Parking Enforcement
Parking in Arcata
The parking near downtown Arcata and near the Humboldt State University campus is in high demand by residents, students, and visitors. To ensure access to the downtown and campus areas is available to all on an equitable basis, the City of Arcata has created several specific parking zones.
All of these zones and other parking restrictions are posted by signs on each block to help those visiting these high-traffic areas determine where they may park within the city and for how long. Pay close attention to hours of enforcement on the various signs. When no hours of enforcement are listed, the signs are always in effect.
In addition to parking restrictions designated by signs and curb markings, residents need to be aware that the parking limit on any City street is 72 hours. Vehicles left longer than this without being moved may be tagged as abandoned and towed at the City’s discretion thereafter.
No overnight camping or sleeping in vehicles on public roadways is permitted in the City of Arcata.
The various parking zones within the City of Arcata are as follows:
Zones Enforced Between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., except Sundays
Two-Hour Zones: Posted by signs (white with green lettering) throughout the downtown and north town areas.
Four-Hour Lot: There is a four-hour parking lot located at the corner of 8th and F Street.
Eight-Hour Lot: There is an eight-hour parking lot located at the corner of 7th & G Street.
Four-Hour Zone: The four-hour zones on the 11th Street overpass and F Street between 7th & 8th and 9th -11th are posted with signs which list the hours of enforcement as 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Sundays.
Zones enforced between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., except when HSU is not in session
HSU Calendars are available on the HSU Website. HSU is considered to be “in session” during the summer sessions.
Metered Zones: Metered zones in the HSU area operate from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rates and times of operation are posted on the meters.
Four-Hour Zones: Four-hour zones are posted with signs throughout the downtown, north town, and HSU areas. With the exception of the 11th Street overpass and F Street between 7th & 8th and 9th -11th, these are enforced between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., except when HSU is not in session.
Preferential Zones: There are three Preferential Zones within the City of Arcata (Zone A, Zone B, Zone C). The Preferential Zones are reserved for residents and their identified guests during the enforcement hours listed above. You may purchase a permit for the zone in which you reside. The permits are only valid in the specified zone and do not exempt a vehicle from the four-hour limits.
Residents’ vehicles are identified by a permanent permit sticker placed on the left rear window of the vehicles. Guests’ vehicles are identified by placards placed on the dashboard or rearview mirror. Preferential Zone permits are available at the Finance Department window at City Hall with proof of residency.
The first two permits are available free. Additional preferential permits are available for the following fees:
• 3rd Permit: $15.00
• 4th Permit: $20.00
• 5th and More: $25.00 upon approval by the Public Works Director
Permits are issued by the City Finance Department.
Curb Markings:
Red: Red indicates no stopping, standing, or parking, whether the vehicle is attended or unattended.
Yellow: Yellow indicates stopping only for the purpose of loading or unloading passnegers or freight.
White: White indicates stopping for loading or unloading of passengers or depositing mail in an adjacent mailbox.
Green: Green indicates time limit parking (generally 20 minutes).
Blue: Blue indicates parking limited exclusively to the vehicles of disabled persons and disabled veterans.