Airport officials, along with local dignitaries, break ground for the new Terminal B parking garage. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County Department of Airports

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA - Effective Oct. 1 and without much ceremony, the Sacramento International Airport (SMF) hourly parking lot was closed, according to the airport website.

This was the closest parking lot to Terminal B, had more than 600 parking spaces available and was ideal for short visits to the airport to meet or drop off travelers using Terminal B.

Terminal B accommodates the following airlines: Aeromexico, Alaska Airlines, Frontier, Hawaiian Airlines, Horizon, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and Volaris.

Congresswoman Doris Matsui addresses the audience at the parking garage groundbreaking. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County Department of Airports

The Sacramento International Airport’s website indicates the hourly lot will be permanently closed to make way for a new parking garage that will boast more than 5,500 spaces when completed. This new development is part of a larger capital improvement project ongoing at the airport. The project, dubbed SMF Foreword, by Sacramento County leaders is expected to cost $1.3 billion when completed.

According to a September airport news release, project funding is coming from the sale of General Airport Revenue Bonds.

"Increasing close-in garage parking capacity is the number one opportunity we have to improve the guest experience at SMF," said Cindy Nichol, director of airports for the Sacramento County Department of Airports, in an April 2024 news release.

Indeed, a day after the hourly lot was closed, airport officials were joined by local dignitaries to break ground on the new Terminal B parking garage.

“Today’s groundbreaking is another important step to realize the SMF Forward vision and deliver tangible improvements for our community,” said Congresswoman Doris Matsui at the groundbreaking event. “This new parking garage will greatly expand capacity while going above and beyond to make the facility convenient and technologically cutting edge. I’m proud to champion the work of our airport and we are only continuing to push the envelope to keep it the national gold standard for years to come.”

Here is an architectural rendering of the future Terminal B parking garage as seen from street level. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County Department of Airports

According to a Sacramento County news release on the groundbreaking event, the parking garage project will generate 1,000 jobs during its construction phase and will utilize labor under a Community Workforce Training Agreement, creating opportunities for the local workforce.

Sacramento International Airport visitors have recently become accustomed to the airport’s existing parking lots and parking garages near the terminals being full during busy travel periods, leaving travelers few options except to utilize the remote long-term parking lots and ride the shuttle to the terminals.

The new parking garage, when completed, will be a great asset to Sacramento travelers. In the meantime, the hourly lot closure will put additional pressure on the other airport parking lots during the new garage’s construction.   

Sacramento International Airport’s senior public information officer Scott Johnston provided this guidance, “Travelers are encouraged to check parking availability and track shuttles in real-time before arriving at the airport. We also recommend arriving two-and-a-half hours before a flight and using rideshare options instead of driving.”

Here is an architectural rendering of the future Terminal B parking garage as seen from overhead. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County Department of Airports

“SMF is seeing an average of one million passengers per month and is expected to surpass 13 million in 2024, which would be a record-breaking year for the airport.” Johnston added explaining the need for the expanded parking facilities.

For more information on parking at Sacramento International Airport, visit the Sacramento County website at www.sacramento.aero/smf/to-and-from/parking.