To visit the Santa Monica Pier and nearby beach, take the Fourth and Fifth Streets exit off the westbound 10 Freeway and turn right onto 5th Street. Turn left at the first signal onto Colorado Avenue and continue west to Ocean Avenue. The Pier is straight ahead. To park, turn left on Ocean, then right onto Seaside Terrace (just past the traffic signal). At the stop sign, turn right onto Appian Way and continue to the large parking lot serving Santa Monica Pier. You may also turn left on Appian Way or continue straight to reach other beach lots. Look for the blue signs.

Parking May through September is $8 on weekends & holidays and $7 weekdays; in April and October, it’s $7 on weekends and holidays and $5 weekdays. November through March, the rate is $6 on weekends and holidays and $5 weekdays.

Lot 1 just north of the Pier is open 7:30 a.m. to 12 midnight every day, year-round and is van accessible. Lot 3 north of the Pier and Lots 1 through 3 south of the Pier are open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in summer and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in winter. Lot 1 south adjacent to the Pier is metered parking, with a two-hour maximum at $1.00 per hour.

More limited parking is available on the Pier deck year-round, 7:30 a.m. to midnight weekdays and until 1 a.m. on weekends. From October through the Thursday before Memorial Day Weekend, the rate is $1 per half hour on weekdays, with a $6 maximum and a $7 flat rate on weekends. Beginning on the Friday prior to Memorial Day through September, parking is a flat $7 on weekdays and $8 weekends.

To visit the beach south of the Pier, take the Fourth and Fifth Streets exit off Interstate 10 and stay to the left, turning left at the signal onto 4th Street. Turn right onto Pico Blvd. (second signal) and continue west past Main Street to the second signal. Make a diagonal left turn onto Ocean Avenue and watch for blue parking lot signs.

Lots 4 and 5 South are open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in summer and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter. Both offer a $6 flat rate parking charge daily, or metered parking, with a two-hour maximum at $1.00 per hour. Lot 4 is at 2030 Ocean Avenue; Lot 5 is at 2600 Barnard Way. Both are van accessible.

To plan your trip ahead of time, go to parkingspacenow.smgov.net to view parking availability updated every 5 seconds on-line.

This page was last updated on 10/16/07.