What does it cost to park at the 2023 State Fair of Texas? Here’s what you need to know

Brayden Garcia
·3 min read
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The State Fair of Texas is a fun family activity, but what’s not is finding parking at the fairgrounds.

Visitors have another month and a half before the 137th State Fair of Texas. The 24 consecutive days of Texas-sized fun begins Sept. 29 and ends Oct. 22 at Fair Park in Dallas, 3809 Grand Ave.

Here’s what to know about parking and public transportation at the fair:

WHERE CAN I PARK AT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS?

Parking at the State Fair is not free and will set you back $20 for most lots.

All of the official State Fair lots are located near pedestrian gates and are well lit. Bicycle racks are located inside gates 5, 6 and 11, on a first come first served basis.

The easiest and most convenient parking lot is through gate 2 at 925 S. Haskell Ave., according to State Fair officials.

Premium parking is also available at $40 to those looking to pay a little more. Premium parking will put you in a parking lot just a stone’s throw away from the fairgrounds. This parking is accessible through gate 2 from Cullum Boulevard and Parry/Haskell Avenue.

CAN I TAKE THE TRAIN TO THE STATE FAIR?

Patrons can avoid any parking headaches by taking the train from Fort Worth to Dallas.

The Trinity Railway Express passengers can ride the train from Fort Worth to Dallas’ Victory Station. Passengers can get on the TRE train in Fort Worth at Central Station at 1001 Jones St. or T&P Station at 221 W. Lancaster Ave.

Once getting to Victory Station in Dallas, there are two Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Rail Green Line stations that connect to the fairgrounds. The Fair Park station at 3710 Parry Ave. is located right near the state fair entrance and the MLK, Jr. station at 1412 S. Trunk Ave., is only a few blocks away from the fair.

Both Green Line stations will drop you off within walking distance of the fairground. Once your fair day is over, simply hop back on the Green Line to Victory Station and that will lead back to Fort Worth.

Fort Worth’s two TRE stations are open well before the State Fair gates open at 9 a.m. While taking the train to the State Fair is easy, passengers need to plan ahead when it comes to heading back to Fort Worth.

For the entire Fort Worth to Dallas trip, you will need to purchase a regional day pass from Trinity Railway Express which costs $12 for adults and $3 for anyone under 19 years old. This type of pass allows day travel until 3 a.m. and can be purchased at the station or on the GoPass app.

The regional day pass covers travel for Trinity Railway Express and DART services. Meaning that one regional day pass can get you from Fort Worth to the Dallas Victory Station and then the DART green line to Fair Park or MLK, Jr. stations.

It would cost a single rider just $12 a day by train to go to the State Fair.

WHAT OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS TAKE ME TO THE STATE FAIR?

If rideshare or taxi’s are more of your thing, the State Fair has a pick-up/drop-off area located at 4206 Gurley Ave.

HOW MANY GATES ARE AT THE STATE FAIR?

There are 12 gates surrounding the fairgrounds.