San Diego Zoo Will Start Charging for Parking Next Year. City’s Cut Still TBD

The San Diego Zoo will begin charging visitors for parking in January. 

A zoo spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that the parking fees will start on Jan. 5, the same date that the city of San Diego will start charging for parking at lots in Balboa Park.  

It’s unclear how much the zoo will charge and how the revenue will be split with the city. But the spokesperson said the rates and additional information would be shared early next week. 

“We are continuing to work with the city on next steps,” the zoo spokesperson wrote in an email to Voice of San Diego on Nov. 20.  

The spokesperson also said that the zoo will offer complimentary parking for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance members, volunteers and team members. 

The mayor’s office has been working on extending a lease with the zoo and a deal to split parking revenue from the zoo’s lot. Mayor Todd Gloria’s Chief of Staff Paola Avila told Voice that negotiations are ongoing.  

The zoo’s current lease with the city allowed the zoo to charge for parking, but prevented them from charging varying rates. That changed on Sept. 8 when the City Council approved an amendment to the lease. 

Earlier this year, city staff estimated that the city could get $12.5 million from Balboa Park parking fees if they started charging by Oct. 1. They estimated the zoo lot would bring in $3 million. Those revenue estimates from Balboa Park have drastically plummeted because of changes to parking rates and delays in rolling out the charges. Now, city staff expect that parking fees from Balboa Park will bring in an estimated $ 4 million. That leaves the city with an $8.5 million budget shortfall.  

Things could get worse if a deal isn’t struck with the zoo, one city official warned.  

“If the $3 million component from the zoo isn’t received this fiscal year that would further impact the city’s FY26 budget,” said Baku Patel from the Independent Budget Analyst (IBA) Office.  

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