YOW Airport Parking: P4 C$21/Day, P1 C$26, Off-Site About C$8 (2026)

As of October 2026, YOW airport parking costs C$21 per 24 hours in the P4 Long-term/Overheight lot (C$105 for a 7-day period) and C$26 per 24 hours in the covered P1 Parkade, both a short walk from the terminal. The cheapest option we found is off-site: Routes Airport Parking Ottawa, 3.5 km away, at about C$8/day all-in for a sample week, but its office and shuttle keep limited daytime hours.

YOW Parking Options at a Glance

Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) runs two public lots, a premium BIZ area for members and a free Cell Phone Lot; there is no official valet or shuttle lot.

Airport rates are from the official YOW parking page, as of October 2026. The airport has announced increases from 1 January 2027: short stays move to C$6.00 per 20 minutes, P1 to C$28.00 per 24 hours and P4 to C$22.00 per 24 hours, C$110.00 per week and C$220.00 per 30 days. The airport's online quote shows its prices including 13% HST. Triply prices are for a sample booking (check-in 10 AM on 13 November, check-out 2 PM on 19 November 2026), include taxes and fees, and change by date.

For a full fee breakdown, including what a short visit costs and every official discount, see our YOW parking rates and fees guide.

P1 Parkade: Covered Parking Next to the Terminal

The P1 Parkade is the closest and most expensive public lot: C$26.00 per 24 hours, covered, and connected to the terminal by two skywalks.

• Rate: C$6.00 per 30 minutes up to the C$26.00 daily maximum.
• Height limit: 2.25 metres.
• Accessible spots: on every level, with a 30-minute grace period for vehicles with a valid accessible parking permit.
• EV charging: free 120V chargers on Levels 2, 3 and 4 (see below).
• Getting there: from the Airport Parkway, stay in the left lane and the Parkade is on your left.

Frequent flyers can join BIZ, a members-only area on Level 3 of the Parkade with a guaranteed spot, at C$10.00 for the first hour and C$30.00 flat per 24 hours. There is no registration fee.

P4 Long-Term Parking at YOW

P4, the Long-term/Overheight lot, is the cheapest parking on airport property at C$21.00 per 24 hours or C$105.00 for a 7-day period.

It is an uncovered surface lot about a 7-minute walk from the terminal, with a 3.6-metre height limit, so it is also where trucks, vans and roof-box vehicles go. It has accessible spots but no EV chargers and no grace period. From the Airport Parkway, turn left at the lights onto Airbus Private, continue to the end, turn right and follow the signs. Staying two weeks or more? The airport's 10 for 30 offer lets you pay for 10 days on a booked P4 stay of 14 to 30 days. Our YOW P4 long-term parking guide covers the lot, the 30-day rate and that offer in detail.

Booking YOW Parking Online

Yes, you can reserve on-airport parking in advance, and booking online is cheaper than paying at the gate.

For our sample stay, the airport's reservation system quoted P4 at C$99.75 and P1 at C$172.90, each after a 5% online discount and including HST. There is no booking fee, you can book up to 12 months ahead and as late as 3 hours before arrival, and you scan a QR code at the entry and exit gates. Changes are free up to 3 hours before your booked arrival time, and cancelling costs C$5.00. Book your entry time about 2 hours before you plan to arrive and your exit about 2 hours after your planned return, since time outside the booking is charged at posted rates.

Off-Site Parking Near YOW

One off-site lot near YOW is bookable on Triply as of October 2026: the Routes lot on Leitrim Road, a gated lot at 2644 Leitrim Rd in Gloucester, 2.2 miles (about 3.5 km) from the terminal.

For our sample week it came to C$54.34 in total, about C$8/day, compared with C$99.75 for P4 booked online. That is about C$45 less, a little over half the price. The catch is hours: the office is open 8 AM to 7 PM on weekdays and 8 AM to 6 PM on weekends, and the on-demand shuttle runs 8 AM to 6:30 PM on weekdays and 8 AM to 5:30 PM on weekends, with no shuttle overnight. It suits a daytime flight out and a daytime flight back; it does not suit a 6 AM departure or a late-evening arrival. Cancellation is a 100% refund up to the day of arrival. Read our Routes Airport Parking YOW guide for the drop-off steps and shuttle pickup point, or compare Ottawa airport parking on Triply.

Cell Phone Lot, Pick-Up and Drop-Off

The free Cell Phone Lot is where drivers wait for arriving passengers; no one may wait at the curbs.

• Cell Phone Lot: free, 30 to 45 seconds from the Arrivals curb. From the Airport Parkway, turn right at the lights onto Air Cargo Private, then right into the first lot. Stay in or beside your vehicle; unattended vehicles are ticketed and towed. No commercial or rideshare vehicles, and no idling except in certain weather.
• Drop-off: the elevated roadway at Level 3, Departures, where the check-in counters are.
• Pick-up: the Arrivals curb on the lower roadway (Level 1). Pillars 1 to 3 are the airport's recommended pickup points.
• Curbs: active loading and unloading only. Vehicles left unattended are ticketed and towed.
• Rideshare: pillars 12 and 13, on the curb furthest from the terminal. Hotel shuttles: pillars 13 to 15.

The airport lists every pillar on its ground transportation page.

EV Charging at YOW

EV charging is free in the P1 Parkade, and there are fast chargers next to the Cell Phone Lot; P4 has none.

The Parkade has universal 120V trickle chargers with 25-foot cords (two spots at the north end of Levels 2, 3 and 4, plus two in the BIZ area) and 120V plugs at four spots at the south end of Level 4. There is no cost, no switch to press, and EV spots cannot be reserved. Across from the Cell Phone Lot, at Airport Parkway and Air Cargo Private, three FLO chargers provide 100 kW.

Paying for Parking and Getting Help

If you didn't prepay online, you pay when you leave, by card or debit.

Automated pay stations are in the terminal Arrivals area (north or south end), on Levels 1 and 3 of the Parkade (north or south end) and near the P4 exit. They take debit, American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa. Press the intercom at any exit gate for help. Parking staff are available 24 hours a day at 613-248-4304, and they will boost a dead battery or dig your car out of the snow at no charge.

Getting to YOW Without a Car

OC Transpo serves the airport with the O-Train Line 4 and bus Route 105.

• O-Train Line 4: runs from about 6 AM to midnight between Airport station and South Keys station, where you connect to Line 2. Airport station connects to Level 3 of the terminal at the north end. Check OC Transpo for weekend hours.
• Route 105: runs 24 hours a day, every 30 minutes, between the airport and St-Laurent Station (overnight service runs to Rideau Station). It stops on the Departures roadway, Level 3, north end. Pay cash on board or tap Presto, a credit or debit card, or your phone.

YOW vs Flying From Montréal or Toronto

Some Ottawa travelers price flights out of Montréal-Trudeau or Toronto Pearson as well. If you do, compare parking too: our Montréal YUL airport parking guide and Toronto YYZ parking guide list those airports' lots and rates. At YOW, P4 at C$21 per 24 hours is the official benchmark to beat.

Tips for Parking at YOW

• Book online for the 5% online discount; CAA members get 20% off when they reserve online with their membership number.
• Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans and families with a CFOne Card get 15% off; the promo code comes from the CFOne member site. See the airport's special offers page.
• Over 2.25 metres tall? Use P4 (3.6-metre limit).
• Rates rise from 1 January 2027, so budget for the higher rates on trips from then on.
• Picking someone up? Wait in the free Cell Phone Lot, not at the curb.

More YOW Parking Guides

• YOW parking fees, discounts and 2027 increases
• P4 Long-term/Overheight lot at YOW
• Routes off-site lot near Ottawa airport