Economy Parking Lot Red

Daily $12 rate puts Economy Parking Lot Red in the PDX sweet spot

Economy Parking Lot Red sits on airport property at Portland International (terminal T) and runs $12 per day, undercutting the main garages while keeping you on the official shuttle loop. It’s one half of the airport’s economy setup (the other is Blue), but both feed into the same buses heading to T. If you want on-site parking without garage pricing, this is usually the move.

The shuttle ride from Red to the terminal runs about 5 minutes, and frequent flyers on r/Portland report they rarely wait more than 10 minutes at the shelters. Buses run the same loop for both Red and Blue, so you’re not stuck on a secondary route. In practice, you tap your row, walk to the nearest shelter, and you’re at the ticketing counters in a single short hop.

EV drivers zero in on Economy Red because the airport lists 24 charging stations by the Red E shelter and another 12 by the Red L shelter, all included in the standard $12 daily rate. Regulars aim for Red E first since it clusters chargers and a busy shuttle stop in one pocket. If those rows are full, Red L is the backup with its own chargers and shelter.

Accessibility is decent: disabled spaces sit directly beside bus shelters in both Red and Blue, cutting down the roll or walk in the rain. Shuttle lifts handle mobility devices, so the only real distance is from your car to the shelter itself. If someone in your group needs extra time at TSA in terminal T, drop them first, then loop back solo to Red.

On peak holidays, locals say Red can feel “packed,” especially near Red E, and you may end up circling toward the far end before you see open rows. Build an extra 15–20 minutes into your schedule on Thanksgiving or Christmas week. Final tip: snap a quick photo of the “Red E” or “Red L” sign and row number; it saves a lot of wandering when you land back at PDX at 11 p.m.