A new parking lot that just opened in downtown Ocala is open to the public and free to use.

Located at the intersection of W Fort King Street and SW 3rd Avenue, the new parking lot is catty-corner from Starbucks in downtown Ocala.

Free Public Parking lot in downtown Ocala
A new, free public parking lot is now open in downtown Ocala (Photo: April 28, 2024)

According to a sign posted at the lot, the new lot is free and open to the public, but no overnight parking is allowed.

New parking lot in downtown Ocala
The new parking lot is located near the intersection of W Fort King Street and SW 3rd Avenue. (Photo:

With the additional lot, the city continues to expand its downtown parking options. Currently, the city oversees approximately 1,600 parking spaces, with at least five free parking lots and garages in the area.

That includes Parking Garage One, which was recently approved to receive new signs.

Multiple exterior signs will be added to Parking Garage One in downtown Ocala. (Photo: City of Ocala)
Multiple exterior signs will be added to Parking Garage One in downtown Ocala. (Photo: City of Ocala)

Eight additional private lots in downtown become available after 6 p.m. each day and on weekends. During those times, they are free to the public.

There are also metered spaces around downtown that charge 50 cents per hour.