Toronto is a huge city, and like a lot of urban centres in North America, the available space in-town has had a hard time keeping up with the explosion of cars on the road. North York is one of the biggest parts of the city, with its fair share of shopping centres, important streets like Yonge, and its own attractions like the Ontario Science Centre. So, on any given day, there are many cars on the road, and those drivers are all looking for one thing: parking.
Like every other part of Toronto, trying to find public parking in North York can sometimes feel a bit like searching for a needle in a haystack, especially if you're not familiar with the area. But if you're trying to find someplace to park your Chevrolet Spark, we’ve got a big list of areas for public parking in North York that you can try based on location and price.
Free Parking
Keep in mind that free public parking doesn’t also mean “forever” public parking. There are plenty of places in North York that allow free parking for two hours or less. Most of them are what you’d expect. It’s commuter parking lots for public transit, but there are a few other areas you can park your car without worry for a couple of hours. If you need to park for more than two hours, these sites often have daily parking rates of just a few dollars.
Commuter Lots
Old Cummer Go Station: 5760 Leslie Street, 439 spots
Oriole GO Station: 3300 Leslie Street, 286 spots
Rutherford GO Station: 699 Wesburne Drive, 983 spots
Milliken GO Station: 39 Redlea Avenue, 725 spots, accessibility spots available
Richmond Hill GO Station: 6 Newkirk Road, 729 spots
Richmond Hill GO Station East: Newkirk Road, 500 spots
Maple GO Station: 30 Station Street, 1146 spots, accessibility spots available
Unionville GO Station East Lot: 155 YMCA Boulevard, 300 spots
Unionville GO Station Main Lot: 7970 Kennedy Road, 1206 spots, accessibility spots available
Centennial GO Station: 320 Bullock Drive, 445 spots
Etobicoke North GO Station: 1949 Kipling Avenue, 530 spots
Parking For $5 or Less
Most places where you’ll find parking will have a fee, but no one said owning a car in Toronto was cheap. There are many spots in the North York area that will charge fees under $5.00, provided you’re only parking for two hours or less.
$2 or Less
Environment Canada: 4905 Dufferin Street has 492 spots. It’s $1 for one hour, for up to a maximum of five hours.
$5 or Less Parking
Shoppers Drug Mart: 5576 Yonge Street has 53 spots. There’s a 1-hour minimum, and parking costs $9 for a full day.
Leslie Lot: 2760 Old Leslie Street has 102 spots. It’s $2.00 per hour and free between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.
Canada Wide Parking: 5925-5931 Yonge Street has 20 spots. It costs $1.00 for 30 minutes and $5.00 for the day.
TTC Commuter Lot Finch East: 814 Willowdale Avenue has 900 spots. It’s $5.00 for the day, and accessibility spots are available.
Transit Road Lot: 25 Transit Road has 72 spots, and it’s $5.00 for the day.
Parking Under $10
Of course, if you’re willing to pay more, then the number of parking areas available opens up significantly. There are plenty of places to park for two hours or less that cost less than $10. Here are some to look out for:
Municipal Car Park 400: 10 Kingsdale Avenue has 52 spots. It’s $1.50 for 30 minutes and $10.00 for all day.
Municipal Car Park 410: 180 Beecroft Road has 173 spots. It’s $2.00 for 30 minutes, and accessibility spots are available.
Municipal Car Park 412: 11 Finch Avenue West has 62 spots. It’s $2.00 for 30 minutes.
Municipal Car Park 418: 68 Sheppard Ave West has 34 spots. It’s $1.50 for 30 minutes, and accessibility spots are available. There’s also a 2.15 m height restriction.
Municipal Car Park 419: 5667 Yonge Street has 23 spots, at $2.00 for 30 minutes, and there’s a 2.15 m height restriction.
Gibson Square: 5162 Yonge Street has 175 spots. It’s $2.00 for 30 minutes, with a 2.08 m height restriction.
Parking Under $15
The majority of the convenient parking spots in the North York area will average about $12 for 2 hours or less. Here are a few examples:
Empress Walk Garage: 5095 Yonge Street has 330 spots, and it costs $3.00 for 30 minutes. Accessibility spots are available, and there’s a 1.85 m height restriction.
Commuter Lot (Park & Ride): 4050 Yonge Street has 240 spots, at $12.00 between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. Accessibility spots are available.
North York Centre: 5140 Yonge Street has 2,000 spots. It costs $3.00 for 30 minutes. There’s electric car charging and 1.85 m height restriction.
North York General Hospital: 555 Finch Avenue West has 470 spots at $14 for all day.
There are a few places for public parking in North York that charge over $15, with $20 being the most expensive. Beyond that, permits are required for reserved spaces, and of course, customer parking for places of business.
Keep this parking in Toronto guide handy next time you’re out and about!