Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium parking ranges from $10-$75+ across official stadium lots and surrounding garages. Texas Longhorns game day parking passes can be prepaid online for the closest lots, with cheaper options available within walking distance of the venue. Tailgating is allowed in designated lots only; find lot maps, ADA accessible parking, and rideshare drop-off details below.
Common questions
How much is parking at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium?
Where can I find cheap parking near Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium?
Where do I park for a Texas Longhorns game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium?
Can you tailgate at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium?
How Much Is Parking at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium?
Parking at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium ranges from $10 to $75 or more depending on the lot, game tier, and how early you buy.
The most affordable options are state-operated lots managed by the Texas Facilities Commission. Lot 26, the Park-and-Ride at 701 W. 51st St., costs $10 per vehicle on game day or $20 if you park the evening before. Public Lot 24 runs $25 per vehicle on game day and $75 for the full overnight window starting the evening before kickoff. Third-party garages and aggregators like SpotHero and ParkMobile typically list spaces in the $15-$25 range for non-permit lots farther from campus.
Close-in UT campus lots and garages, including Speedway Garage, Manor Garage, San Jacinto Garage, and Brazos Garage, are largely permit-only and assigned through the Longhorn Foundation. A handful of cash surface lots near campus charge around $30 per entry on game day. Secondary market passes through platforms like Vivid Seats or SeatGeek can run $75-$120 or more for premium SEC home games. All parking transactions at DKR are cashless, so bring a credit or debit card.
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Parking Lots and Maps
DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium draws on more than 30 designated parking lots and garages spread across campus and the surrounding Capitol Complex area on game days.
On the UT campus, the closest garages to the stadium are Manor Garage (2017 Robert Dedman Dr., roughly a 7-minute walk), San Jacinto Garage, Brazos Garage (210 E. MLK Blvd.), Speedway Garage (105 E. 27th St.), and Trinity Garage. These are primarily assigned to Longhorn Foundation permit holders and are cleared of regular permit vehicles by 11:59 p.m. the evening before each home game. Lot 20, located about two blocks north of the stadium with a 5-10 minute walk, and Lot 37, one block east off Clyde Littlefield Drive, are also Longhorn Foundation lots.
State-operated parking managed by the Texas Facilities Commission includes State Garages B (1511 San Jacinto Blvd.), Q (1607 San Jacinto Blvd.), and R (204 E. 17th St.), which are leased to UT for home games and require a UT-issued Alumni Parking Permit. Open surface lots such as Lot 9 (adjacent to State Garage Q), Lot 6 (across from State Garage F at 14th and San Jacinto), and Lot 18 (adjacent to State Garage F) are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Lot 118, located at the site of the old Frank Erwin Center off the southbound I-35 frontage road just south of MLK Blvd., serves as both an ADA lot and a general access lot. The official Texas Athletics parking map is updated each season at texaslonghorns.com and is the most reliable source before your game.
Preferred/Premium Parking at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
The closest and most convenient parking at DKR is reserved for Longhorn Foundation donors and season ticket holders who meet the minimum giving threshold.
Season ticket holders who are Longhorn Foundation members at the Hero level ($250 or more in combined football seat gifts and Longhorn Excellence gifts) are eligible to purchase season parking permits in Speedway Garage and other premium lots. Permits are selected and purchased through the online seat-and-parking process that opens in May each year. The number of permits a member can purchase is tied to their total annual gift level, higher donors get priority access to lots nearest the stadium.
For fans without a Foundation permit, premium spaces on the secondary market through StubHub, Vivid Seats, or SeatGeek can run well above $75 for high-profile SEC matchups, with some listed well past $100 for rivalry games. If you want a close, low-hassle spot and are not a permit holder, booking the earliest available state garage space (Garages B, Q, or R on San Jacinto Blvd.) is your best alternative to buying secondhand. All of these transactions are contactless and cashless at the gate.
Free Parking Near Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
True free parking near DKR on game day is extremely limited, street parking on blocks adjacent to the stadium is almost entirely restricted to permit holders, and towing is strictly enforced on and around the UT campus.
The closest thing to free parking is the Lot 26 Park-and-Ride at 701 W. 51st St., which costs only $10 on game day (or $20 from the prior evening) and includes a free round-trip UT shuttle that drops off and picks up at Dean Keaton St. and Robert Dedman Dr., running from three hours before kickoff until one hour after the game ends. That makes it one of the best-value options for fans willing to ride rather than walk.
For fans staying downtown or near the Capitol, walking to the stadium along San Jacinto Boulevard is a legitimate option on mild-weather days, the walk from downtown is roughly 1.5-2 miles. Street parking in residential areas north and west of campus along The Drag (Guadalupe St.) and Speedway can occasionally be found, but spaces disappear fast for big games. MetroBike docking stations near 23rd Street and San Jacinto Blvd. offer another low-cost option for fans comfortable cycling the last mile. State employees are also permitted one free space in State Garages A, E, F, or J on a first-come, first-served basis on game days.
Can You Tailgate at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium?
Yes, tailgating is permitted at DKR in designated lots, primarily on state property managed by the Texas Facilities Commission, with specific rules governing equipment and timing.
The Texas Facilities Commission reserves tailgate lots on state property near campus each season. Reserved grass areas and short-term lots are available for pre-purchase, with rates based on square footage or lot size. Open-flame grilling equipment and oil-fryers are generally not permitted in most tailgate zones. Parking Lot 19, specifically, does not allow overnight stays or RVs for tailgaters. Lot 26 at 701 W. 51st St. can accommodate RVs and oversized vehicles, though RVs may need to purchase multiple spaces, and there are no water or utility hookups, portable toilets are located in the park across the street.
Beyond the parking lot scene, the official Texas Athletics pregame fan zone is Bevo Boulevard, the stretch of San Jacinto Boulevard that runs alongside the stadium is closed to vehicle traffic on game days and transforms into a festival with live music stages, food trucks, sponsor activations, and appearances by Bevo the live longhorn steer mascot. Gates open two hours before kickoff. The Texas Facilities Commission tailgating reservation forms for the 2026 season are accepted starting May 4, 2026, visit the TFC website early, as tailgate spaces sell out quickly for high-profile games.
ADA and Handicap Parking at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
ADA-compliant parking for Texas Longhorns games is available in Lot 118 and in designated spaces on Trinity Street near DeLoss Dodds Way.
A valid state-issued ADA placard or ADA license plate must be displayed and the qualifying person must be present in the vehicle to use these spaces. Longhorn Foundation members with a valid Foundation parking permit and ADA credentials may also use a signed ADA-compliant space in their designated Foundation lot. For D and D+ permit holders who need to relocate on game day, ADA-compliant spaces are available at the East Campus Graduate Apartments and the Facilities Complex. Traffic control points around the stadium go into effect at 5 a.m. on game day, and only vehicles with appropriate permits and ADA credentials are admitted inside those checkpoints.
For mobility-impaired fans who are already parked, Fan Services golf cart shuttles are available to transport fans with mobility, hearing, or visual impairments closer to the stadium gates. ADA cart shuttle service is listed on the Fan Services map available at texaslonghorns.com. ADA guests and their accompanying seating group may enter the stadium at Gates 7, 14, 16, and 27. ADA elevators on the west side are located inside Gates 1 and 7; east-side ADA elevators for the general public are inside Gate 27. Contact Texas Athletics Fan Services in advance of your visit to arrange any special accommodations.
Uber and Lyft Drop-Off at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
The official rideshare drop-off and pickup zone for DKR is on the south curb of Dean Keeton Street between Robert Dedman Drive and Red River Street, look for the rideshare signage along the route.
Texas Athletics describes this as an airport-style rideshare zone, meaning drivers pull up, drop off, and depart in a designated flow lane rather than idling in traffic. The location sits north of the LBJ Presidential Library and is approximately a 10-15 minute walk from the stadium. After the game, this same location serves as the pickup point, so plan for wait times on busy game days, rideshare queues after major SEC matchups can be lengthy.
For post-game strategy, I-35 traffic after Texas home games is notoriously congested. If you are using Uber or Lyft, request your ride before leaving the stadium, then walk toward Dean Keeton to give your driver time to navigate the area. Alternatively, consider walking south on San Jacinto Blvd. toward downtown Austin and requesting your rideshare from a less-congested pickup point a few blocks away.
Public Transit to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Capital Metro bus service is the primary public transit option to DKR, with multiple routes stopping within a short walk of the stadium.
CapMetro bus routes 642, 670, 7, and 837 all stop near the stadium, with the nearest stop at 2031 San Jacinto/21st Street. CapMetro bus service is free for UT students, faculty, and staff who present a valid campus ID. All other riders can use CapMetro’s online trip planner to map connecting routes and departure times from anywhere in the Austin metro. Capital Metro Rail (the light-rail line) travels north from downtown Austin but does not directly pass the UT campus, the closest station is approximately one mile east of the stadium on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and CapMetro provides connecting bus service from that station to the stadium on game days.
UT Athletics also runs a free round-trip shuttle from across Guadalupe Street at the UT Athletics Fields to DKR Memorial Stadium on game days, dropping off and picking up at the Dean Keeton St. and Robert Dedman Dr. intersection. The Lot 26 Park-and-Ride shuttle (separate from the Athletics Fields shuttle) also provides free round-trip service, running from three hours before kickoff to one hour after the game. MetroBike docking stations near 23rd Street and San Jacinto Blvd. offer a bike-share option for fans arriving from nearby neighborhoods or the downtown core.
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Parking Tips
The single most important thing you can do before a Texas Longhorns home game is buy your parking pass in advance, most close-in campus lots are permit-only and sell out well before game day, especially for SEC matchups against Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.
Parking lots open at 7 a.m. on standard game days, and at 6 a.m. for 11 a.m. kickoffs. Arriving at least three hours before kickoff is the safest move for avoiding gridlock on I-35 and the campus perimeter roads. Traffic control points around the stadium go into effect at 5 a.m. game day, creating one-way traffic flows on San Jacinto Blvd., Robert Dedman Dr., DeLoss Dodds Way, and Trinity Street, know your lot’s approach direction before you arrive.
For budget-conscious fans, Lot 26 at 701 W. 51st St. ($10 game day) with the free UT shuttle is the best value in the entire parking ecosystem. Fans coming from north Austin or I-35 can avoid downtown congestion entirely by parking here. If you want to walk in from downtown, San Jacinto Boulevard heads straight to the stadium, you will pass the Texas State Capitol and begin seeing tailgate activity as you get closer to campus. Post-game, plan to wait out traffic at a restaurant or bar on The Drag (Guadalupe St.) for 60-90 minutes rather than sitting in an I-35 parking lot. All parking at DKR is cashless, so do not arrive expecting to pay with cash at any gate or garage.
Heading to a game? See our Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium bag policy for everything else you need to know before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does parking cost at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium?
Parking ranges from $10 at the Lot 26 Park-and-Ride to $25-$30 at state and cash lots near campus. Permit-only lots managed by the Longhorn Foundation are not available for general purchase, and secondary market passes for close-in spaces can exceed $75-$120 for major SEC home games.
Where is the best parking for Texas Longhorns games?
The best balance of price and convenience is Lot 26 at 701 W. 51st St. for $10 with a free UT round-trip shuttle dropping off at Dean Keeton St. and Robert Dedman Dr. For fans who want to walk directly in, Manor Garage at 2017 Robert Dedman Dr. is the closest covered garage to the stadium, about a 7-minute walk.
Can you tailgate at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium?
Yes, tailgating is allowed in designated lots on state property managed by the Texas Facilities Commission. Open-flame grilling equipment is generally not permitted, and Lot 19 does not allow overnight stays or RVs. Reservation forms for the 2026 season open May 4, 2026 on the TFC website.
Where do Uber and Lyft drop off at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium?
The designated rideshare drop-off and pickup zone is on the south curb of Dean Keeton Street between Robert Dedman Drive and Red River Street. Texas Athletics uses an airport-style flow setup with rideshare signage guiding drivers to the zone.
Is there ADA parking at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium?
Yes. ADA-compliant spaces are available in Lot 118 and on Trinity Street near DeLoss Dodds Way. A valid state-issued ADA placard or license plate and the qualifying individual must be present in the vehicle. Fan Services golf cart shuttles are also available to transport mobility-impaired fans closer to the stadium gates.
What bus routes go to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium?
Capital Metro bus routes 642, 670, 7, and 837 stop within a few minutes’ walk of the stadium, with the nearest stop at 2031 San Jacinto/21st Street. CapMetro service is free for UT students, faculty, and staff with a valid campus ID.
Can you pay cash for parking at Texas Longhorns games?
No. All parking transactions at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium are contactless and cashless, only credit and debit cards are accepted at lots and garages. Plan accordingly and do not arrive expecting cash-payment options.
What time do parking lots open for Texas Longhorns games?
Most parking lots open at 7 a.m. on standard game days and at 6 a.m. for 11 a.m. kickoffs. Traffic control points and one-way traffic patterns around the stadium go into effect at 5 a.m. on game day, so know your lot’s approach route before you leave home.
