Overnight Parking
I'm going on a weekend trip and I need to leave my car in Dearborn as I am carpooling. Can I park at the John Dingell Transit Center even if I am not taking Amtrak?
Good questions. The short answer: maybe — you *can* often leave your car at the John D. Dingell Transit Center / Amtrak station in Dearborn even if you are not riding a train — but it’s not guaranteed, and you should treat it as “use at your own risk (and check beforehand).” The policy is not clearly publicized as “open to everyone,” but based on station-lot descriptions and traveler reports, many people have used it for overnight or extended parking when not traveling on Amtrak.
Here is what is known (and what you should check) before you park there for a weekend carpool:
- Station address and parking lot info: The Transit Center is at 21201 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI 48124.
- Lot size & official allowance: The facility lists 262 parking spaces. Some sources describe “overnight/long-term parking” as available at the station.
- No explicit restriction to train passengers found publicly: The publicly available lot descriptions do not clearly state that only Amtrak passengers may park; some third-party parking-lot directories list the lot as “free / all-day / overnight‐capable.”
- Community experience suggests people leave cars even when flying or carpooling — not using Amtrak: On traveler forums and local message boards, people report leaving their cars in the lot for several days even if they are not riding a train. For example: > “No one really checks to see if the cars … are cars of train passengers. Your car should be fine.”
- It is described as a “free” lot (at least historically) by some sources/users: Some online listings show “free parking” with no visible sticker required.
That said — there are some caveats & risks you should keep in mind:
- No absolutely up-to-date guarantee: Official site-level documentation is vague: some station-documentation lists “no parking at this location,” though that appears outdated or inconsistent with other sources.
- Parking lot appears to default to a “2-hour free parking” listing in parking-apps / directories: Some public parking directories list the lot with “Free 2 hours” — which suggests that long-term parking may not be their intended use.
- Security and liability considerations: It’s not a guarded or valet lot — cars are parked at owner’s risk. While many people report success, there are no official guarantees. One Reddit user cautioned about risks of theft or vandalism at Amtrak lots in general.
- Space is not guaranteed. On busy weekends or holidays the lot may fill up; if you arrive late, you could be left without a spot.
My recommendation (if I were you): If you want to park in Dearborn for the weekend while carpooling, you *can* try the John D. Dingell Transit Center — it’s likely to work, but treat it as unofficial. Before you go: arrive early Friday evening (or even Thursday night), make sure you park in a well-lit spot, remove valuables, and take a picture of the lot and your car so you have documentation. As a backup, consider a hotel or paid long-term parking lot in the area if the station lot is full or seems questionable.
