Nogales Border Parking

As you enter Nogales from the north on I-19, the speed limits will begin to decline, from 75 mph to 65, then more quickly to 55 and finally 25 mph, as you near the downtown area of Nogales. Be careful to observe the speed limits, as local and state police frequently park behind the trees and shrubs in the median to catch vehicles that are speeding on their approach to Nogales, Arizona.

Welcome to Nogales.

In addition to a speed limit that rapidly drops from 55 to 45, then 35 and then 25 miles an hour, something else you may notice as you descend down the hill to enter Nogales, Arizona are men standing near the road, waving orange flags. It may be a construction zone, but more likely they’re trying to get you to enter their border parking lot.

The first lot on the right, just before the curve, is Ed’s parking, which typically has more parking spaces available than the other nearby lots, including spaces to park a truck or recreational vehicle (RV). Ed’s also has a restroom facility on the premises. To enter the lot, take a right turn just after the Ed’s billboard, and drive down the street until you take a right to enter the parking lot.

Although Ed’s border parking is literally located along the border fence, to get to the border crossing you will need to make your way back to the street where you first turned to get to Ed’s, and then cut through the UETA parking lot to get to Terrace Avenue, which you’ll then cross to descend the steps or walkway to get to the border crossing.

As you round the curve, passing Ed’s, the UETA border parking lot is on the right side of the street along the curve. Although it is a bit closer to the border, it is typically nearly full, so parking is tight. If you plan to purchase goods at the UETA duty-free store, one advantage to parking in their lot is that if you spend more than $20 in their duty-free store and present your parking receipt, UETA will give you a $5.00 discount on your purchase, which is basically a refund of your parking fee. Just remember to take with you the ticket that the parking attendant gives you.

After the Ueta lot is a small fenced-in parking area that charges $4, followed by the lot where I always park, which is located behind a shuttle van company. It features ample parking and easy access to Terrace Avenue, which leads to the DeConcini pedestrian border crossing.

At the end of the street the road curves to the right, but if you take a left at the end of the street (turning north on to Crawford Street) on the right side of Crawford, across from the McDonald’s, you will find the American Valet border parking lot. This is one of the newest lots on the border, and features an automated pay system in case the attendant is not around when you arrive or depart.

In addition to the usual border parking lots, nearby Burger King and McDonald’s also offer border parking. This typically costs the same as the Nogales border parking lots charge.

Nogales Border Parking Costs

Border parking costs $4.00 or $5.00 (the Ueta parking lot recently raised its price, although if you make a purchase of more that $20 at Ueta they will deduct your parking lot fee from the cost of your purchase). The price is for a 12-hour time frame, although most of the lots are not clock watchers. The only time when this becomes a factor is if you end up spending the night across the border, and upon your return you will need to pay again in order to take your vehicle from the lot.

If you do not mind walking an extra block or so, you can save another by parking at Ed’s Parking and Storage, probably the best border parking value in Nogales. Ed’s is located at 149 N. Terrace (the street where most of the Nogales duty-free stores are located), north of Crawford Street (behind the Shell gas station that is next door to the McDonald’s). Their parking lot, surrounded by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, charges $3 every 12 hours (as do the other parking lots), or $5 a day. So it is definitely the best value for longer-term parking in Nogales.

Longer-Term Border Parking

If you plan to leave your vehicle parked on the Nogales, Arizona border for an extended period of time, there are three long-term border parking options to consider. The first is the Ed’s parking lot that is near the border, just before the curve on the right side of the street as you enter Nogales.

The second is the American Valet, located at the corner of Crawford Street and Sonoita Avenue. It is not the least expensive option, but if you need assistance getting your luggage to the border, you can call in advance and they will give you a golf cart right from the parking lot to a dropoff point near the border crossing.

And the most economical option for long-term border parking in Nogales, Arizona is the Ed’s Parking and Storage lot, which charges a flat rate of $5 a day for extended parking.

Free Border Parking

And, if you really do not mind walking but mind paying for border parking lots, you can find a curbside parking space on one of the nearby residential streets and park for free. Just remember to pay heed of the street signs to make sure that the area does not have parking restrictions.

After you arrive and pay for border parking, the attendant will give you a parking receipt (unless you park at American Valet, which has a self-serve kiosk), which you’ll need to place on the dashboard so it is visible from outside the windshield. The exception is at the Ueta parking lot, where you will need to bring your ticket with you to receive a discount for purchases.

Parking Near the Morley Avenue Pedestrian Gate

There are no parking lots in the vicinity of the Morley Gate, however it is just a few short blocks from the DeConcini lots. As you approach the Deconcini border crossing on foot, you will see an entry with a set of stairs. Take the steps to the second floor and walk across the catwalk and down the steps on the other side of the railroad tracks, and you will exit within a half-block of the Morley entrance. This shortcut, which is sometimes closed, is also a handy way to avoid waiting for trains stopped at the border.

Other than that, the blocks of Morley Avenue near the border are dominated by metered parking, which, depending on how long you plan to stay, can be less expensive than a border parking lot. Be aware that the area is a popular shopping destination for Mexican shoppers, and spaces can be hard to find. And the NPD meter reader constantly cruises the area to issue tickets with steep fines for expired meters.