Haley Jacobs
•9/2/2026
FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — Travelers who leave their cars at Southwest Florida International Airport could soon pay more to park.
The Lee County Port Authority Board is expected to consider proposed parking rate increases Thursday as part of its preliminary budget process for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Under the proposal, the maximum daily rate for short-term parking would increase from $24 to $28.
Long-term parking would increase from a maximum of $11 to $14 per day.
That means someone parking long-term for three days could pay $42 instead of $33, an increase of $9. A three-day stay in short-term parking could increase from $72 to $84.
The proposed rate schedule would run from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027.
RSW currently offers both a short-term parking garage and a long-term surface lot.
The short-term garage, located across from the terminal, currently allows drivers to park for the first 20 minutes for free and has a maximum charge of $24 per day.
Long-term parking currently costs $2 per hour, with a daily maximum of $11 and a weekly rate of $60.
Under the proposed rates, the first 20 minutes of short-term parking would remain free. The hourly rate would be $4, with a maximum charge of $28 per 24-hour period.
Long-term parking would remain $2 per hour, but the daily maximum would increase to $14.
The proposed 2026-27 rate sheet does not list a weekly long-term parking rate. RSW currently advertises a $60 weekly rate, but the documents provided ahead of Thursday’s meeting do not specify whether that rate would remain the same or change.
WINK News spoke with travelers at RSW Wednesday about the possibility of paying more to leave their cars at the airport.
Heather Yant, who lives in Ave Maria, said she travels through RSW about once or twice a month for work.
Yant previously lived in the Fort Lauderdale area and said parking at RSW has been less expensive than what she was used to paying there.
“Doesn't thrill us, of course, when any cost goes up, but it's still less than in other, I think, major markets,” Yant said.
Yant said a higher price could make her choose long-term parking more often instead of using the garage, even though that would mean giving herself additional time to take the shuttle to the terminal.
Cynthia Escobar is another frequent RSW traveler. She said she flies through the airport every week or every other week.
Escobar said the proposed increase would not stop her from parking at RSW because she values the convenience of having her car waiting when she returns.
She also said her experiences traveling through other airports have made her question why parking prices can vary so much.
“I think that all airport parking should be somewhat standardized,” Escobar said.
Escobar told WINK News a rideshare from her home in southern Collier County can cost between $50 and $60, making parking at the airport more convenient for her even if rates increase.
Thursday’s meeting is not the final vote on the proposed parking increases.
Board members are being asked to give tentative approval to several items tied to the upcoming fiscal year budget, including the increase in public parking rates.
If the proposal moves forward Thursday, the rates would still have to go through public hearings and receive final board approval later in September.
The agenda materials do not specify why the parking increases are being proposed or how much additional revenue they are expected to generate.
WINK News will follow Thursday’s Port Authority meeting and provide updates as the proposal moves through the approval process.
