Short Term Garage

First 20 minutes free, then $2 per 20 minutes adds up fast

Short Term Garage sits directly next to the T terminal at Sioux Falls Regional, about a 5-minute covered walk to the doors. It’s signed as "Short Term Garage" and capped at $25.00 per day, but the real story is the clock: first 20 minutes are free, then it jumps to $2 for every additional 20 minutes. For any stay longer than a couple of hours, it quickly becomes the priciest option at FSD compared with the Long Term Garage and surface lots.

This is level 1 of the parking garage and it runs as pure first-come, first-served; the airport doesn’t offer reservations for Short Term Garage or any other FSD parking. Official rates list a $25.00 daily max, so an overnight on a one‑night trip can be fine, but locals avoid parking here for multi‑day travel because the bill beats the Long Term and Surface lots by a wide margin. If you’re flying out on a Friday and back Sunday, move the car to a cheaper lot instead of leaving it here all weekend.

Garage occupancy data from the airport’s parking operator shows Short Term Garage often runs hotter than the surface lots, especially in the evening. Late flights into Sioux Falls around 9:00–11:00 p.m. sometimes find this level close to full while outer lots still have space. In winter, the covered walk and zero‑shuttle setup are the draw, but that same demand means you shouldn’t assume a spot if you roll in at the last minute on a busy holiday night.

Regulars play it in two steps: they sit in the free Cell Phone Lot until their passenger texts from the T terminal curb, then swing into Short Term Garage for the 5-minute walk and try to stay inside that 20-minute free window. If you’re parking your own car, decide at the entrance: use Short Term Garage for pickups and single overnights, but head to Long Term or Surface if your trip runs past one night.