Parking near Sacramento International (SMF)
Sacramento International (SMF) boards about 5.8 million passengers a year, based on rounded FAA figures, ranking 8th of the 50 airports Wins Parking tracks. We estimate 7 off-airport lots compete near SMF at roughly $18 a day, which puts a paved acre within 10 miles at about $307,148 in gross revenue a year.
Written by John Davis, Content WriterOwn land within 10 miles of SMF?
Landowners, investors and developers near Sacramento International: send your parcel and we will return a written feasibility with a SMF-specific revenue model, paving budget and lease or revenue-share options.
Where does off-airport parking near SMF cluster?
Mostly along the I-5 corridor feeding Sacramento 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 SMF compared with other West Coast airports?
SMF is the 4th-busiest of the 6 West Coast airports on this list, with about 5.8 million annual enplanements, or roughly 10% of the boardings across those 6 airports. It operates 2 runways and is run by Sacramento County Department of Airports.
| Airport | City | Annual enplanements (FAA, rounded) | Est. daily rate | Est. off-airport lots | Est. gross per acre / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMF (this page) | Sacramento, CA | 5,800,000 | $18 | 7 | $307,148 |
| OAK | Oakland, CA | 5,400,000 | $19 | 9 | $324,211 |
| GEG | Spokane, WA | 1,900,000 | $13 | 4 | $221,829 |
| SEA | Seattle, WA | 25,000,000 | $24 | 15 | $409,530 |
| SAN | San Diego, CA | 12,000,000 | $27 | 12 | $460,721 |
| PDX | Portland, OR | 8,500,000 | $17 | 9 | $290,084 |
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 SMF with nearby West Coast 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 SMF?
SMF carries a mix of business and leisure travelers, so demand near Sacramento has two peaks: weekday business trips and school-holiday leisure travel. That mix keeps off-airport occupancy steadier than at a pure resort or pure business airport.
A mixed market lets an off-airport lot near SMF sell two products from the same asphalt: a lower long-stay rate for vacation travelers and a faster, higher-priced option for weekday business travelers.
Wins Parking's read on the SMF market: Capital-region airport with steady growth and off-airport price competition.
How much could an acre near SMF earn as parking?
About $307,148 a year in gross revenue per paved acre, as a planning estimate. The math is 85 spaces per acre × $18 average daily rate × 55% blended occupancy × 365 days. That is about 3% below the West Coast median of $315,680 per acre on this list.
The $18 rate is about 20% above the $15 median across all 50 airports we track. At that rate, a 3-acre lot near SMF models to about $921,444 gross and a 10-acre lot to about $3,071,480, 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 SMF?
We estimate 7 active off-airport operators near SMF, or about 828,571 annual boardings per lot. The West Coast median on this list is about 886,508, so SMF has fewer travelers per competing lot than most peers, so a new lot has to win on location, price or service.
Most off-airport traffic near Sacramento arrives via I-5. 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 SMF?
In California, Wins Parking's planning estimate for asphalt is $3.96–$9.24 per square foot, or about $172,498–$402,494 to pave one acre before design and permitting. Against $307,148 of modeled gross revenue per acre, the paving outlay equals roughly 7–16 months of gross revenue.
A gravel overflow lot costs far less up front ($0.66–$3.30 per square foot in California) 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 SMF rather than the main product.
Who controls on-airport parking at SMF?
Sacramento County Department of Airports controls the on-airport garages and surface lots at Sacramento International. We estimate about 200 acres of on-airport parking, or roughly 29,000 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 SMF are awarded through Sacramento County Department of Airports 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 West Coast airport parking markets should owners compare?
Owners weighing a parcel near SMF often compare it with other West Coast 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: SMF annual enplanements (rounded).
- Airport data for SMF — FAA Airport Data and Information Portal. Supports: runways and airport facilities.
- Sacramento International official website — Sacramento County Department of Airports. Supports: on-airport parking products and procurement.
- California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) — State of California. Supports: I-5 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 SMF ask most?
Planning-grade revenue runs about $307,148/acre/year at SMF, based on an estimated $18/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 Sacramento 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-5 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 Sacramento County Department of Airports RFPs and competitive procurements for on-airport parking management, shuttle, and revenue control.
About 5,800,000 passengers board at Sacramento International each year, based on rounded FAA passenger-boarding data. That ranks SMF 4th among the 6 West Coast airports Wins Parking tracks.
SMF is classed as a mixed 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 Sacramento, parcels along I-5 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 SMF?
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).