Charlottesville Area Transit buses are fare-free. Downtown garages give the first hour free, then $1 per half hour. CHO airport has nonstops to five hubs.

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Facts come from the City of Charlottesville’s Transit, CAT Schedules and Maps, Parking Garages, On-Street Parking and Park and Ride pages, VDOT’s I-64 exit list and Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport.

Charlottesville’s city buses are free to ride. Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT), run by the city, operates fare-free fixed routes. Four Interstate 64 exits in Albemarle County lead into the city, and the city’s two downtown garages give the first hour free.

Who to call

  • CAT bus information: Downtown Transit Center, 434-970-3649
  • Downtown garages (Metropolis): 434-622-9513, parkcharlottesville@spplus.com
  • City traffic engineering: 434-970-3304
  • Road conditions: dial 511 or 511 Virginia

Roads

VDOT lists these I-64 exits for the Charlottesville area, all in Albemarle County:

Exit Road Notes
118 U.S. 29 U.S. 29 and the U.S. 29/250 bypass
120 Route 631 Fifth Street; the city’s directions to the Avon Street Park and Ride use this exit
121 Route 20 Route 20, Charlottesville and Scottsville
124 U.S. 250 U.S. 250

Inside the city, U.S. 250 Business runs through downtown as Main, Market, High and Preston streets, and U.S. 29 Business follows Emmet Street and Jefferson Park Avenue past UVA. VDOT’s large Fontaine Avenue and U.S. 29 bypass project is expected to start this winter; see road construction and closures.

Buses: Charlottesville Area Transit

  • Fare-free fixed-route service; the full route book with maps, schedules and turn-by-turn routes is on CAT Schedules and Maps.
  • Real-time tracking: CAT’s live route map and the ETA Spot app show arrival estimates. Plan a trip by checking the route book against the live map.
  • Find a stop: the city’s bus stop lookup.
  • Route 7 every 15 minutes at rush hour: from Monday, Oct. 26, Route 7 runs every 15 minutes on weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m., and every 30 minutes at other times (what changes). Planned Route 9 changes for Oct. 19 were postponed until further notice.
  • Park and Ride: free parking at 1505 Avon Street Extended, served by Route 2 every 30 minutes Monday through Saturday from 6:35 a.m. to 11:35 p.m. No overnight parking.
  • Paratransit: CAT offers ADA paratransit and MicroCAT services; see the Transit page.

Parking downtown

Garages. The city runs two garages by the Downtown Mall: Market Street, 550 E. Market St., and Water Street, 200 E. Water St. Both use ticketless entry by Metropolis: a camera reads your plate on the way in, you sign up once with a QR code or online, and you are charged as you drive out.

Time parked Charge
First hour Free
After that $1 per half hour or part
Daily maximum $12

The garages are free on some holidays, including New Year’s Day and Memorial Day. Downtown restaurant and retail workers may qualify for a monthly employee discount.

On the street. Parking on the streets around the Mall is free, but most spaces closest to the Mall have a two-hour limit, and there are ADA spaces and loading zones; follow the posted signs. Unpaid parking tickets are handled by the City Treasurer.

Flying: Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO)

CHO lists nonstop destinations of Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Washington Dulles and New York. United began daily nonstop service to Newark on Sept. 24, 2026, and American restarts twice-daily nonstops to Chicago O’Hare on Nov. 2. Check gocho.com for parking and current schedules.

Trains

Charlottesville’s Union Station sits where the north-south and east-west rail lines cross, as the city’s own transit history describes. Check the passenger railroad’s schedules for current service.

Biking and walking

The city has nearly 6 miles of paved trails, including the Rivanna River Trail and the John Warner Parkway trail, plus a 5th Street SW road diet and bikeway. Charlottesville also runs an e-bike grant program; sign-ups opened Oct. 1. See parks and trails.

What this means for you

  • Ride CAT for free; check the live map before you leave.
  • Park downtown for an hour at no charge in either garage.
  • Flying out? CHO’s new Newark and returning Chicago flights add options this fall.

Related guides: moving to Charlottesville and who to call at City Hall.

Frequently asked questions

Are Charlottesville buses free?

Yes. Charlottesville Area Transit’s fixed-route buses are fare-free. Track buses live on CAT’s real-time map or the ETA Spot app.

How much is parking on the Charlottesville Downtown Mall?

In the city’s Market Street and Water Street garages, the first hour is free, then $1 per half hour up to $12. On-street parking near the Mall is free, though most spaces closest to the Mall have a two-hour limit.

What airport is closest to Charlottesville?

Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO), with nonstop flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Washington Dulles and New York. United starts daily nonstops to Newark this fall, and American twice-daily Chicago O’Hare flights from Nov. 2.

Which I-64 exits serve Charlottesville?

VDOT lists Exit 118 (U.S. 29), Exit 120 (Route 631, Fifth Street), Exit 121 (Route 20) and Exit 124 (U.S. 250) around the city, all in Albemarle County.