frequently asked questions
Paid Parking. you ask, we answer.
Answers to your most frequently asked questions about paid parking in Downtown Eau Claire.
Starting August 1, 2026, the new paid parking policy is in effect. Street parking and some parking lots will require payment to park.
It costs $0.50 or $1.00 per hour to park downtown, depending on which streets you’re parking on. See a map of street parking rates here. Parking in surface lots and ramps costs between $0 and $1.00 per hour. See a map of off street parking and the fees here.
Payment is required for street parking Monday-Sunday at 1pm-11pm. Parking 6am-1pm is free. Parking 2am-6am is prohibited. Parking on holidays is free.
See a map of affected areas here.
Street parking on the edges of downtown have reduced pricing and cost $0.50 per hour to park. If you’re willing to walk an extra block or two, there is free street parking on the furthest edges of downtown. See the map of affected areas and parking rates here.
There is one free Quick Stop space on each block in downtown. It is free to park in these spots for up to 15 minutes to give you a chance to run in for a quick visit to your favorite downtown shops. See a map of Quick Stop locations here.
Quick Stop spaces are free to park in for up to 15 minutes to give you a chance to run in for a quick visit to your favorite downtown shops! There is one Quick Stop space on each block in downtown. See a map of Quick Stop locations here.
See a map of available off street parking and rates here.
There are several ways to pay for parking downtown.
You can use the app to pay. Click here to download the downtown Eau Claire parking app, called Passport [https://www.passportparking.com/]. Once you’ve set up your account and added your payment method and license plate, paying for parking requires only a couple of clicks! Enter your parking “zone” and indicate how long you plan to stay to start a parking session. You can extend your session on your smartphone if you decide to stay longer than you anticipated.
You can also pay with a kiosk on the street. There is about one kiosk per block throughout downtown. See a map of where the kiosks are located here. You can use a credit card or coins to pay with the kiosks. Cash is not accepted at the kiosks.
Purchase a parking permit with the city of Eau Claire here.
Pay or appeal your ticket with the City of Eau Claire by following this link.
The city of Eau Claire sets the policy for downtown paid parking. The Parking Administrator, a city employee, administers the program and the city’s Neighborhood Services Division enforces parking laws.
Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. (DECI) has a contract through the city to spread information about the parking change, including the management of this website.
As downtown revitalization progressed over the last 15 years, Downtown Eau Claire has attracted more visitors. Visits downtown have increased every year (except for 2020) with a record breaking total of nearly 8 million visits in 2025. With many more visitors, employees at downtown shops, and downtown residents, parking resources have become strained. Visitors sometimes find it difficult to find convenient parking downtown.
To address this issue, the Eau Claire City Council ordered a parking study that was completed in 2025. The findings of the study revealed that the parking structure was backwards. The highest value parking spots (on the street closed to businesses) were free and the lowest value parking spots (in lots and ramps) required payment. The study recommended flip flopping the structure so that the highest value spots cost more and the lower value spots cost less. If you want a premium spot, you’ll need to pay more for it.
The ultimate goal of these recommendations is to encourage more people to park in lots and ramps (which have largely been underutilized) to free up more space on the street.
City Council has worked to implement the recommendations of the parking study and has changed city policy to require payment on street parking downtown, which will start on June 1, 2026.
The fees that you pay to park on the street fund increased services for downtown, including cleaning in the parking ramps and on the street.
Contact the Parking Administrator in the City of Eau Claire’s Neighborhood Services Department.
Aaron Roths, Parking Administrator
neighborhoodservices2@eauclairewi.gov
715-839-4961
You can bike! The City of Eau Claire has one of the most robust bike trail systems in the state of Wisconsin! And almost all of the trails lead downtown! Bike parking is free and plentiful in downtown Eau Claire. See the Chippewa Bike Map here. [http://bikechippewavalley.com/cvbikemap/]
You can take the bus! The Eau Claire Transit Transfer Center is located downtown with access to bus routes to around the city. See info on Eau Claire Transit here. [https://www.eauclairewi.gov/government/our-divisions/transit
YES! Downtown Eau Claire is the cultural center of our community with unique small businesses, local art and music, and opportunities to connect with your neighbors. It’s home to the largest sculpture tour in the country with over 120+ sculptures and 20+ murals. It features beautiful riverways, an expansive tail system, and historic bridges. The downtown ecosystem has so much to offer and is always changing. The dollars you spend here stay in our local economy which benefits all of us. The dollars you spend to park in downtown are invested back into our downtown and it’s hopefully a small and worthy price to pay for an enriching experience in Downtown Eau Claire.