Environmental Services
Tour Bus Parking
Arlington County has six tour bus zones with 44 parking spaces in areas convenient to local tourist attractions. These spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be reserved. There is an hourly $3 per bus charge to park in a tour bus zone during the hours of meter operation. Multi-space meters will be available on the curb for payment by coin or credit card.
Overnight parking is available in the following tour bus zones ($3 per hour fee in place overnight):
- Crystal City: 300 block of 18th Street South under the Route 1 bridge (north side) - 6pm - 10am
- Crystal City: 200 block of 18th Street South between Bell Street and Crystal Drive (south side) - 6pm - 6am
- Crystal City: 1900 block of South Clark Street (east side) - 24 hour tour bus parking. South Clark Street is one-way south bound and is best accessed from the intersection at 12th St South.
- Shirlington: 3500 & 3600 block of South Four Mile Run Drive (south side) - 24-hour tour bus parking
- Ballston: 500 block of North Randolph Street (west side adjacent to the Ballston Common Mall) - 10pm - 10am
- Ballston: 500 block of North Quincy Street (east side between 5th Road North and Glebe Road) - 24-hour tour bus parking
- Pentagon City: 1000 - 1400 blocks of South Hayes Street, west side, adjacent to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City between 12th Street South and Army Navy Drive - 2-hour tour bus parking
- Rosslyn: 1900 block of Fort Myer Drive between Lee Highway and 19th St N (east side in front of 1911 Fort Myer Drive) - 24-hour tour bus parking
- Rosslyn: 1600 block of Arlington Ridge Rd between 19th St N and Wilson Blvd (east side) - 6pm - 10am
Daytime parking is also available in the following tour bus zones:
- Pentagon City: 1000 - 1400 blocks of South Hayes Street, west side, adjacent to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City between 12th Street South and Army Navy Drive - 2-hour tour bus parking
- Crystal City: 300 block of 18th Street South under the Route 1 bridge (north side) - two-hour limit between 10am – 6pm
- Crystal City: 200 block of 18th Street South between Bell Street and Crystal Drive (south side) - two-hour limit between 6am – 6 pm
- Crystal City: 1900 block of South Clark Street (east side) - 24 hour tour bus parking. South Clark Street is one-way south bound and is best accessed from the intersection at 12th Street South.
- Shirlington: 3500 & 3600 block of South Four Mile Run Drive (south side) - 24-hour tour bus parking
- Ballston: 500 block of North Randolph Street (west side adjacent to the Ballston Common Mall) - three-hour limit between 10am – 10pm
- Ballston: 500 block of North Quincy Street (east side between 5th Road North and Glebe Road) - 24-hour tour bus parking
- Rosslyn: 1900 Blk of Fort Myer Dr between Lee Hwy and 19th St N (east side in front of 1911 Fort Myer Drive) - 24-hour tour bus parking
- Rosslyn: 1600 block of Arlington Ridge Rd between 19th St N and Wilson Blvd (east side) - 3 hour limit from 10am - 6pm
Click on the following links for neighborhood maps (PDF) with the tour bus zones:
- Ballston Tour Bus Zones
- Crystal City Tour Bus Zones
- Pentagon City Tour Bus Zones
- Shirlington Tour Bus Zones
- Rosslyn Tour Bus Zones
Tour buses may also park in any commercial areas where there are no lines demarking standard car parking meter spaces. (The County Code prohibits vehicles from parking across any line or marking of a parking meter space.) Curbs where tour bus parking is not allowed (including a few blocks in Pentagon City) are signed accordingly. Curbs where the standard car metered spaces are available for buses are unlined. At these locations, drivers must pay the standard meter rate and must follow the time duration regulations. Some areas are restricted for as short as 30 minutes, but many of them allow parking for as long as 10 hours. In those standard car metered areas, there is no charge for parking overnight.
Bus Idling
Arlington County Code (section 14.2-2(f)) prohibits bus idling for more than ten (10) minutes when the bus is parked, left unattended or is stopped for other than traffic or maintenance reasons.