Navigating Parking at the University of Tennessee and Downtown Knoxville: A Comprehensive Guide

Finding convenient and affordable parking can be a challenge in any bustling city, and Knoxville, home to the University of Tennessee, is no exception. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of parking options around the University of Tennessee and downtown Knoxville, including free parking times, garage locations, accessible parking information, and how to handle parking citations. Whether you're a student, faculty member, downtown worker, or a visitor attending a sporting event, understanding the parking landscape will help you navigate the area with ease.

Downtown Knoxville Parking Facilities

The City of Knoxville, through its parking operator, the Public Building Authority (PBA), offers various parking facilities in the downtown area. These facilities include both garages and parking lots, each with its own set of rules and rates.

Parking Garages

Several parking garages are strategically located throughout downtown Knoxville, offering convenient access to various attractions and businesses. These garages include:

State Street Garage
Locust Street Garage
Market Square Garage
Main Ave Garage
Dwight Kessel (County-owned)
Langley Garage (public-private partnership)

Parking Rates and Payment Options

The standard rate at Locust St., State St., Market Square, Main Ave. Garages, Jackson Ave. is $1 per hour, with a maximum daily rate of $7. Payment is accepted in the form of cash and cards, but only within the garages.

Free Parking Times

One of the most appealing aspects of parking in downtown Knoxville is the availability of free parking during specific times.

Read also: Parking at UT

Free Nights: Parking garages are free Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 7 AM unless otherwise posted for special events. However, if you enter a garage before 6 PM, an attendant will be on duty until 8 PM to accept payment for the time used before 6 PM.
Free Weekends: All public parking garages are free on Saturdays and Sundays, except for the Market Square Garage, which has a flat rate of $3 on Saturdays.
Free 24-hour Parking: The Magnolia parking lots under I-40 offer free parking 24 hours a day, every day.

Free Nights and Weekends Parking Lots

In addition to the free parking times at the garages, several parking lots offer free parking during nights and weekends:

Poplar Lot
Jackson Ave Lot
Old City South Lot

These lots offer free parking overnight from Monday to Friday, 6 PM to 7 AM, and from Friday at 6 PM to Monday at 7 AM, unless otherwise posted for special events.

10-hr Maximum Parking Zone

There is a 10-hour maximum parking zone on S. Central from S.

Accessible Parking

The City of Knoxville is committed to providing accessible parking options for individuals with disabilities. Accessible parking is available at designated on-street locations free of charge with a valid placard or license plate. All accessible parking is limited to the time posted for the on-street parking zone.

Anyone with a valid ADA placard or license plate may also park for free in any standard on-street parking space for the designated time limit. Accessible parking is not allowed in commercial zones unless you have a commercial plate or in no parking zones.

On-Street Parking and ParkMobile

The City of Knoxville partners with ParkMobile to make on-street parking downtown easier and more convenient.

Special Event Parking

Sporting events at the University of Tennessee are a significant part of Knoxville life. These events can significantly impact traffic and parking patterns. It's crucial to be aware of potential parking restrictions and increased demand during these times.

Parking for Downtown Workers

The City of Knoxville recognizes that lower-wage, downtown workers are disproportionately impacted by parking fees. As such, the Public Building Authority (PBA) offers low-cost and free parking options within the downtown area.

Reserving or Removing Parking Spaces

Within the downtown area, it is possible to reserve or remove parking spaces for activities that may not abide by the posted parking regulations. Examples of these activities include residential move-in and move-out, construction activities, temporary storage units, and special events.

Parking Citations

Parking tickets received in the City of Knoxville can be paid online through the QR code on the citation. If you wish to appeal your citation through City County, you must schedule the appeal online within 10 days of the citation date. Parking citation rates are effective January 2025.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

Data Usage and Privacy

The City of Knoxville uses cookies and data to:

Deliver and maintain services
Track outages and protect against spam, fraud, and abuse
Measure audience engagement and site statistics to understand how services are used and enhance the quality of those services

If you choose to “Accept all,” the city will also use cookies and data to:

Develop and improve new services
Deliver and measure the effectiveness of ads
Show personalized content, depending on your settings
Show personalized ads, depending on your settings

If you choose to “Reject all,” the city will not use cookies for these additional purposes.

Non-personalized content is influenced by factors like the content you’re currently viewing, activity in your active Search session, and your location. Non-personalized ads are influenced by the content you’re currently viewing and your general location. Personalized content and ads can also include more relevant results, recommendations, and tailored ads based on past activity from this browser, like previous searches. The city also uses cookies and data to tailor the experience to be age-appropriate, if relevant.

You can select “More options” to see additional information, including details about managing your privacy settings.

tags: #university #of #tennessee #parking #map