!
Here’s what you need to know about game-day parking:
- In the Restricted Event District (see map), parking rates will be $6 per hour and a 2-hour limit will apply to all spaces.
- The Restricted Event District will be in effect from 3 hours before the game starts and ends 3 after the game starts.
- Fans are urged to take transit, walk, bike or scoot to games. Click here to learn about transit and other transportation options.
- Those that drive may use SmartPark Garages, other parking facilities, or 4-hour parking in the Event District (see map) by Providence Park.
- These game day rates and time limits will not affect parking for employees or residents with a Zone M permit.
- This frees up parking for employees, customers and residents!
Explore interactive map and learn more about Timbers and Thorns parking
Interactive map of Providence Park on-street event parking
Northwest Reports
Parking Studies
Annual Reports
Northwest Parking District Framework
In 2010, Mayor Sam Adams created a stakeholder advisory committee to guide the development of the NW District Parking Management Plan to assure that the plan would reinforce opportunities for economic vitality and neighborhood livability in the NW District. The committee was made up business owners, residents, property owners, developers, and representatives of the Northwest District Association and the Nob Hill Business Association (now known as the Northwest Business Association).
These efforts led to the adoption of the NW District Parking Management Plan (per Ordinance 186191 in 2013). As recommended by the plan, the Northwest Parking District and the NW Parking District Stakeholder Advisory Committee was then created in 2014. The Committee advises PBOT on the implementation of the parking management plan with the goals of efficiently managing parking and reducing reliance on the single-occupancy automobile.
The following documents provide guidance on the NW Parking District's programs and revenue allocation: