Parking near Charleston International (CHS)
Charleston International (CHS) boards about 2.3 million passengers a year, based on rounded FAA figures, ranking 16th of the 50 airports Wins Parking tracks. We estimate 5 off-airport lots compete near CHS at roughly $16 a day, which puts a paved acre within 10 miles at about $273,020 in gross revenue a year.
Written by John Davis, Content WriterOwn land within 10 miles of CHS?
Landowners, investors and developers near Charleston International: send your parcel and we will return a written feasibility with a CHS-specific revenue model, paving budget and lease or revenue-share options.
Where does off-airport parking near CHS cluster?
Mostly along the I-26 corridor feeding Charleston International. The strongest sites sit within 10 miles of the terminal with visibility and permittable curb cuts.
Last updated September 2026. Enplanements are rounded FAA passenger-boarding figures. On-airport acreage, daily rates, competitor counts and revenue per acre are Wins Parking estimates, confirmed only in a site-specific feasibility.
How busy is CHS compared with other Southeast airports?
CHS is the 1st-busiest of the 4 Southeast airports on this list, with about 2.3 million annual enplanements, or roughly 34% of the boardings across those 4 airports. It operates 1 runway and is run by Charleston County Aviation Authority.
| Airport | City | Annual enplanements (FAA, rounded) | Est. daily rate | Est. off-airport lots | Est. gross per acre / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHS (this page) | Charleston, SC | 2,300,000 | $16 | 5 | $273,020 |
| SAV | Savannah, GA | 1,700,000 | $14 | 4 | $238,893 |
| MYR | Myrtle Beach, SC | 1,500,000 | $14 | 5 | $238,893 |
| PNS | Pensacola, FL | 1,200,000 | $13 | 3 | $221,829 |
Enplanements: FAA passenger boarding data, rounded. Daily rates, lot counts and revenue per acre are Wins Parking planning estimates (85 spaces per acre, 55% blended occupancy).
Passenger volume sets the size of the parking market, but it is not the whole story. The table compares CHS with nearby Southeast airports on the measures a landowner should weigh: boardings, the typical daily rate and how many off-airport lots already compete for those travelers.
What kind of travelers park at CHS?
CHS traffic is mostly leisure: vacation travelers who book early, stay four to ten days and compare prices online. Off-airport lots near Charleston win these travelers with a clear total price, covered or secured parking, and a shuttle that runs to the terminal.
Leisure-heavy airports reward online visibility. At CHS, a lot that ranks for "CHS long-term parking" and takes pre-paid reservations typically outperforms a larger lot that relies on drive-up traffic from I-26.
Wins Parking's read on the CHS market: Historic-tourism gateway with weekend leisure peak.
How much could an acre near CHS earn as parking?
About $273,020 a year in gross revenue per paved acre, as a planning estimate. The math is 85 spaces per acre × $16 average daily rate × 55% blended occupancy × 365 days. That is about 14% above the Southeast median of $238,893 per acre on this list.
The $16 rate is about 7% above the $15 median across all 50 airports we track. At that rate, a 3-acre lot near CHS models to about $819,060 gross and a 10-acre lot to about $2,730,200, before shuttle, labor, insurance, technology and property tax. Operating costs usually take 35–50% of gross, so the owner's share depends on the deal structure.
How crowded is the off-airport parking market near CHS?
We estimate 5 active off-airport operators near CHS, or about 460,000 annual boardings per lot. The Southeast median on this list is about 412,500, so CHS has more travelers per competing lot than most peers, a sign of room for new supply.
Most off-airport traffic near Charleston arrives via I-26. Parcels with direct visibility from that corridor and a drive of under 10 minutes to the terminal curb are the strongest candidates. Competitor counts are estimates from listings and site visits and change as lots open and close.
What would it cost to pave a parking lot near CHS?
In South Carolina, Wins Parking's planning estimate for asphalt is $2.82–$6.58 per square foot, or about $122,839–$286,625 to pave one acre before design and permitting. Against $273,020 of modeled gross revenue per acre, the paving outlay equals roughly 5–13 months of gross revenue.
A gravel overflow lot costs far less up front ($0.47–$2.35 per square foot in South Carolina) but needs annual regrading and does not meet ADA rules for accessible stalls, so it usually serves as phase-one or peak-season overflow near CHS rather than the main product.
Who controls on-airport parking at CHS?
Charleston County Aviation Authority controls the on-airport garages and surface lots at Charleston International. We estimate about 90 acres of on-airport parking, or roughly 25,556 annual boardings per on-airport acre. The higher that ratio, the more often official lots sell out on peak days and push travelers to private lots.
On-airport parking management contracts at CHS are awarded through Charleston County Aviation Authority procurements. Wins Parking responds to those solicitations for parking management, shuttle and revenue control, and separately partners with private landowners off airport property.
Which other Southeast airport parking markets should owners compare?
Owners weighing a parcel near CHS often compare it with other Southeast airports, where boardings, daily rates and competition differ. Each airport page carries its own revenue model and a written feasibility offer for land within 10 miles of the terminal.
What sources back these figures?
Public sources for the facts on this page are listed below. Anything not backed by a listed source is labeled as a Wins Parking estimate.
- Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) and All-Cargo Data for U.S. Airports — Federal Aviation Administration. Supports: CHS annual enplanements (rounded).
- Airport data for CHS — FAA Airport Data and Information Portal. Supports: runways and airport facilities.
- Charleston International official website — Charleston County Aviation Authority. Supports: on-airport parking products and procurement.
- South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) — State of South Carolina. Supports: I-26 corridor and access permits.
- National Highway Construction Cost Index (NHCCI) — Federal Highway Administration. Supports: construction cost trend behind paving estimates.
Wins Parking is headquartered in Edwards, Colorado, in the Vail Valley, and works with airport-area landowners nationwide. Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) is one of our longest-running airport operations.
What do landowners near CHS ask most?
Planning-grade revenue runs about $273,020/acre/year at CHS, based on an estimated $16/day average rate, about 85 paved spaces per acre and about 55% blended occupancy. These are estimates; binding numbers come from a site survey.
Wins Parking pursues on-airport and off-airport opportunities at Charleston International and partners with property owners within 10 miles of the terminal.
Paved or pavable lots of 1–20 acres within 10 miles of the terminal, with visibility from I-26 and permittable curb cuts, are the strongest candidates.
A Wins Parking partner reviews the submission within one business day, runs a desktop feasibility, and follows up with a written proposal.
Yes. Wins Parking responds to Charleston County Aviation Authority RFPs and competitive procurements for on-airport parking management, shuttle, and revenue control.
About 2,300,000 passengers board at Charleston International each year, based on rounded FAA passenger-boarding data. That ranks CHS 1st among the 4 Southeast airports Wins Parking tracks.
CHS is classed as a leisure market, so demand is steadier than at resort airports, with peaks around holidays and school vacations.
Most successful off-airport lots sit within a 10-minute shuttle ride of the terminal. Near Charleston, parcels along I-26 with a clear route to the terminal curb can work at longer distances if the daily rate undercuts on-airport parking.
Ready to talk about land near CHS?
Send the form above or call (970) 279-1744. Written reply within one business day. Figures on this page are planning estimates.
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Wins Parking is a privately owned and operated parking facility and is not owned, operated, endorsed by, or affiliated with Eagle County Government or the Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE).