Short-Term Parking

First 2 hours free in the main lot makes “short-term” simple

At Grand Junction (GJT) you park in one surface lot right in front of T1, then walk about 2 minutes across the access road to the terminal doors. Short-Term Parking isn’t a separate garage or deck here; you just pull a ticket at the entrance and you’re already in the closest rows to check-in. For same-day turns or quick drop-offs, it feels more like extended curbside than a formal short-term setup.

The key detail: the first 0–2 hours in this lot are free, then the meter kicks in at $2 per additional 20 minutes, capped at the $14 daily maximum. That means a 90-minute pickup window costs $0, and even a 3–4 hour stay usually lands well under the day rate. This pricing lives on the main airport parking page, but it surprises people used to big-hub fees.

Regulars treat the free window like a built-in cell phone lot and ignore the actual curb. They pull into the Short-Term Parking rows, park for up to 20 minutes free while watching flight status, then stroll across to T1 when the arrival boards show “landing.” If baggage claims run long, the same trick scales up to the full 2 free hours without moving the car once.

There’s one limitation: GJT currently has no EV charging in any lot, and chargers only sit in the airport’s “future plans” section online. If you drive an electric car, show up with enough charge for at least a $14 overnight or multi-day stay and don’t count on topping off here. Final tip: grab a photo of your row before that 2-minute walk back to T1; the lot is small, but the layout is repetitive in winter darkness.