With Buffalo being the second-largest city in New York, finding free parking can be difficult. Due to its close proximity to Ontario, Canada, and close to the Niagara River, parking can get full quite quickly, and no one wants to pay the ridiculous prices that paid-to-park sometimes offers. We’ll show you where to park for free in Buffalo, NY.
Free Parking in Downtown Buffalo, NY
Free parking is highly coveted in Buffalo, NY. In fact, it’s so rare that if you do a quick Google search, you’ll find a few different articles talking about the lack of it and that residents complained and protested on this matter, especially when it came to free parking in downtown Buffalo, NY.
What to Know About Free Parking in Buffalo, NY
When you park for free in Buffalo, NJ, you’ll want to consider the following due to a lot of the free and cheap parking being in residential areas:
- Respect residents and their space – you are parking in their community and neighbourhood
- Don’t park in front of someone’s driveway – nobody appreciates being blocked in by a visitor
- Refrain from parking in front of entrances or doorways – it’s likely to frustrate homeowners
- Park close to the curb to leave enough room for other cars to pass
- Avoid double parking
- Lock your vehicle before leaving it – no reason to worry about your car being broken into and anything being stolen
- Look for parking signs to check the rules around the parking
Free Parking near Canalside, Buffalo, NY
There is an area in Buffalo, NY, called Canalside, and Canalside is located next to a body of water. While free parking is extremely limited in Buffalo, NY, a few options are available for those looking to save money on parking.
Is there free parking Canalside, Buffalo, NY? Yes, you can find free parking canalside Buffalo, NY, at the following locations:
- 332 Ellicott St.
- Wilkeson Pointe
- Lakeside Complex
- 325 Fuhrmann Blvd.

Street Name/Address | Walking distance to the Buffalo News |
332 Ellicott St. | 17 mins. |
Lakeside Complex | 30 mins. |
325 Fuhrmann Blvd. | 34 mins. |
Wilkeson Pointe | 35 mins. |

Free Parking near Buffalo General Hospital, NY
If you’re already visiting someone at Buffalo General Hospital, you’re likely not be thinking about how to save on parking as well. Finding free parking near Buffalo General Hospital is certainly not an easy feat, but there are a few places you can park that we found. Take Note that the parking mentioned below is not available from Thursday 6 pm to Monday 6 pm.
Is there free parking near Buffalo General Hospital, NY? Yes, you can find free parking near Buffalo General Hospital, NY at the following locations from 6 pm Mondays to 6 pm Thursdays :
- 81 Edna Pl.
- 1164 Michigan Ave.
- 168 Dodge St.
- 81 Southampton St.
- 131 Masten Ave.
- 967 Ellicott St. 31
- 19 Coe Pl.
- 1200 NY-5
- 22 Northampton St.

Street Name/Address | Walking distance to General Hospital |
131 Masten Ave. | 22 mins. |
81 Southampton St. | 24 mins. |
168 Dodge St. | 25 mins. |
1164 Michigan Ave. | 27 mins. |
81 Edna Pl. | 27 mins. |
22 Northampton St. | 27 mins. |
19 Coe Pl. | 29 mins. |
1200 NY-5 | 29 mins. |
967 Ellicott St. | 31 mins. |
Free Parking near Buffalo Airport, NY
Buffalo Airport is located about 11 miles outside of downtown Buffalo and is considered to be in Cheektowaga, NY. When seeing someone at the airport, it’s easy to get a sticker shock at the crazy airport parking prices – especially if you’re not planning on staying for very long. Thankfully, there is some if but limited free parking close to Buffalo Airport, NY.
Is there free parking near Buffalo Airport, NY? Yes, you can find free parking near Buffalo Airport, NY, at the following locations:
- 34 Surfside Park way.
- 32 Biscayne Dr.
- 46 Glendale Ln.
- 132 Greenway Blvd.
- 61 Fairhaven Dr.
- 99 Yorktown Rd.
- 220 Farmingdale Rd.
- 75 Brookside Dr.
- 237 Monroe Dr.

Street Name/Address | Walking distance to Buffalo Airport |
32 Biscayne Dr. | 20 mins. |
46 Glendale Ln. | 21 mins. |
132 Greenway Blvd. | 20 mins. |
61 Fairhaven Dr. | 22 mins. |
75 Brookside Dr. | 23 mins. |
237 Monroe Dr. | 24 mins. |
34 Surfside Pkwy | 25 mins. |
99 Yorktown Rd. | 25 mins. |
220 Farmingdale Rd. | 30 mins. |

About Buffalo, NY
Buffalo is a hot spot for entertainment and boasts more than 20 theatre companies, and is so theatre-focused that it even has an area called the Theatre District. At the same time, foodies enjoy going to the city that placed third on National Geographic’s “World’s Top Ten Food Cities” listicle.
A popular bar food item, Buffalo Wings, does, in fact, originate from Buffalo, NY, and has its own food festival called the National Buffalo Wing Festival, which has been an annual occurrence since 2002. Over 4.8 million wings are typically served, and more than 800,000 people attend this coveted event.
Last but not least, Buffalo is considered the seventh-best city to visit, according to Travel + Leisure. The city is full of tourist attractions, including the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Freedom Wall, the Buffalo History Museum, the Buffalo Museum of Science, and more.
After reading through this article, hopefully, you will feel more confident in your ability to find free parking the next time you head over to Buffalo, NY. There’s no reason you should have to ever stress about finding free parking again with this information!
Related Questions
Do you have to pay for parking on Sundays in Buffalo, NY? Parking costs Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, and Sundays parking is free. So no, you don’t have to pay for parking on Sundays in Buffalo, NY.
Is alternate parking in effect in Buffalo, NY? Yes, alternate parking does exist in Buffalo, NY. The restrictions will be mentioned on signs at the side of the road.
Do you have to pay meters on holidays? No, you do not have to pay meters on holidays. These are excluded from usual metered parking prices.