Parking near Smoothie King Center
Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA seats 16,867 and is home to New Orleans Pelicans. We estimate about 150 major event days a year, 2,700 on-site spaces and a $45 event-day rate, leaving roughly 2,479 cars per average event to park off site.
Written by John Davis, Content WriterOwn land or run events near Smoothie King Center?
Landowners within one mile, venue operators and event producers: tell us about your parcel or event and we will return a written plan covering event-day revenue, staffing and reservations for Smoothie King Center.
Where is event parking within 1 mile of Smoothie King Center?
Walk-up parking around Smoothie King Center clusters along the I-10 corridor. The strongest parcels sit within a 15-minute walk of the gates, with visibility from arrival routes.
Last updated September 2026. Seating capacity comes from official venue information. Event days, average attendance, on-site spaces, event-day rates and revenue figures are Wins Parking estimates, confirmed only in a site-specific feasibility.
How much parking demand does an event at Smoothie King Center create?
An average Smoothie King Center event draws an estimated 14,500 people. At 2.8 people per car, that is about 5,179 vehicles. With an estimated 2,700 on-site spaces covering about 52% of them, roughly 2,479 cars per event look for parking off site, on transit or through ride-share.
If about 35% of attendees end up in paid off-site lots at the $45 average rate, the off-site parking market around Smoothie King Center is worth about $228,375 per event across all operators. That is a market-wide estimate, not what one parcel earns.
Transit and ride-share change the picture. If one in five attendees arrives without parking a car, demand falls to about 4,143 vehicles and off-site overflow to about 1,443; if one in three does, overflow falls to about 770. Sold-out games and concerts at the full 16,867 seats push the other way.
How does Smoothie King Center compare with other South venues?
By seating capacity, Smoothie King Center ranks 16th of the 16 NBA venues on this list. Its estimated $45 event-day rate is about 13% above the $40 median across all 100 venues we track.
| Venue | City | League | Capacity | Est. event days / yr | Est. on-site spaces | Est. event-day rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoothie King Center (this page) | New Orleans, LA | NBA | 16,867 | 150 | 2,700 | $45 |
| FedExForum | Memphis, TN | NBA | 17,794 | 170 | 1,200 | $30 |
| Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, TN | NHL | 17,159 | 160 | 900 | $40 |
| Kyle Field | College Station, TX | NCAAF | 102,733 | 7 | 8,000 | $50 |
| Tiger Stadium | Baton Rouge, LA | NCAAF | 102,321 | 7 | 10,000 | $45 |
| Neyland Stadium | Knoxville, TN | NCAAF | 101,915 | 7 | 4,000 | $45 |
Capacity: official venue figures. Event days, on-site spaces and rates: Wins Parking planning estimates.
The table sets Smoothie King Center beside other South venues. Capacity is from official venue information; the other columns are our estimates.
How does the New Orleans Pelicans schedule shape parking near Smoothie King Center?
New Orleans Pelicans play 41 regular-season home games from fall to spring, mostly on evenings. Concerts and family shows push Smoothie King Center to about 150 event days a year by our estimate.
Arena crowds near Smoothie King Center arrive within an hour of the event and leave in one wave, so exit speed matters. Lots with license-plate entry and pre-paid reservations clear faster than cash lots.
Wins Parking's read on the Smoothie King Center market: CBD venue with Caesars Superdome overlap.
What could a parcel near Smoothie King Center earn on event days?
About $4,973 per event per acre, as a planning estimate: 130 spaces per acre × 85% event-day fill × $45. Across about 150 event days, one acre near Smoothie King Center models to about $745,950 gross a year, a half-acre to about $372,975 and two acres to about $1,491,900.
Walking time decides whether a parcel captures that demand. Lots within a 15-minute walk of Smoothie King Center, with a clean exit to I-10, fill first; parcels farther out need a shuttle or a lower rate.
What does it cost to set up an event lot near Smoothie King Center?
In Louisiana, our planning estimates put a gravel event lot at $0.52–$2.60 per square foot (about $22,651–$113,256 per acre) and asphalt at $3.12–$7.28 per square foot (about $135,907–$317,117 per acre), before design and permitting.
At about $4,973 per acre per event, paving one acre in asphalt near Smoothie King Center equals roughly 28–64 event days of gross revenue. With about 150 event days a year, paving usually pays for itself quickly here.
Who operates Smoothie King Center, and how can landowners and event operators partner?
Gayle Benson / State of Louisiana is listed as the venue's owner or operator. Wins Parking works with independent landowners and event operators in the one-mile ring around Smoothie King Center, not as the venue's official parking contractor.
Landowners can choose a fixed ground lease, a revenue share on event days, or a base-plus-share hybrid. Event and venue operators can bring Wins Parking in to run overflow lots, reservations, license-plate entry and staffing on event days.
Which other South event parking markets can owners compare?
Owners near Smoothie King Center often compare nearby South venues, where attendance, schedules and event-day rates differ. Each venue page carries its own demand estimate and a written feasibility offer for parcels within one mile.
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.
- Smoothie King Center official website — Smoothie King Center. Supports: seating capacity and venue parking information.
- Managing Travel for Planned Special Events handbook — Federal Highway Administration. Supports: event traffic and parking planning practice.
- Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) — State of Louisiana. Supports: I-10 access and event traffic.
Wins Parking is headquartered in Edwards, Colorado, in the Vail Valley, and works with landowners and event operators around major venues nationwide.
What do owners and event operators near Smoothie King Center ask most?
As a planning estimate, one acre near Smoothie King Center grosses about $4,973 per event (130 spaces × 85% fill × $45), or about $745,950 across roughly 150 event days a year, before operating costs. A site-specific feasibility produces binding numbers.
Parcels within one mile of Smoothie King Center, with 0.5+ acres of paveable surface, good visibility from I-10, and existing or permittable curb cuts are the strongest candidates. Walking time under 15 minutes matters more than exact distance.
Gayle Benson / State of Louisiana is listed as the venue's owner or operator. Wins Parking works with independent landowners and ground-lease partners on the 1-mile ring around the stadium, not with the venue operator directly.
License plate recognition at every entry and exit, dynamic pricing tied to the New Orleans Pelicans schedule, branded online reservations with pre-pay, 24/7 AI security cameras, and an owner dashboard with real-time revenue.
Three structures: fixed ground lease (predictable monthly rent), revenue share (upside participation on event days), or hybrid base-plus-share. The right structure depends on property size, current land use, and the owner's risk tolerance.
About 5,179 vehicles, estimated from 14,500 average attendance at 2.8 people per car. With about 2,700 on-site spaces, roughly 2,479 cars per event park off site or arrive another way.
We estimate about 150 major event days a year at Smoothie King Center, combining New Orleans Pelicans home dates with concerts and other large bookings. Exact counts change with schedules and playoff runs.
Often, yes. Lots near Smoothie King Center can sell monthly permits to nearby workers and residents, host fleet or equipment parking, or run daily commuter parking, then switch to event pricing on game and concert days.
Ready to talk about Smoothie King Center?
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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