Paycor sits on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, and the river is the whole trick. Kentucky is directly across the water, parking there costs a fraction of the Ohio side, and the Bengals themselves run two ways to cross: a $1 shuttle every 15 minutes, and a riverboat that costs $10 over and nothing back. Almost no parking guide mentions either, because neither makes anyone money. On the Ohio side, tailgating is permitted in every Bengals surface lot rather than one designated zone, the garages open six hours before kickoff, and the surface lots open four.
The short answer
Cheapest and most fun: park in Newport or Covington, Kentucky, then take the $1 TANK Southbank Shuttle or the $10 riverboat across, which returns free. Best for tailgating: any Bengals surface lot, since all of them allow it, opening four hours before kickoff. Best if you want to be closest: the CRG garages, open six hours out, but no open flames inside them. Do not miss: the pregame at The Banks along Freedom Way, three hours before kickoff. Worst plan: paying Ohio-side garage rates without checking what Kentucky costs.
Compare every option
| Option | Cost | Walk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park in Kentucky, take the Southbank ShuttleFree street | About $10 to park in Northern Kentucky, plus $1 each way on the shuttle | Shuttle runs every 15 min, or walk across a bridge | Paying the least, by a wide margin |
| Queen City Riverboats from NewportOffsite lot | $10 per person over, return is free | Boat docks near the stadium | The best story of anyone at your tailgate |
| Bengals surface lots (1, 1U, A, B, D, E, Hilltop, Hilltop North, Longworth Hall, Broadway)Stadium lot | Around $35 at the stadium lots, varies by game | At the stadium, varies by lot | Tailgating, which is allowed in all of them |
| CRG garages (Premium, West, Mid, East)Stadium lot | Varies by game, buy through Ticketmaster | At the stadium | Arriving early, and staying dry |
| Accessible parking and drop-offStadium lot | Standard rate | Varies by lot | Season pass holders needing accessible spaces, and anyone being dropped off |
| RideshareStadium lot | Fare, surges after the game | 2nd Street between Vine and Walnut | Getting in from a downtown hotel |
Every option, in detail
Free street
Park in Kentucky, take the Southbank Shuttle
About $10 to park in Northern Kentucky, plus $1 each way on the shuttleShuttle runs every 15 min, or walk across a bridge /// Game day service
The single best-value option at any stadium we have covered. TANK runs the Southbank Shuttle to and from the Covington and Newport riverfronts on game days for a dollar, every 15 minutes, and it is listed on the Bengals' own site. Park on the Kentucky side, where lots run far cheaper than downtown Cincinnati, and ride across. If you would rather walk, the riverfront bridges connect the two sides directly.
Heads up: The roughly $10 Kentucky parking figure comes from an independent stadium guide rather than an official source, and rates vary by lot and by what else is happening on the riverfront. The shuttle fare and frequency are from the Bengals directly.
Via bengals.com (Shuttle service, $1 fare and 15 minute frequency from the official Bengals parking page. The Kentucky parking price is an estimate from an independent team-parking guide)
Offsite lot
Queen City Riverboats from Newport
$10 per person over, return is freeBoat docks near the stadium /// Game day service from Newport
You can take a boat to the game. Queen City Riverboats runs from The Beer Sellar and Hooters in Newport for $10 a person, and the return trip is free. It is listed on the Bengals' own transportation page, and it is the kind of thing that turns a road trip into a memory. Ten dollars is also less than most stadium lots on this list.
Heads up: It is a seasonal game-day service run by a private operator, so confirm departure times and the last return before you commit, especially for a night game.
Via bengals.com (Official Bengals parking and transportation page)
Stadium lot
Bengals surface lots (1, 1U, A, B, D, E, Hilltop, Hilltop North, Longworth Hall, Broadway)
Around $35 at the stadium lots, varies by gameAt the stadium, varies by lot /// 4 hours before kickoff
Cincinnati is refreshingly simple here: tailgating is permitted in all Bengals parking areas surrounding the stadium, not confined to one designated lot the way it is at most stadiums. Lot A, the Riverfront Lot, is the traditional gathering spot. Charcoal and propane are both used in the surface lots.
Heads up: All Bengals parking closes two hours after the event ends, and fans and vehicles must be out by then. For evening games, tailgating has to wrap by midnight. So the lot is a pregame and shortly-after thing, not an all-night one.
Via bengals.com (Lot list, the all-lots tailgating policy, and closing times from the official Bengals tailgating page. The roughly $35 stadium lot figure is an estimate from an independent guide, since the Bengals route pricing through Ticketmaster)
Stadium lot
CRG garages (Premium, West, Mid, East)
Varies by game, buy through TicketmasterAt the stadium /// 6 hours before kickoff, two hours earlier than the surface lots
The four color-coded riverfront garages, purple for Premium, green for West, yellow for Mid and blue for East, open a full six hours before kickoff. That is the earliest access at the complex, which matters for a noon kickoff or a cold, wet December day.
Heads up: Open flames are strictly prohibited in any parking garage structure, so a garage spot means no grilling. If the tailgate is the plan, take a surface lot instead.
Via bengals.com (Official Bengals parking page for garages and opening times, official tailgating page for the open-flame prohibition)
Stadium lot
Accessible parking and drop-off
Standard rateVaries by lot /// With the lot, 4 or 6 hours before kickoff
Every lot provides accessible spaces for season ticket holders with a pass for that lot. For everyone else, there are two designated drop-off and pick-up points: Central Avenue between West Pete Rose Way and Mehring Way, which feeds Gate A, and the corner of Race Street and Freedom Way, which feeds Gate D.
Heads up: Because accessible spaces are tied to season passes for the lot, a visiting fan with a placard should plan on the drop-off points rather than assuming a space will be available.
Via bengals.com (Official Bengals parking page)
Stadium lot
Rideshare
Fare, surges after the game2nd Street between Vine and Walnut /// Event hours
Designated rideshare drop-off and pick-up is on 2nd Street between Vine and Walnut, a couple of blocks up from the stadium.
Heads up: Downtown Cincinnati empties all at once after a game, and the same surge and wait applies here as everywhere. If you are staying downtown, the walk is short enough that it is usually faster than waiting.
Via bengals.com (Official Bengals parking page)
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Skip parking entirely
Cincinnati gives you two genuinely cheap ways across the river and a walkable downtown, which together make paying stadium-garage prices optional. Both cross-river services are listed by the Bengals themselves.
TANK Southbank Shuttle
$1 each wayRuns to and from the Covington and Newport riverfronts on game days, every 15 minutes. A dollar. Park in Kentucky where it is cheap, ride across, and skip the entire Cincinnati parking market.
Via bengals.com
Queen City Riverboats
$10 over, free backDeparts from The Beer Sellar and Hooters in Newport. The return trip costs nothing, so the whole round trip is ten dollars a person and you arrive at a football game by boat.
Via bengals.com
Walking from Kentucky
FreeNewport and Covington sit directly across the river, connected by riverfront bridges. If you are parked on that side and the weather is decent, walking over is free and takes the shuttle wait out of the equation.
Via bengals.com
When to get there
The garages open six hours before kickoff and the surface lots four, so the serious tailgaters are in place well before most visitors think about leaving the hotel. If you want the full day, aim for the lot opening. If you just want a good pregame, The Banks entertainment district between the stadium and the Reds ballpark starts its pregame along Freedom Way about three hours before kickoff, and it is walkable from every lot and both river crossings.
Getting out after
All Bengals parking closes two hours after the event ends and you are expected to be gone by then, so there is a built-in limit on waiting out the traffic in the lot. If you crossed from Kentucky, you have the easiest exit of anyone: the shuttle runs every 15 minutes and the boat returns free, while everyone else is queuing for the same downtown ramps.
Tailgating rules
Tailgating is permitted in all Bengals parking areas surrounding the stadium, which is unusually generous. That covers surface lots 1, 1U, A, B, D, E, Hilltop, Hilltop North and the Broadway Lot. Lot A, the Riverfront Lot, is the traditional gathering spot.
The hard rule: open flames are strictly prohibited in any parking garage structure, so grilling means a surface lot. Everything closes two hours after the event, and evening-game tailgating must end by midnight, with fans and vehicles required to exit at closing.
Via bengals.com
Questions, answered
- How much does parking cost at Paycor Stadium?
- Stadium lots run Around $35 at the stadium lots, varies by game to Fare, surges after the game. Offsite and community lots cost less, and nearby street parking can be free. Cheapest and most fun: park in Newport or Covington, Kentucky, then take the $1 TANK Southbank Shuttle or the $10 riverboat across, which returns free. Best for tailgating: any Bengals surface lot, since all of them allow it, opening four hours before kickoff. Best if you want to be closest: the CRG garages, open six hours out, but no open flames inside them. Do not miss: the pregame at The Banks along Freedom Way, three hours before kickoff. Worst plan: paying Ohio-side garage rates without checking what Kentucky costs.
- Is there free parking near Paycor Stadium?
- Park in Kentucky, take the Southbank Shuttle: About $10 to park in Northern Kentucky, plus $1 each way on the shuttle, Shuttle runs every 15 min, or walk across a bridge. The roughly $10 Kentucky parking figure comes from an independent stadium guide rather than an official source, and rates vary by lot and by what else is happening on the riverfront. The shuttle fare and frequency are from the Bengals directly.
- What time should I get to a Bengals game?
- The garages open six hours before kickoff and the surface lots four, so the serious tailgaters are in place well before most visitors think about leaving the hotel. If you want the full day, aim for the lot opening. If you just want a good pregame, The Banks entertainment district between the stadium and the Reds ballpark starts its pregame along Freedom Way about three hours before kickoff, and it is walkable from every lot and both river crossings.
- Can you get to Paycor Stadium without a car?
- Cincinnati gives you two genuinely cheap ways across the river and a walkable downtown, which together make paying stadium-garage prices optional. Both cross-river services are listed by the Bengals themselves. TANK Southbank Shuttle: $1 each way.
The Banks, the entertainment district between Paycor Stadium and Great American Ball Park, is the pregame hub, with the gathering along Freedom Way starting about three hours before kickoff. It is walkable from the lots, the garages, and the river crossings.
Sourced from the stadium, the city, local outlets, and fans who park here every week. Checked 2026-07, and we recheck three times a year. Prices and lot rules change, so every claim above links where it came from. Click through before you build your day around one spot.
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Dispatch Sports, “Parking at Paycor Stadium: Cincinnati Bengals Gameday Guide.” Checked 2026-07. https://dispatchsports.com/nfl/bengals/parking
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