Standard Parking Space Size report
Parking is one of the most important things for every car owner. Nowadays, everyone dreams of buying a car and traveling, but buying a car comes up with other problems such as finding a parking space for it. Finding parking space on the street is not as easy as you think for congested cities.
To prevent your car from being unable to enter the rare parking space you found smoothly, and it would be better to have a general understanding of the standard parking space sizes. In Addition, parking space must have sufficient space to open, and travelers can easily enter and exit from it.
Perhaps you are purchasing a new vehicle, and you might need to know if it will fit into your parking space safely. Understanding the different parking space sizes is important. Car parking space sizes can vary depending on your location. You will find more details in the following post.
Parking Space Size Guide
To understand the correct parking space size, you must know the vehicle dimensions firstly. Since 1999, 85% of vehicle running on the road has dimensions around 6 feet to 7 inches wide by 17 to 18 feet long. In the United States, parking lots must have 8-9 feet wide. Given that the average width of a car is 6 feet, that provides you with around 1.5 feet on either side of the car as an allowance, assuming you have parked your vehicle correctly. Proper parking will give you enough allowance between cars to open the door and get out without bumping your door on the car beside you.
The standard size design of parking spaces is mainly divided into two sizes: large and small. The arrangement of parking spaces can be divided into three types: parallel, inclined (30°, 45°, 60°), and vertical. Large vehicle parking spaces should not be inclined or vertical. Angled parking spaces offer you a wider allowance for opening the door, but perpendicular parking designs and parallel parking spots (especially on narrow roads) offer less allowance.
Parking Space Types
- Standard Parking: For average parking spaces, the size tends to be around 8 to 9 feet in width and about 16 to 20 feet in length. The dimensions of the standard size actually make it easier for people to pull in and back out safely.
- Accessible/Handicapped Parking: According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accessible parking space dimensions must be at least 8 feet wide for standard vehicles and at least 11 feet wide for van-accessible spaces. Along with this, there must be an access aisle for both variations that are at least 5 feet wide.
- Truck and Trailer Parking: Trucks and trailers cannot park in a standard or handicapped spot. To accommodate their larger size, spaces designated for these vehicles need to be at least 15 feet wide and about 30 to 40 feet in length.
Standard Parking Space Size Chart
The standard parking space size varies according to country. According to cars dimensions that are allowed to manufacture in the Europe the minimum car parking space dimension is 2.4 meters wide by 4.8 meters long.
| European / Compact Size | U.S. Standard Small | U.S. Standard Large | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8' / 2.4 m | 8.6' / 2.59 m | 9' / 2.74 m |
| Length | 16' / 4.8 m | 18' / 5.48 m | 20' / 6.1 m |
Conclusion
Cars' sizes are various on the streets. For this reason, parking dimensions can be complex. Although there are different rules for different countries, know that if you have an average-sized vehicle, you should fit just fine in most places, even if it might be a tighter squeeze in some areas versus more generous locations. If you are planning to build parking spaces, you need to consider various factors. The above standard dimensions will help you construct the perfect parking area.
