Paid parking is already in LoHi. Denver’s Highland parking plan, implemented in 2025, put two-hour paid parking on Lower Highland’s commercial blocks, three-hour limits on many nearby streets and a resident area permit, and since August 2026 drivers can buy a third hour on weekdays.
Parking is one of the most common questions about LoHi, and the answers online are often out of date. In 2023, Denver’s transportation department circulated a draft plan that would add paid parking to Lower Highland, and much of what still turns up in a search describes that draft as something that “may” happen.
It did happen. The City of Denver now lists the Highland Curbside Area Management Plan as implemented in 2025, and the city’s 2026 change to parking meters downtown and in LoHi added a third paid hour on top of it. If you live in LoHi, are visiting, or own a home or condo there, the rules on the curb in front of you have changed in the last two years.
Jason Sirois is a Denver Realtor with FORM at Compass, whose office is at 1900 W 32nd Ave in Northwest Denver. Here is where the paid zone is, what the time limits and permits look like, what changed in 2026, and what it means for owners in Lower Highland.
Is there paid parking in LoHi now?
Yes. Denver’s Curbside Area Management Plans page lists the Highland plan among its implemented plans for 2025. A curbside area management plan, or CAMP, is the city’s neighborhood-by-neighborhood process for setting time limits, paid parking, permits and loading zones.
The city’s Highland CAMP flyer says the plan was developed by a stakeholder working group that included Denver’s Curbside & Parking staff, Highland United Neighbors, the City Council District 1 office and affected residents and businesses. The plan’s main changes:
- Two-hour paid parking, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays and holidays excepted, in the commercial core, paid at pay stations or by mobile app.
- Three-hour time limits, same hours, on many streets outside the commercial core.
- A Highland Area Permit that lets permit holders park anywhere within the plan’s permit area rather than only on their own block.
- Unrestricted parking, with no time limit, on most avenues.
- More accessible spaces on Central and Boulder streets, plus bicycle and scooter corrals at selected corners.
Where the paid zone and time limits are
The plan map in the city’s flyer shows the two-hour paid parking concentrated in LoHi’s angled street grid next to I-25: 15th through 19th streets, Boulder and Erie streets, Central Street and part of Tejon Street, roughly the triangle south of West 32nd Avenue. That is the area with the most restaurants and shops, and the paid parking is aimed at turnover for those businesses.
Outside that triangle, the map shows three-hour limits on many of the north-south streets west toward Zuni Street and north of 32nd Avenue, including commercial stretches of Tejon and Navajo streets up toward 38th Avenue. A stretch of 32nd Avenue itself carries a two-hour limit without payment. Most east-west avenues remain unrestricted.
The flyer says the city planned to collect parking data after the plan took effect, especially between 35th and 38th avenues, to see whether further changes are needed. Signs on each block are the final word, so read the posted sign rather than relying on a map or an app.
What changed in 2026: the third hour
On August 14, 2026, Denver began offering a third hour of metered parking on weekdays after 3 p.m. downtown, in LoHi and along the Broadway corridor, the Denver Gazette reported on September 28. The details as reported:
| Item | As reported |
|---|---|
| First two hours | $2 an hour |
| Third hour | $3 an hour, weekdays after 3 p.m. |
| Start date | August 14, 2026 |
| How to pay | At the meter or through the Pay by Phone app, in eight-minute increments |
| Saturdays | A Saturday third-hour option is being rolled out; no date given |
| Fines | Fine schedules unchanged |
Source: Denver Gazette, September 28, 2026, citing Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The Gazette reported that a pilot in the Governor’s Park area found about 20% of parkers bought the extra hour, with the highest adoption downtown and in LoHi. It also noted that meters it checked on September 28 still showed two-hour limit signs, so the posted sign and the meter screen may not match everywhere yet.
Resident permits and condo buildings
The Highland Area Permit is the main tool for residents. Under Denver’s area zone approach, described on the same city page, residents of multi-unit buildings with up to 50 addresses are eligible for residential parking permits. The 2023 draft reported by the Denver North Star described the same change for Lower Highland, raising the limit from buildings of nine units or fewer to 50 or fewer.
Denverite reported in 2025 that permits under these plans cost $20 or $25 and must be renewed every year. Eligibility depends on the specific address, so check with the city’s Curbside & Parking team or Denver 311 before assuming a unit qualifies, especially in a larger or newer building.
Off-street parking varies by property. Some homes and townhomes have garages or alley access, some condo buildings have assigned or deeded spaces, and some have none. Private surface lots and garages in the area set their own rates.
What this means for LoHi owners and sellers
For a home or condo in Lower Highland, parking is now a property detail worth stating precisely. Note whether a unit has a garage, a deeded or assigned space, alley access, or none, and whether the address sits inside the paid zone, a three-hour block or an unrestricted avenue.
For open houses and showings, the paid zone’s hours, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. except Sundays and holidays, affect how long visitors can stay at the curb. A short note in showing instructions about where to park saves everyone time.
Parking is one piece of how LoHi is changing. New construction like the apartments at 2777 Zuni Street keeps adding homes to the neighborhood, and our post on choosing a condo near downtown or a house nearby covers how parking and other trade-offs differ between the two.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there free parking in LoHi?
Yes, on many blocks. The city’s plan keeps most east-west avenues unrestricted, and Sundays and holidays are excepted from the paid and time-limited hours. Posted signs on each block control.
How much does street parking cost in LoHi?
The Denver Gazette reported $2 an hour for the first two hours at meters in LoHi, with an optional third hour at $3 on weekdays after 3 p.m. starting August 14, 2026.
What are the paid parking hours in LoHi?
According to the city’s Highland plan, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with Sundays and holidays excepted. The same hours apply to the three-hour time-limit blocks outside the paid zone.
Can LoHi residents get a parking permit?
Yes. The Highland Area Permit lets holders park anywhere in the permit area. Residents of buildings with up to 50 addresses are eligible under Denver’s area zone approach. Confirm a specific address with the city.
How much is a residential parking permit in Denver?
Denverite reported in 2025 that permits under the city’s curbside plans cost $20 or $25 and must be renewed each year.
When did paid parking start in Lower Highland?
A draft plan was presented to residents in 2023, and Denver lists the Highland plan as implemented in 2025. The weekday third hour was added on August 14, 2026.
Can I park longer than three hours in LoHi?
Not in the paid zone or on three-hour blocks during posted hours, unless you hold a permit. Unrestricted avenues and private lots and garages are the longer-term options.
This post is general information based on City of Denver materials and news reports available as of October 13, 2026. Parking rules, rates and permit eligibility can change, and posted signs control. It is not legal advice. Check with Denver’s Curbside & Parking team or Denver 311 for a specific address.
