The Iowa State Fair is introducing a new park-and-ride option for fairgoers in 2026 along with other parking improvements.
What is the new Iowa State Fair park-and-ride location?
Instead of boarding from Southeast Polk High School, those heading to the 2026 Iowa State Fair can park at Southridge Mall, 1111 E. Army Post Road, in Des Moines.
Free parking will be marked in the Southridge Mall parking lot, with service running to the fairgrounds from 8 a.m. to midnight.
The two other park-and-ride options remain unchanged.
Why did the Iowa State Fair change a park-and-ride location?
Pleasant Hill ended its agreement with the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority, citing low ridership at high cost to taxpayers.
Instead of DART, the fair will use a charter bus service called CIT Transportation for the Southridge Mall park-and-ride.
What are the other park-and-ride options for the Iowa State Fair?
For the two locations operated by DART, round trip tickets are $2 if you order with the MyDART app or $3 at the ticket booth. Children ages 6-10 or persons with disabilities are $1.
All three options will drop fairgoers off at Gate 10, located on East 30th Street.
Where can I park for the Iowa State Fair?
Parking for motorcycles and vehicles is available in Lots A, B, and C for $10. The blue line parking shuttle is free from designated stops within the parking lots to the admission gates.
The 2026 fair is also adding a new parking lot entrance along University Avenue at East 38th Street for guests arriving from the north side of the fairgrounds. It is also shifting some parking inside the fairgrounds to areas south of Dean Avenue to limit vehicles inside the grounds.
Don’t want to drive? There are other options for getting to the fairgrounds:
Taxis, Uber and Lyft will be available for pick up and drop off at Gate 8. Give your driver the address 203 Rock Island Ave., Des Moines, Iowa 50317, to locate the drop-off and pick-up location.
All parking options can be found on the Iowa State Fair website.
Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State Fair changes park-and-ride locations for 2026
Reporting by Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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