Empower Field has around 6,500 spaces across more than a dozen lots, but most are held by season ticket holders with prepaid permits, and only a limited number open to the public on gameday, first come first served. Fans checking the Broncos site as recently as this offseason found no parking permits available to pre-purchase at all. So the honest starting point is this: if you drive up near kickoff planning to pay at the gate, you are competing for a small pool that regularly sells out. The good news is that Denver has more genuinely cheap alternatives than most NFL cities, including a school lot half a mile out, free street parking, and a light rail line that drops you at the stadium.
The short answer
Best value: the Lake Middle School lot at $25, about 0.6 miles out, with an easy exit and every dollar going to the school. Cheapest: free street parking around Sloan's Lake, if you read the signs carefully. Best with kids: the light rail, since riders 19 and under ride free. Best for tailgating: Lot C at $55, and be there when it opens. Worst plan: arriving near kickoff expecting to buy a spot at the stadium.
Compare every option
| Option | Cost | Walk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Middle School fundraiser lotCommunity lot | $25, cash or card | About 0.6 mi, 15 to 20 min down 17th Ave | The best mix of price, walk, and easy exit |
| Sloan's Lake neighborhood streetsFree street | Free | Under 1 mi | Paying nothing, if you are careful |
| Platte StreetFree street | Free or low cost | Roughly 1 mi via the South Platte River Trail | A free spot with a genuinely pleasant walk |
| Auraria CampusOffsite lot | Around $15 | About 0.5 mi | The cheapest paid option that is genuinely close |
| Ball Arena lotsOffsite lot | Roughly $20 to $25 | About 20 min | Getting out fastest after the game |
| Elitch Gardens, Denver Aquarium, Riverside ChurchOffsite lot | $15 to $35 across the offsite cluster | About 20 min | Tailgating with a bigger group away from the stadium lots |
| Lot A carpool section (official)Stadium lot | $45, credit card only | At the stadium | A carful of four or more splitting it |
| Lot C (official, early tailgating)Stadium lot | $55, credit card only | At the stadium | Serious tailgaters who want the full lot experience |
| Accessible parking (Lots L, D, G)Stadium lot | $35 in Lot L, $40 in Lots D and G | At the stadium | Drivers with a state-issued ADA placard |
Every option, in detail
Community lot
Lake Middle School fundraiser lot
$25, cash or cardAbout 0.6 mi, 15 to 20 min down 17th Ave /// The organizer arrives about 3 hours before kickoff
1820 Lowell Blvd. A teacher at the school runs it for every home game, roughly 125 spots, and 100 percent of the money goes to the school, which has raised around $30,000 in a season. Tailgating is welcome: grilling, football, cornhole. Fans specifically pick it for how easy it is to get out afterward, and the subreddit moderators link it in the official game threads.
Heads up: No alcohol, because it is school property. It sells out in 90 minutes to 2 hours, faster for big opponents, and the organizer has flagged Raiders and Packers games as the quickest sellouts of the year. Payment has been cash-only in some seasons when the card reader was down, so bring cash to be safe.
Via reddit.com (Posted by the organizing teacher in r/DenverBroncos each season, most recently confirmed operating in March 2026)
Free street
Sloan's Lake neighborhood streets
FreeUnder 1 mi /// Anytime, first come first served
Street parking in the neighborhood by Sloan's Lake is free or cheap and the walk is under a mile. A Denver local outlet and Broncos fans name this independently as the go-to free option.
Heads up: Read every posted sign. The City of Denver confirms that for any event over 20,000 attendees, its Right of Way Enforcement actively monitors on-street parking around the stadium, and illegally parked vehicles can be ticketed and towed. Denver has been expanding residential permit zones, so a block that was fine last season may not be this one. If you get towed, the city's tow line is (720) 865-0470.
Via denvergov.org (Enforcement and towing per the City and County of Denver. Location and walk distance per Denver Citycast and r/DenverBroncos)
Free street
Platte Street
Free or low costRoughly 1 mi via the South Platte River Trail /// Anytime, first come first served
Free or low-cost street parking with a walk to the stadium along the South Platte River Trail, which a local guide describes as easy and enjoyable rather than a slog through parking lots.
Heads up: The same city enforcement applies here as anywhere near the stadium. Check the signs on your block.
Via denver.citycast.fm (Denver Citycast neighborhood guide)
Offsite lot
Auraria Campus
Around $15About 0.5 mi /// Offsite lots generally open about 4 hours before kickoff
Campus lots open to the public for stadium events. On price against distance, this is the best paid deal on the list.
Heads up: The $15 figure comes from a fan report a couple of seasons back, so treat it as a ballpark rather than this year's posted rate. Campus event rates change and other downtown events can affect availability.
Via reddit.com (Fan report in r/DenverBroncos, price is an older estimate. Auraria is also listed among the standard offsite lots by Denver Citycast)
Offsite lot
Ball Arena lots
Roughly $20 to $25About 20 min /// Offsite lots generally open about 4 hours before kickoff
The most consistently recommended offsite option, and fans pick it specifically because the postgame exit beats the stadium lots. On a cold night that is worth more than the shorter walk. It doubles as the official rideshare pickup point, and fans confirm you can park there on Broncos gamedays even when the Nuggets and Avalanche are not playing.
Heads up: The $20 to $25 range comes from fan reports a couple of seasons old. The lots and the exit advantage are stable, the exact price is not.
Via reddit.com (Fan reports in r/DenverBroncos across multiple threads, price is an older estimate)
Offsite lot
Elitch Gardens, Denver Aquarium, Riverside Church
$15 to $35 across the offsite clusterAbout 20 min /// About 4 hours before kickoff, and fans report Elitch closer to 3
The cluster of neighboring venues that sell event parking. Fans who tailgate with large groups and do not want Lot C name Elitch, and report other tailgaters arriving around three hours before a mid-afternoon kickoff. The Aquarium is a repeat pick for fans who have used it without trouble.
Heads up: Prices move by event and by how much else is happening downtown that day, so the range is a guide rather than a quote.
Via denver.citycast.fm (Denver Citycast for the venues and range, with arrival timing from r/DenverBroncos)
Stadium lot
Lot A carpool section (official)
$45, credit card onlyAt the stadium /// 4.5 hours before kickoff
Requires four or more people in the vehicle. Split four ways that is a little over $11 each, which beats most offsite lots per person and parks you at the stadium instead of 20 minutes away. The most underrated option on this list if you are rolling deep.
Heads up: No tailgating permitted in this section, so it is the wrong pick if the lot scene is the point.
Via empowerfieldatmilehigh.com (Official stadium parking page)
Stadium lot
Lot C (official, early tailgating)
$55, credit card onlyAt the stadium /// 6 hours before kickoff
The tailgating lot, and the only one that opens six hours out. If the tailgate is the reason you came, this is the one.
Heads up: The stadium itself says it is expected to sell out 30 minutes to an hour after the lot opens. Plan on being there at opening, which means committing your whole morning.
Via empowerfieldatmilehigh.com (Official stadium parking page)
Stadium lot
Accessible parking (Lots L, D, G)
$35 in Lot L, $40 in Lots D and GAt the stadium /// 4.5 hours before kickoff
Requires a valid state-issued ADA parking placard or vehicle registration, first come first served.
Heads up: These typically sell out within the first two hours of lots opening, so treat the posted open time as your arrival time, not a window.
Via empowerfieldatmilehigh.com (Official stadium parking page)
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Skip parking entirely
Denver is one of the few NFL cities where taking the train is the easy choice rather than the compromise. Two light rail stations sit at the stadium, and the city itself encourages transit, biking, and rideshare over driving on event days.
RTD light rail
$2.75 one way (3-hour pass), $5.50 day passEmpower Field at Mile High Station and Decatur-Federal Station both provide direct access to the stadium. Riders 19 and under ride free, and so do active-duty military, which makes this by far the cheapest way to bring a family. Seniors, riders with disabilities, and Medicare recipients pay $1.35 one way. Park free at a suburban Park-n-Ride and ride in to skip stadium traffic entirely. One fan route worth stealing: park in a downtown garage near Larimer Square, walk to Union Station, and ride over from there.
Via rtd-denver.com
Denver Trolley
$10The historic trolley shuttles event-goers from Confluence Park to the stadium. Worth it if you are making a day of it downtown and want the walk shortened at the end.
Bike
FreeThe city points to more than 300 bike racks at the stadium as a real alternative on event days, which is a genuine option in Denver weather for most of the season.
Via denvergov.org
Rideshare
Varies, and it surges after the gameOfficial drop-off is the northeast corner near Gate 5. Pickup is at the Ball Arena lot, which is a walk of about 20 minutes, so factor that in before assuming rideshare is the effortless option. Leaving is when everyone wants a car at once.
When to get there
For the official lots, the posted open time is your arrival time, not a suggestion. Lot C can be gone within an hour of opening and accessible spots within two. For the school lot and the cheap offsite lots, aim for two hours before kickoff, and earlier for a marquee opponent: the Lake Middle School organizer flags Raiders and Packers games as the fastest sellouts of the year. Fans have reported getting emails from the team saying the stadium lots were sold out ahead of big games, so having a backup in mind is not paranoia.
Getting out after
Getting out is the part people underestimate, and it is where the locals quietly beat everyone. Fans repeatedly choose the Ball Arena lots and the school lot over closer options for exactly this reason: a longer walk beats sitting in a stadium lot afterward. If you park at the stadium, expect the exit to cost you more time than the walk would have saved.
Tailgating rules
Tailgating at the stadium is allowed but bounded: use your own parking space only, and do not spill into another spot or block drive lanes and walkways. Lot C is the tailgating lot and the only one open six hours out. The carpool section of Lot A does not allow tailgating at all, so read the lot before you buy it.
The Lake Middle School lot allows hanging out, grilling, football, and cornhole, but no alcohol, because it is school property. That tradeoff is worth knowing before you plan your morning around it.
Questions, answered
- How much does parking cost at Empower Field at Mile High?
- Stadium lots run $45, credit card only to $35 in Lot L, $40 in Lots D and G. Offsite and community lots cost less, and nearby street parking can be free. Best value: the Lake Middle School lot at $25, about 0.6 miles out, with an easy exit and every dollar going to the school. Cheapest: free street parking around Sloan's Lake, if you read the signs carefully. Best with kids: the light rail, since riders 19 and under ride free. Best for tailgating: Lot C at $55, and be there when it opens. Worst plan: arriving near kickoff expecting to buy a spot at the stadium.
- Is there free parking near Empower Field at Mile High?
- Sloan's Lake neighborhood streets: Free, Under 1 mi. Read every posted sign. The City of Denver confirms that for any event over 20,000 attendees, its Right of Way Enforcement actively monitors on-street parking around the stadium, and illegally parked vehicles can be ticketed and towed. Denver has been expanding residential permit zones, so a block that was fine last season may not be this one. If you get towed, the city's tow line is (720) 865-0470.
- What time should I get to a Broncos game?
- For the official lots, the posted open time is your arrival time, not a suggestion. Lot C can be gone within an hour of opening and accessible spots within two. For the school lot and the cheap offsite lots, aim for two hours before kickoff, and earlier for a marquee opponent: the Lake Middle School organizer flags Raiders and Packers games as the fastest sellouts of the year. Fans have reported getting emails from the team saying the stadium lots were sold out ahead of big games, so having a backup in mind is not paranoia.
- Can you get to Empower Field at Mile High without a car?
- Denver is one of the few NFL cities where taking the train is the easy choice rather than the compromise. Two light rail stations sit at the stadium, and the city itself encourages transit, biking, and rideshare over driving on event days. RTD light rail: $2.75 one way (3-hour pass), $5.50 day pass.
The Broncos are planning a new stadium at Burnham Yard. Nothing on this page changes for now, but this guide will be rechecked each offseason as those plans firm up.
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.
Citing this guide
Free to quote and reference, including in articles and AI answers. We ask for credit and a link back, which is the whole license.
Dispatch Sports, “Parking at Empower Field at Mile High: Denver Broncos Gameday Guide.” Checked 2026-07. https://dispatchsports.com/nfl/broncos/parking
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