When is Parking Free?
In all districts parking is free at meters on the following nine (9) holidays, as specified on each meter: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Parking Paystations are programmed not to accept payment on holidays and will display a message on the screen letting you know that it's a holiday.
While government offices observe holidays on the actual day of the holiday unless the holiday falls on a weekend, the City of Portland charges for parking on every day except the nine actual holidays, regardless of what day of the week they fall on, and parking enforcement officers work on every day except those nine actual holidays. This means that holidays falling on a Sunday do not have free parking on Monday and holidays falling on a Saturday do not have free parking on a Friday.
Except in city parks, metered parking in the City of Portland is free on the following 2019 holidays:
Holiday | Description | 2019 Meter Holiday |
New Year's Day | January 1 | January 1, Tuesday |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day | third Monday in January | January 21, Monday |
President's Day | third Monday in February | February 18, Monday |
Memorial Day | last Monday in May | May 27, Monday |
Independence Day | July 4 | July 4, Thursday |
Labor Day | first Monday in September | September 2, Monday |
Veteran's Day | November 11 | November 11, Monday |
Thanksgiving Day | fourth Thursday in November | November 28, Thursday |
Christmas Day | December 25 | December 25, Wednesday |