Park In/On/At The Parking Lot – Easy Preposition Guide

As many of us already know, prepositions are not the easiest parts of the English language. As short as they may seem, they can get confusing. Like is it, ‘park in a parking lot,’ ‘park on a parking lot,’ or ‘park at a parking lot?’ Let’s see.

Do You Park ‘In The Parking Lot,’ ‘On The Parking Lot,’ Or ‘At The Parking Lot?’

‘Park in the parking lot,’ ‘park on the parking lot,’ and ‘park at the parking lot’ are grammatically correct. We use ‘park in’ for parking inside a structure or area that holds cars. We use ‘park at’ when talking about a location and use ‘park on’ for surfaces or streets.

What Does It Mean To ‘Park In The Parking Lot?’

To ‘park in the parking lot’ means to get your car to park inside a structure or lot made for holding cars. Here, we take the meaning of ‘in’ as inside a structure or building for parking. Thus, the phrase means to go inside the parking lot.

The preposition ‘in’ means to be ‘inside’ a particular location or area. In the same sense, to ‘park in a parking lot’ means that one is driving the car inside the parking lot to park. However, this doesn’t necessarily need to be an indoor parking lot or a parking lot building. As parking lots naturally have boundaries, even the outdoor or open ones, using ‘in’ in such context is still grammatically correct and acceptable.

Take a look at the example below.

• I parked in the parking lot.

In this sentence, the speaker implies that he/she drove his car inside the boundaries of a parking lot to park it there. This is also the most common and acceptable phrase to use in this context as it is more straightforward and less confusing, considering that one really needs to go inside a parking lot to park.

Below are more examples of using ‘park in the parking lot’ in a sentence.

1. Were you able to park in the parking lot?
2. There are still spaces for you to park in the parking lot.
3. I’ll first park in the parking lot, then I’ll meet you.
4. Are there many cars parked in the parking lot?
5. We just parked in the parking lot right now. We’ll catch up.
6. I can’t park in the parking lot. It’s already full.
7. Justin just parked in the parking lot. He’ll be here soon.

What Does It Mean To ‘Park On The Parking Lot?’

We use ‘park on the parking lot’ when we refer to the ‘lot’ as a surface rather than an area one has to go inside of. While this is less common, it is grammatically correct when talking about an open lot that one doesn’t have to go inside to park.

The preposition ‘on’ generally refers to a surface or a street as a location. So, if one says ‘park on the parking lot,’ it focuses more on the ground or the lot as the surface that the car is on. Though an indoor parking lot also has a surface that the car is on, we do not say ‘park on the parking lot’ for these cases as the car still needs to go inside the building, thus using ‘in.’

Take a look at these examples below.

• It’s best to park on concrete.
• I parked on 6th Street.

Alternative to ‘parking lot,’ below are more common usages of ‘park on.’ In the first sentence, it focuses on what type of surface is best to park on, thus using ‘on.’ In the second sentence, it emphasizes the location of the parking on a particular street, thus using ‘on.’

Below are more examples of using ‘park on the parking lot’ in a sentence. Do note that the only applicable context here is an open area or outdoor parking lot.

1. I parked on the parking lot.
2. Are there any more spaces to park on the parking lot?
3. The surface is too rough to park on the parking lot.
4. Belle said she parked on a rough parking lot.
5. Is there still time to park on the parking lot?
6. I can’t park on the parking lot because it’s full.
7. Jay has his car parked on the parking lot.

What Does It Mean To ‘Park At The Parking Lot?’

We use ‘park at the parking lot’ if we regard the parking lot as a general location or area. Taking the meaning of ‘at,’ which is to indicate destination, the phrase means that one is to park at a given location no matter whether indoor or outdoor.

We use ‘at’ as a preposition to indicate a general location or destination. Some examples are ‘at the mall’ or ‘at the beach.’ In the same sense, ‘park at the parking lot’ works as the parking lot can also be a location where one is to park. However, this usage does not regard whether the parking lot is indoor or outdoor, as it is simply a location.

Take a look at this example below.

• I parked at the mall.
• I parked at the lot on 7th Avenue.

In the first sentence, ‘parked at the mall’ works because the mall is also a location. However, this is a more informal way of saying, ‘I parked in the mall’s parking lot.’ The second sentence regards the lot as a location, but it also specifies what particular lot by adding the phrase ‘on 7th Avenue.’ Using it this way works too.

Below are more examples of using ‘park at the parking lot’ in a sentence.

1. Why don’t we park at the parking lot on Brussel Road?
2. I parked at the parking lot near the mall.
3. Gina parked at a parking lot a little far from here.
4. Julia will park at the parking lot by the entrance.
5. Can I park at the parking lot across the store?
6. I parked at the [parking lot of the] neighboring store.
7. They will park at the lot across the street.

Are ‘Park In The Parking Lot,’ ‘Park On The Parking Lot,’ And ‘Park At The Parking Lot’ Interchangeable?

Since ‘park in,’ ‘park on,’ and ‘park at’ have different implications, they are not interchangeable, and interchanging them would make room for more confusion. It’s best to stick to their meanings. ‘In’ for parking indoor or outdoor, ‘on’ for talking about surfaces or streets, and ‘at’ for general locations.

Is ‘Park In The Parking Lot,’ ‘Park On The Parking Lot,’ Or ‘Park At The Parking Lot’ Used The Most?

According to the Google Ngram Viewer, ‘park in the parking lot’ is used the most among the three phrases. It is probably because the phrase is the most straightforward and most flexible considering it applies to all types of parking lots. It is also the least confusing of the phrases.

Are ‘Park In The Parking Lot,’ ‘Park On The Parking Lot,’ And ‘Park At The Parking Lot’ Used Differently In The UK And The US?

Based on the US Google Ngram Viewer and UK Google Ngram Viewer, there are similarities between the usage of the phrases in the two regions. Both regions have ‘park in the parking lot’ as the most common. However, the UK does not recognize using ‘park on’ and ‘park at.’