50–100 yards from Terminal 1, this is ACK’s closest parking
The Short-Term Parking Lot at Nantucket Memorial Airport sits right by Terminal 1, close enough that you’re rolling your bag to check-in in a minute or two. It’s a surface lot with standard open-air spaces, so no height issues and no ticket maze. Pricing is daily, at a higher “island airport” rate than long-term options, but you’re paying for being steps from the small ACK terminal instead of adding a shuttle or long walk.
This lot works best for same-day trips or quick island hops on Cape Air, JetBlue, or other seasonal carriers using Terminal 1. Flights here turn fast, and the airport itself is small, so you don’t need to build in a huge buffer, but parking this close lets you cut arrival time down to roughly 60–75 minutes before departure. It’s post-entry airport property, not a private off-site, so you drive straight onto Airport Road, follow signs for “Short-Term Parking,” and you’re basically at the front door.
Because the lot is short-term and priced per day, leaving a car all week can add up faster than your off-island hotel bill. Use it for 1–2 days, not for a seven-day getaway. The surface layout is simple: one open lot, no covered sections, and usually enough turnover from day-trippers that spaces open frequently, even on busy August weekends when ACK handles heavy seasonal traffic.
Tip: On peak summer days, aim to arrive 90 minutes before your flight; snag a Short-Term spot first, then check in and grab coffee inside Terminal 1 instead of circling the smaller long-term areas.