USDRichmond International Airport Parking (RIC) — All 6 Lots Ranked (2026)
Quick answer: RIC parking runs $4.95–$9.99/day across six options. The best value is Park 'N Go Richmond at $5.99/day (4.6★, 377 reviews) — higher-rated and cheaper than the official Economy lot ($7.00/day, 4.3★). The Sheraton Richmond Airport at $9.99/day with a 30-minute shuttle and 3.7★ rating is the worst value combination in the market. Avoid it.
RIC Airport Parking: Full Rate and Rating Comparison (2026)
Richmond International Airport has six bookable parking options ranging from dedicated off-airport lots to hotel park-and-fly. Two options run 30-minute shuttle cycles — a critical factor for early morning flights. Here is the complete inventory ranked by daily rate:
| Facility | Daily Rate | 7-Day Total | Shuttle | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Western RIC (5300 Airport Square Ln, Sandston) | $4.95 | $34.65 | Included | 3.9★ | 1,457 |
| Rodeway Inn (5203 Williamsburg Rd, Sandston) | $5.50 | $38.50 | Included | 3.0★ | 246 |
| Park 'N Go Richmond (5701 Audubon Dr, Sandston) | $5.99 | $41.93 | Included | 4.6★ | 377 |
| Economy Parking — Official RIC (1 Richard E Byrd Terminal Dr) | $7.00 | $49.00 | On-site | 4.3★ | 5,172 |
| DoubleTree by Hilton Richmond Airport (445 International Center Dr, Sandston) | $9.95 | $69.65 | 30 min | 4.2★ | 583 |
| Sheraton Richmond Airport (5501 Eubank Rd, Sandston) | $9.99 | $69.93 | 30 min | 3.7★ | 837 |
The market splits into three tiers. Tier 1 ($4.95–$5.99): budget off-airport lots in Sandston — wide quality spread from 3.0★ to 4.6★. Tier 2 ($7.00): the official on-site Economy lot — reliable, 5,172 reviews. Tier 3 ($9.95–$9.99): hotel park-and-fly with 30-minute shuttles — both overpriced relative to their ratings.
The Central Decision: Park 'N Go vs. Official Economy Lot
Most RIC travelers who do their homework end up choosing between two options: Park 'N Go Richmond at 5701 Audubon Drive, Sandston ($5.99/day, 4.6★, 377 reviews) and the official Economy Parking at 1 Richard E Byrd Terminal Drive ($7.00/day, 4.3★, 5,172 reviews). These are the two lots worth analyzing in depth.
Side-by-Side for a 7-Day Trip
| Factor | Park 'N Go Richmond ($5.99/day) | Official Economy Lot ($7.00/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 7-day total | $41.93 | $49.00 |
| 7-day savings (Park 'N Go) | $7.07 cheaper with Park 'N Go | |
| Rating | 4.6★ | 4.3★ |
| Number of reviews | 377 | 5,172 |
| Statistical confidence | Moderate (377) | Very high (5,172) |
| Shuttle to terminal | Included (off-site) | On-site (no shuttle needed) |
| Lot type | Dedicated off-airport | Official airport lot |
| Address | 5701 Audubon Dr, Sandston, VA | 1 Richard E Byrd Terminal Dr, Richmond, VA |
The Case for Park 'N Go
Park 'N Go Richmond is $1.01/day cheaper than the official Economy lot and 0.3 stars higher (4.6 vs. 4.3). Over 7 days, that's $7.07 in savings. If you're the kind of traveler who trusts the rating signal over sample size, Park 'N Go is the stronger pick: its 4.6-star average on 377 reviews is a genuine positive signal from customers who specifically chose a value off-airport lot and were satisfied.
The dedicated lot format also matters. Park 'N Go is built for airport parking, not a hotel managing a side business. The staff workflow, shuttle logistics, and lot operations are designed around rapid airport drop-off and pick-up cycles — which tends to produce the kind of efficient, frictionless experience that drives high ratings.
The Case for Economy Parking
The official Economy lot's 5,172 reviews vs. Park 'N Go's 377 is a 13.7x data advantage. In statistical terms, the Economy lot's 4.3-star rating is confirmed to a much tighter confidence interval. It is essentially impossible for the Economy lot to have a "hidden" quality problem that 5,172 reviewers missed. With Park 'N Go at 377 reviews, there is a non-trivial chance its true long-run rating is lower than 4.6★ — although 377 is still a meaningful sample.
Economy Parking is also on-site. No shuttle. Walk out of the terminal, get in your car. For travelers who value time-certainty above everything else — catching a connection, early morning departure, tight family schedule — on-site is a qualitatively different experience. The $7.00/day price is reasonable for official on-site parking at a regional airport.
The Verdict
Quality-focused travelers: Park 'N Go at $5.99/day. Cheaper, higher-rated, purpose-built for airport parking. Save $7.07 on a week-long trip.
Risk-averse travelers: Economy Parking at $7.00/day. 5,172 reviews is the most data-confirmed option at RIC. On-site means zero shuttle dependency.
Early morning flight (5 AM or earlier): Economy Parking. No shuttle variable.
The Sheraton Richmond Airport: The Worst Value Combination at RIC
The Sheraton Richmond Airport at 5501 Eubank Road, Sandston is the outlier that makes no sense on any dimension. At $9.99/day, it is the most expensive parking option at RIC. It carries a 3.7-star rating on 837 reviews — below average for a hotel in the parking category. And it runs a 30-minute shuttle cycle. Three strikes in the same lot.
Let's be direct: no scenario makes the Sheraton the right choice at RIC.
| Comparison | Sheraton ($9.99/day, 3.7★) | The Better Option |
|---|---|---|
| vs. Park 'N Go ($5.99/day, 4.6★) | $4.00/day more, 0.9★ worse | Park 'N Go saves $28.00/week, better rating |
| vs. Economy Lot ($7.00/day, 4.3★) | $2.99/day more, 0.6★ worse, 30-min shuttle | Economy Lot: better, cheaper, no shuttle |
| vs. Best Western ($4.95/day, 3.9★) | $5.04/day more, 0.2★ worse, 30-min shuttle | Best Western: still cheaper with a higher rating |
| vs. DoubleTree ($9.95/day, 4.2★) | $0.04/day more, 0.5★ worse | Same price tier, DoubleTree is meaningfully better |
The Sheraton cannot beat Park 'N Go, the official Economy lot, or even the Best Western on any combination of price and rating. At the same $9.99 price as the DoubleTree (essentially identical daily rate), the Sheraton is 0.5 stars lower with more reviews confirming that gap. The 837 reviews on its 3.7-star rating is a statistically meaningful number — this is not a data anomaly.
The 30-Minute Shuttle Compounding Factor
A 30-minute shuttle cycle means that when you arrive at the Sheraton lot, you could wait up to 29 minutes for the next shuttle. Add 10–15 minutes for the actual ride plus terminal walk time, and you should budget 45–50 minutes from arriving at the lot to reaching the security checkpoint. For standard departure windows, this is manageable. For a 5 AM or 6 AM flight from RIC, a 30-minute shuttle cycle creates real arrival-time risk. At $9.99/day, this is an unacceptable compounding of cost and time friction.
DoubleTree by Hilton Richmond Airport: Better Than Sheraton, Still Overpriced vs. the Field
The DoubleTree by Hilton at 445 International Center Drive, Sandston is the more defensible hotel option at RIC. At $9.95/day and 4.2 stars on 583 reviews, it has a solid rating for a hotel parking lot. The problem is the price tier it sits in.
For a 7-day trip, the DoubleTree costs $69.65 vs. Park 'N Go's $41.93 — a $27.72 premium for a 30-minute shuttle and a 0.4-star lower rating. That $27.72 difference is real money for a family or budget traveler. There is no feature the DoubleTree offers that justifies $3.96/day more than Park 'N Go, particularly when Park 'N Go is the higher-rated option.
The DoubleTree is the "least bad" hotel parking option at RIC. If you're staying at the DoubleTree the night before a flight (which is its actual use case), parking your car there makes logistical sense. As a standalone airport parking decision, it's hard to recommend at $9.95/day when Park 'N Go delivers better results for $5.99.
The Budget Tier: Best Western vs. Rodeway Inn — One Works, One Doesn't
The cheapest two options at RIC are the Best Western at $4.95/day and the Rodeway Inn at $5.50/day. They're 55 cents apart in daily rate. They're 0.9 stars apart in rating — which is an enormous quality gap.
Best Western RIC ($4.95/day, 3.9★, 1,457 reviews)
The Best Western at 5300 Airport Square Lane, Sandston is the cheapest option at RIC with a meaningful review base (1,457 reviews). Its 3.9-star rating is "decent but underwhelming" — travelers tolerate it, they don't rave about it. The $1.04/day difference between the Best Western ($4.95) and Park 'N Go ($5.99) is worth serious consideration: for $7.28 more over a 7-day trip, you get 0.7 stars of quality upgrade (3.9 to 4.6) with 377 confirmed Park 'N Go reviews backing it up.
The Best Western is the right pick for travelers with hard budget constraints who have accepted some quality tradeoff. It is not the right pick for travelers who "want the cheapest option" without thinking about what "3.9 stars on 1,457 reviews" means operationally.
Rodeway Inn ($5.50/day, 3.0★, 246 reviews) — Avoid
The Rodeway Inn at 5203 Williamsburg Road, Sandston is the worst-rated lot in the RIC inventory. A 3.0-star rating is not "below average for parking" — it's a signal of operational problems. At $5.50/day, it costs $0.55/day more than the Best Western's $4.95/day for a 0.9-star worse experience. It costs only $0.49/day less than Park 'N Go ($5.99) for a 1.6-star worse experience. The Rodeway Inn has no valid use case in this market.
The 246-review count means this isn't a data fluke. Two hundred and forty-six travelers told you what happened at the Rodeway Inn. The 3.0-star result is the answer.
Sandston, VA: Why Your GPS May Confuse You at RIC
Richmond International Airport carries "Richmond" in its name, but it is not in the City of Richmond. RIC is located in Henrico County, and many of its surrounding businesses — including most of the parking lots — carry a Sandston, VA mailing address. Sandston is an unincorporated community in Henrico County, roughly 8 miles east of downtown Richmond.
This matters for navigation for two reasons:
- First-timers from outside the region: If you're coming from the west (I-64 West from the airport toward downtown) and try to enter "Richmond Airport" into your GPS, you may get directed to downtown Richmond first. Enter the actual lot address — for example, "5701 Audubon Drive, Sandston, VA" for Park 'N Go. Sandston is the correct city name for GPS accuracy.
- Lots are not clustered: The six RIC lots are spread across Sandston on different roads — Airport Square Lane, Williamsburg Road, Audubon Drive, Eubank Road, International Center Drive. They are not all adjacent to each other or to the airport itself. Budget 5–15 minutes of driving time between lots depending on your origin route.
The airport's official address is 1 Richard E Byrd Terminal Drive, Richmond, VA 23250. If you're using the official Economy Parking lot, this address will take you directly on-site. If you're using any off-airport lot, enter the specific lot street address in Sandston.
30-Minute Shuttle Cycles: What They Actually Mean for Your Departure
Two lots at RIC — the DoubleTree and the Sheraton — operate 30-minute shuttle cycles. This deserves a concrete analysis, not just a footnote.
| Scenario | On-Site / Frequent Shuttle (Economy, Park 'N Go) | 30-Min Shuttle (DoubleTree, Sheraton) |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00 AM flight | Arrive at lot 75 min before flight. Walk/short ride to terminal. TSA by 4:15 AM. | Arrive at lot 90–100 min before flight. Wait up to 29 min for shuttle + 15 min ride. TSA arrival uncertain. |
| Noon flight (standard) | Arrive 90 min before. No timing pressure. | Arrive 105–120 min before. One 30-min cycle adds meaningful buffer requirement. |
| Return: arriving at terminal 9 PM | Call lot or walk to shuttle zone. Pickup typically <15 min. | Call lot on landing. Wait up to 29 min for next cycle. Pickup timing uncertain. |
| Flight delay / gate change | Easier to adapt — faster pickup on return. | 30-min cycle means longer wait if your arrival time shifts into the middle of a cycle. |
The 30-minute shuttle cadence at the DoubleTree and Sheraton creates a worst-case 29-minute wait, not an average wait. Professional travel planners budget worst-case. For a 5 AM flight where you're already leaving the house at 3:30 AM, arriving at your lot and waiting up to 29 minutes for a shuttle is a real problem — not a theoretical one.
Park 'N Go and Best Western are purpose-built airport lots. Their shuttle operations run on a more responsive model: you pull into the lot, signal your bag drop, and a shuttle moves. The Economy Parking lot is on-site — no shuttle at all. For time-sensitive travelers, the shuttle cadence question should drive the lot decision before price even enters the equation.
Who Uses RIC: Richmond Metro Travel Patterns
Richmond International Airport serves the greater Richmond metropolitan area: Richmond city, Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Colonial Heights, and Petersburg. It also draws from the broader Central Virginia corridor — Williamsburg, Charlottesville, and the Northern Neck. The Richmond metro population is approximately 1.3 million; the broader catchment area adds another 300,000–400,000 travelers.
The region's travel profile has two distinct driver segments:
- Business travelers: Richmond's economy includes a growing technology sector (Capital One is headquartered in McLean but has a major Richmond presence; CarMax, Markel, and Dominion Energy are based here), healthcare (VCU Health, HCA Virginia), and law firms. Business travelers tend to use expense accounts and may be less price-sensitive — but the DoubleTree and Sheraton's ratings don't support their premium pricing even for expense-account travelers.
- University family travelers: Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, James Madison University in Harrisonburg, and the University of Richmond all generate significant move-in, graduation, and family visit travel through RIC. These travelers tend to be price-conscious and trip lengths cluster around 3–5 days.
RIC serves American, Delta, United, Southwest, Spirit, Frontier, Allegiant, and Breeze Airways. It is a single-terminal airport with two concourses — operationally compact and significantly easier to navigate than major hub airports. TSA wait times at RIC are typically short (under 20 minutes for standard security) compared to comparable-size airports.
The Capital Region Airport Commission operates RIC. Unlike city-operated airports, the Commission structure insulates RIC's operating decisions from city budget pressures, which has historically contributed to operational consistency.
Driving vs. Rideshare at RIC: When Does Parking Win?
GRTC (Greater Richmond Transit Company) does not provide practical airport service. RIC is east of the city in Sandston, outside the GRTC route network. The realistic alternative to driving-and-parking is rideshare (Uber/Lyft) — which runs roughly $20–$30 from downtown Richmond to RIC for a one-way trip. Round trip: $40–$60.
| Origin | Rideshare Round Trip (est.) | Park 'N Go Break-Even | Economy Lot Break-Even |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Richmond (Shockoe Bottom / The Fan) | $40–60 | 7–10 days | 6–9 days |
| Midlothian / Chesterfield County | $35–55 | 6–9 days | 5–8 days |
| Short Pump / West End Henrico | $30–50 | 5–8 days | 4–7 days |
| Sandston / East Henrico (near RIC) | $15–25 | 3–4 days | 2–4 days |
| Colonial Heights / Petersburg | $30–45 | 5–8 days | 4–6 days |
| Williamsburg (via I-64) | $55–80 | 9–13 days | 8–11 days |
Key takeaways: Residents of East Henrico and Sandston are closest to the airport — the break-even point is just 2–4 days, making short trips a legitimate rideshare candidate. Downtown Richmond travelers break even at 7–10 days, meaning a 3–5 day trip is a close call depending on surge pricing. Williamsburg travelers are almost always better off driving — the rideshare distance makes parking win after just 9–13 days, but the trip cost from Williamsburg is high enough that driving is nearly always cheaper for any trip over 3 days.
Surge pricing is RIC's wildcard. Early Monday morning and Sunday evening flights — the classic business travel windows — frequently see Uber/Lyft surge pricing of 1.5–2x the base rate. A $40 round trip becomes $60–$80 in surge. That changes the break-even math significantly in favor of parking.
When RIC Off-Airport Parking Is Not Right for You
Original Research: The RIC Market's Structural Oddity
The RIC parking market has an unusual structural feature: the two highest-priced options ($9.95–$9.99/day) are both hotel lots with 30-minute shuttle cycles, and neither outperforms lower-priced alternatives on rating. This is the inverse of how pricing typically signals quality.
A naïve traveler who reasons "I'll pay more at the Sheraton for a better experience" gets: the most expensive lot, the second-lowest rating in the market (3.7★), and the longest shuttle window (30 minutes). The $49/week Economy Parking lot outperforms the $69.93/week Sheraton on all three dimensions simultaneously — price, rating, and transit time.
The pricing inversion is particularly stark at the Sheraton. Its $9.99/day rate places it above the DoubleTree ($9.95/day) by $0.04/day — essentially the same price — yet the DoubleTree is 0.5 stars higher (4.2 vs. 3.7). Even between the two premium hotel options, the Sheraton loses.
The Park 'N Go signal is worth noting separately. A 4.6-star rating on 377 reviews at a purpose-built off-airport lot suggests an operational model — dedicated lot, focused shuttle, airport-parking-only customer service — that consistently outperforms hotel-managed parking at RIC. This pattern is not unique to Richmond: Park 'N Go operates at multiple airports nationally and tends to post higher ratings than hotel park-and-fly competitors in markets where it operates.
The Best Western at 3.9★ on 1,457 reviews is the most statistically interesting data point in the RIC market: it has more reviews than any off-airport lot except the official Economy lot, yet its rating (3.9★) clusters below Park 'N Go's 4.6★. This gap — 0.7 stars between the two most-reviewed off-airport lots — suggests the Best Western has a genuine, consistently documented quality floor that Park 'N Go consistently clears. The 1,457-review base makes the Best Western's 3.9★ a reliable long-run number, not an anomaly.
Richmond Airport Parking: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does parking cost at Richmond International Airport?
RIC parking ranges from $4.95/day (Best Western, 3.9★) to $9.99/day (Sheraton, 3.7★ — avoid). The official on-site Economy Parking lot is $7.00/day (4.3★, 5,172 reviews). The best-rated off-airport option is Park 'N Go Richmond at $5.99/day (4.6★, 377 reviews) at 5701 Audubon Drive, Sandston, VA.
What is the best parking lot near Richmond International Airport?
Park 'N Go Richmond (5701 Audubon Dr, Sandston, VA) is the highest-rated RIC parking option at 4.6★ on 377 reviews, priced at $5.99/day — lower than the official Economy Parking lot ($7.00/day, 4.3★). For maximum data confidence, the official Economy Parking lot at 1 Richard E Byrd Terminal Drive has 5,172 reviews at 4.3★ and requires no shuttle (on-site). Avoid the Sheraton ($9.99/day, 3.7★) and Rodeway Inn ($5.50/day, 3.0★) — both are poor value relative to alternatives.
Is there a bus or transit option from Richmond to RIC Airport?
No practical public transit option serves RIC. GRTC (Greater Richmond Transit Company) does not run routes to the airport, which is located in Sandston, VA in Henrico County — outside the core GRTC network. The practical alternative to driving is rideshare (Uber/Lyft), which runs approximately $20–$30 one-way from downtown Richmond, or $40–$60 round trip. Parking wins economically for most trips of 5 days or longer from downtown Richmond.
How far is the Economy Parking lot from the RIC terminal?
The official Economy Parking lot is on-site at 1 Richard E Byrd Terminal Drive, Richmond, VA — no shuttle required. Walk directly to the terminal. Off-airport lots in Sandston (Park 'N Go, Best Western, Rodeway Inn) require a shuttle ride; budget 10–20 minutes from lot arrival to terminal. The DoubleTree and Sheraton have 30-minute shuttle cycles, requiring 40–50 minutes from lot arrival to the security checkpoint.
Why does my GPS show Sandston, VA instead of Richmond for the airport lots?
Richmond International Airport is located in Henrico County, not the City of Richmond. Most lots around RIC carry a Sandston, VA mailing address — Sandston is an unincorporated community in Henrico County roughly 8 miles east of downtown Richmond. When navigating to any off-airport lot, enter the full street address in Sandston, VA (for example, "5701 Audubon Drive, Sandston, VA 23150" for Park 'N Go). Searching for "Richmond Airport" in GPS may route you toward downtown Richmond first.
When should I book RIC airport parking in advance?
RIC is a regional airport — capacity is more limited than major hubs, so parking fills during peak periods. Book 2–3 weeks ahead for holiday travel (Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, spring break) and university move-in weekends (University of Richmond, VCU). Book 1 week ahead for standard travel. For major Richmond events (NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway, Monument 10K race weekend), add extra lead time — these generate significant regional travel.
