Ohio State University - Parking

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Parking at OSU is a task in itself, and when you do find a spot, it will probably be quite a distance from campus. While the University has tried to add more parking lots, the sheer number of students and prospective students makes it impossible for everyone to keep a vehicle on campus. In addition, some spots are getting lost to construction or taken over for events such as football tailgating, worsening an already bad situation. You will get at least one parking ticket in four years.

Students are not allowed to park on campus itself during the day, and overnight parking isn’t legal. If you have a parking permit you can try the student parking on West Campus, but you’ll have to take your chances everywhere else. The bottom line: get ready to build some leg muscles—you’re going to find yourself walking just about everywhere. Generally speaking, it isn’t even worth bringing a vehicle to campus. It’s a hassle driving back and forth from the West Campus lot, and you can’t count on parking anywhere else. In addition, all the main stores and campus buildings are well within walking distance. For getting around at OSU, the on-campus transportation system (CABS) is fairly efficient, with routes to get you almost everywhere you’ll need to go. If you don’t feel like waiting for the bus, you can always walk; traffic is so bad, it often doesn’t save time to go places by vehicle, anyway.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Plain and simply put: OSU gives... Plain and simply put: OSU gives out a lot of tickets! 12345 Parking Report

Anonymous says:

The parking on campus is... The parking on campus is horrendous. They sell as many passes as there are people. So there are probably over a thousand more people than there are parking spaces. The school makes enough money alone off of parking permits and parking tickets that they could fund a parking garage to be built. 12345 Parking Report

BuckeyeGirl says: Ohio State University 2012 Communication and Journalism

My grandmother got a parking... My grandmother got a parking ticket when I was trying to move out of the dorm. She hasn't paid it, so they said they were going to withhold her grades and not let her register for classes. How stupid are they? 12345 Parking: April 27, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

Parking sucks—there’s no two ways... Parking sucks—there’s no two ways about it! 12345 Parking Report

Anonymous says:

If you live off campus, live close... If you live off campus, live close enough to walk to class if you can. 12345 Parking Report

Did You Know?

Best Places to Find a Parking Spot
The West Campus lots, near the Stadium.

Good Luck Getting a Parking Spot Here!
During the day, pretty much anywhere. Don’t even try on South Campus unless you have an “A” permit.

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Hometown: Marietta, GA
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Fun Fact: Gilburt created the Facebook page for the Ohio State Class of 2011.

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