How much time do DC drivers waste looking for parking?

WASHINGTON — Finding parking is one of life’s little annoyances. While many drivers build time into their commute to find a spot in D.C., a new study is revealing just how much of it they spend circling the neighborhood.

It takes drivers in the nation’s capital about 65 hours a year, or more than two days, hunting for a spot in D.C.

It’s the latest from a study released by transportation analytics company , which polled 18,000 drivers internationally and 6,000 in the United States’ 10 largest cities.


All that circling is costing each driver in the District more than $1,300 a year in gas and maintenance costs, the study said.

It’s not only costing drivers time but money too. The study found drivers in D.C. overestimate the time they’ll need at a meter by about an hour on average, leaving $350 a year on the clock.

Megan Cloherty

An award-winning journalist, Megan Cloherty is podcast host and producer of the “22 Hours: An American Nightmare.” She previously served as 鶹 Investigative Reporter covering breaking news, crime and courts.

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