In This Guide
In this guide you’ll find everything you need to know for parking in Jackson Square. These pointers include:
- About Jackson Square
- Things To Know
- Best Places to Park
- Lots and Garages
- Top Tips
- Street Parking
- Resources
- Attractions
About Jackson Square
Jackson Square is a neighborhood in the northwest edge of the Financial District. It is unique in the way that it has satellite buildings; these are buildings located just outside of the boundaries but are technically considered part of the neighborhood.
This is an historic district in that it is one of the oldest commercial neighborhoods in the state, let alone San Francisco. If you are looking to take in the downtown area of the city, want to experience historic Jackson Square or just walk through on your way to other neighborhoods, this is an excellent destination.
Jackson Square is full of history, so not only is it an excellent destination for history lovers, but just those of culture and beautiful architecture. With so many older buildings, you may find yourself wandering the historic district for an entire day (or more). Due to this, it is a good idea to arrive in Jackson Square as early as possible.
Things to Know
If you are a street parker, this is probably not the location for you. As most of the neighborhood remains on the original late 1800’s street design, very little room is available for actual parking. Due to this, the best options are parking in lots or garages.
This is a busy area of San Francisco. With its close proximity to downtown and the number of businesses located within the neighborhood, it fills up quickly. Also, parking is typically going to be more costly here than further out in the city based on its location, so keep that in mind (and consider pre-buying a parking card so you know you have the readily available funds).
Find more on general parking information for all of San Francisco, like the details of the color curb program, how to retrieve a towed car, and of course, how to park on a hill.
Best Places to Park
For being a great location and a no-nonsense easy parking option, the 635 Sansome St Lot is a great parking option for most people. Parking here is limited so arrive early to secure a spot.
Lots and Garages
View the map below or directly on Google for off-street parking lots and garages in Jackson Square. Expand the map to find more options outside of the neighborhood.
825 Sansome St
635 Sansome St Lot
635 Sansome St
170 Columbus Parking Garage
170 Columbus Ave
Top Tips
- If you find a metered spot with an hourly rate more than $3 per, you’re typically better off parking in a garage
- Double check operating hours for garages. Some garages here are not 24 hours and you’ll end up needing to get your car, and a big ticket, in the morning.
Street Parking
Street Parking Overview
You’ll have a better opportunity for parking in the garages, but some of the streets do have street parking. The streets around here are narrow, so when there is parking on each side, only one lane is available for driving. If you have a vehicle you don’t want to expose to possible fender benders, which is possible due to many of the curving streets and slender roadways, a garage is your best option.
Best Bets for Street Parking
Though street parking can be difficult to find, street parking options are available down Jackson St. Your best bet is to check around Jackson Street at Montgomery.
Jackson Street
Jackson Street at Montgomery
Jackson Square Parking Meter Locations and Rate Areas
Jackson Square is all metered parking with the following rate areas:
- Green: “Area 2″– meters enforced between 7AM-6PM Mon-Sat, $1.50-$3.50 per hour; limit 1 to 4 hours
- Red: “Area 3” – meters enforced between 8/9AM-6PM Mon-Sat, $0.75 – $2.50 per hour; limit 1 hour to unlimited
- Blue: “Area 5” – meters enforced between 7/9AM-6PM Mon-Sat, $0.50-$6.50 per hour; limit 2 hours, 4 hours, unlimited
See meter locations and rate areas for all of San Francisco on the city’s website.
Paying for Metered Parking in Jackson Square
Like all parking meters in San Francisco, parking meters in Jackson Square accept coins, credit cards, PaybyPhone, and pre-paid SFMTA Parking Cards. Read more about the street meter payment options.
Smart Pricing Street Parking in Jackson Square
Prices at the meter can fluctuate with demand in Jackson Square via San Francisco’s Smart Pricing Program. This area overlaps the Blue “Area 5” metered zone. Be prepared for inconsistent meter rates between $0.50 and $6.50 per hour, and limits between two hours and unlimited.
Learn more about how the program works, or use the live map to find availability, pricing, as well as street sweeping and other restrictions.
Jackson Square Residential Parking Zone
There are no residential parking zone restrictions in Jackson Square.
Resources
- The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) – The official transportation authority for all of San Francisco, making it the end all be all for all things transportation and parking. Whether you have more questions about specific parking laws or you just want to know when a certain line is running, you’ll have all your questions answered here.
- Neighborhood Guide of Jackson Square: There is so much to do within Jackson Square it is hard to cover it all. However, you’ll find great insight into the highlights with this guide, from top restaurants to historical listings.
- Parknav – Helps parkers find the best street parking with real-time predictive data.
- ParkMe – Helps parkers find off- and on-street parking using full-time researchers and a predictive algorithm.
- SFPark.org – City website with live parking availability and pricing.
- SpotHero – Find and reserve parking in advance with this free on-demand parking app.
- Parkopedia – Browse street and off-street parking rates with an interactive map.
Attractions
Jackson Square came about truly during the California Gold Rush. Many businesses started in and around Jackson Square and slowly moved outward. At the time, it had three-story buildings built out of brick along cobble stone streets, which at the time proved especially impressive (and expensive). For fans of looking back to the past, many of the buildings located on Jackson street between Montgomery and Sansome still have the cast iron shutters, which were designed to protect against fire. The community itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (there are currently 187 different buildings and communities in San Francisco on the list).
Jackson Square Walking Tours: With all of the different historic destinations and markers within the neighborhood it would take a book to list it all here. So, instead, why not have the book read out loud to you by a professional tour guide? With the help of a walking tour (or a segway tour) you can really learn more about the landmarks while also receiving pointers for great restaurants and bars. These tours are perfect for exploring areas that you simply would not think to stop and check out while searching through Jackson Square and it will give you a better overview than you’ll find anywhere else.