Chelmsford has ample car parking facilities that can broadly be divided into short stay car parking for shoppers and long stay for commuters. All residential areas around Chelmsford have permit parking for residents and wardens do patrol all the time.

Council car parks are Pay & Display and 15 of them operated 24 hours a day. Most now accept credit card payment for stays of over 4 hours. Four car parks are pay on exit, great if you are not sure how long you will be in town.

There are also two Park and Ride sites, one on each side of the city. These provide fast routes into Chelmsford along bus priority routes. There are a few places that offer free parking too, see the bottom of the page.

High Chelmer Short Stay Multi Storey Car Park – Sat Nav: CM1 1LU

Known more commonly as “the multi-story” it is above Chelmsford Market and perfect for shopping trips to town.

• Opening times: 7am to 9pm (Monday to Saturday); 10am to 5pm (Sunday)
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay On Foot: Please pay before returning to your vehicle and exiting the car park.
• Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 828 (Monday to Friday); 1,012 (Saturday and Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: 26
• Height restriction: 2 metres

Moulsham Street Mixed Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM2 0LG

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: 8am to 11.59pm (Monday to Sunday)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 174 (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: Two
• Height restriction: None

Parkway Short Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM2 7PN

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 142 short stay (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: Five
• Height restriction: 2.1 metres

Meadows Surface Short Stay Car Park – Sat Nav:  CM2 6FD

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay On Foot: Please pay before returning to your vehicle and exiting the car park.
• Number of spaces: 250 (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: 19
• Height restriction: 2.1 metres

Meadows Retail Short Stay Multi Storey Car Park – Sat Nav:  CM2 6LU

• Opening times: 7.30am to 8pm (Monday to Saturday); 10am to 5pm (Sunday)
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay On Foot: Please pay before returning to your vehicle and exiting the car park.
• Number of spaces: 400 short stay (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: 21
• Height restriction: 2.21 metres

Wharf Road Long Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM2 6LU

• Opening times: Monday to Saturday
• Charging period: Monday to Saturday (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone
• Number of spaces: 234 mixed stay (Monday to Saturday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: Seven
• Height restriction: 2.2 metres

Baddow Road Mixed Long/Short Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM2 0DD

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 334 short stay/long stay (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: Six
• Height restriction: 2.2 metres

Waterloo Lane Surface Short Stay Car Parks – Sat Nav: CM1 1BD

There are two car parks close to each other:

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 117 short stay (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: One in each
• Height restriction: 2.2 metres

Riverside – Victoria Road Mixed Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM1 1PA

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: 8am to 11.59pm (Monday to Sunday)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card / Cash
• Number of spaces: 392 (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: 15
• Height restriction: None

Regina Road Long Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM1 1PE

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 46 short stay (Monday to Sunday)
• Height restriction: None

Townfield Street Multi Storey Car Park – Sat Nav: CM1 1QJ

This is the closest car park to the railway station and very popular with commuters.

• Opening times: 5.30am to 11pm (Monday to Friday); 7am to 11pm (Saturday); 10am to 5pm (Sunday)
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay On Foot: Please pay before returning to your vehicle and exiting the car park.
• Credit/Debit card / Cash
• Number of spaces: 542 long stay (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: Six
• Height restriction: 1.9 metres

West End Limited Waiting Short Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM1 1QS

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Cash
• Number of spaces: 70 short stay (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: Four
• Height restriction: 2.2 metres

Glebe Road Mixed Long/Short Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM1 1QQ

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 60 short stay/long stay (Monday to Sunday)
• Height restriction: 2.2 metres

Fairfield Road Mixed Long/Short Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM1 1JG

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 53 short stay/long stay (Monday to Friday); 301 short stay/long stay (Saturday and Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: Three
• Height restriction: None

Coval Lane Long Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM1 1TG

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 187 (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: Eight
• Height restriction: 2.2 metres

Waterhouse Lane Long Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM1 2RY

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: Monday to Friday
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 81 long stay (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: One
• Height restriction: None

Rectory Lane West Long Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM1 1RE

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 310 long stay (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: Nine
• Height restriction: 2.1 metres

Rectory Lane East Long Stay Surface Car Park – Sat Nav: CM1 1RH

• Opening times: All hours
• Charging period: All hours (including Bank Holidays)
• Pay & Display: Please pay when you park and display your ticket in your vehicle.
• PayByPhone / Credit/Debit card
• Number of spaces: 75 short stay (Monday to Sunday)
• Number of blue badge spaces: Four
• Height restriction: 2.1 metres

Sandon Park and Ride – Sat Nav: Sat Nav CM2 7RU

• On the junction of the A12 and Maldon Road / A414.
• Operated Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 21:00. Parking is free, bus fare is currently £3.

Chelmer Valley Park and Ride: Sat Nav CM3 3PR

• Chelmer Valley Park and Ride is located on the A130 east of Essex Regiment Way, accessed from the Pratts Farm Roundabout.
• Operated Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 21:00. Parking is free, bus fare is currently £3.

Free Parking in Chelmsford

• Free parking can be found on residential roads that are sufficiently far from the town centre.
• Tesco on Springfield Road and Tesco Home on Parkway both provide free parking for up to two hours – note, you need to make a purchase in the Tesco supermarket.
• Warning: at busy times, i.e. Christmas, the supermarket car parks get very busy and people have been known to get stuck for hours in the car park due to grid lock. Sometimes it pays to pay!