Driveway Dimensions (Standard & Custom Parking Sizes) (2024)

Here’s our guide to driveway dimensions including standard, minimum, turnaround, circular & semi circular driveway sizes and driveway parking space measurements.
Driveways are a must for households especially if you have a car or two, but building the driveway of your dreams is dependent on different factors. Driveways were once simply a passageway for automobiles going to your residence, but now they speak to how lavish or how practical a home is according to the owner’s lifestyle.

There are more oversized driveways that are not just passageways for multiple cars but also feature landscaping on the sides that doubles as a garden. You might often find driveways like these in hotels or much bigger homes.

There are also modern and all-American tarmac or concrete driveways which are inexpensive and practical for the average household with one or two cars.

Standard Driveway Width

The standard types of driveways you most often see are residential home driveways that have a width from side to side that range anywhere from 9 to 24 feet or about 3 to 7 meters. However, this width will vary and depend on how many cars you have in your household.

Aside from the number of cars, the driveway’s width will also be dependent on features like turnarounds and even parking.As for the features, you want your driveway to have pile up.

It is essential to consult a contractor to have a rough estimate on how much you will be spending and if your plan is feasible for the space available.

How Wide Should A Driveway Be?

The pros recommend installing a driveway with a width of 10 feet by 12 feet. For a standard pickup or an SUV, the recommended width is 10 feet.

Minimum Driveway Dimensions

The minimum driveway dimensions will depend on how many cars you have in your household, whether you have one or three, and if you plan to have them parked outside or whether or not you have a garage.

For a single driveway, the minimum width will be 10 feet or about 3 meters, but to open and close your car with ease, an addition of 2 feet to your driveway width will be better.

A two-car driveway should have a minimum of 20 feet or 6 meters but going up to 24 feet or 7 meters is better. This allowance will allow two users to open and close their cars easily.

For households with three vehicles to their perusal, a 30 feet or 9 meters driveway will allow three cars to utilize the driveway side to side when the time requires. Giving an allowance of 2 feet for each of the three vehicles will also be helpful.

Semi Circular Driveway Dimensions

Semi circular driveways are recommended if you are scared of backing into the street when you need to go; however, circular driveways are a feature for more oversized homes with a huge lot they can use for home features like this. Like straight driveways, semi circular driveways will require a plan to ensure that the design is adequate for its purpose.

Semi circular driveways should have a minimum width of about 10 feet or 3 meters and should have a depth of 12 to 14 feet or approximately 3 to 4 meters. This size should add up if one wants to park larger cars like vans or even RVs.

Circular Driveway Dimensions

A whole circular driveway is a driveway you are probably thinking of for your dream driveway. This is primarily a fixture for sprawling mansions and chateaus we usually see on television or in movies.

A circular driveway will offer people more places to park and will be easier to maneuver for more oversized vehicles. That benefit comes with the drawback that a circular driveway will require the most space out of all driveway layouts.

The minimum dimension requirement for a circular driveway is a width of 24 to 28 feet or about 7 to 9 meters from one outside point to the other.

Small Circular Driveway Dimensions

If you want a circular driveway for your home but want the minimum dimensions allowable, you can still certainly have your circular driveway.

A small circular driveway follows the minimum width allowable for a circular driveway from the inside to the outside radius and will usually range at 22 feet or about 7 meters at least.

This 22 feet of the minimum outside radius will only accommodate smaller cars, from a sports car to sedans, so if you have a bigger vehicle, it will be better to opt for the standard circular width that could go up to 28 feet or 9 meters.

Driveway Turnaround Dimensions

If you are planning to have a more sizable driveway for your home, it will more or less require a driving turnaround area that will make backing in and out of the driveway easy as pie. The turnaround should have adequate space for a single vehicle to have room to clear out of the garage first before turning down and backing out of the driveway.

This turnaround space is typically about 10 feet or 3 meters wide at the minimum, with a depth of 12 to 14 feet or approximately 3 to 4 meters. This size will go up if you have larger cabs or vehicles.

Driveway Dimensions for 1 Car

A single car driveway is the narrowest you can get, even among all types of driveway layouts. This driveway will be enough for one car to go in and out of the curb to the road with ease. It will have the minimum dimensions required for a driveway, but this size can easily be adjusted with factors like vehicle type and size in mind.

A one car driveway will have a minimum width of 9 feet or approximately 3 meters; however, it could go up to 12 feet or about 4 meters if you have a larger vehicle like SUVs.

1 Car Driveway Width

By following the minimum dimension of 9 feet, we can assume that the vehicle user will exit to a bed of grass or even dirt, so actually going for the 12 feet or 4 meters of driveway width is more advisable even if you do not have a larger vehicle.

This size will allow easy access even for delivery persons or trash trucks but ensure that you are not going beyond 12 feet or 4 meters because anything less than 20 feet will be a waste of space. It would be big for just one vehicle but also not large enough that two cars can be accommodated.

Driveway Dimensions for 2 Cars

If you have two vehicles, then going for a double driveway is the right move for your home. For this, the range is between 20 feet to 24 feet or about 6 to 7 meters.

If you have a single car but are planning to get another in the future, your best bet is to go for a double driveway. You will have the space and the option for visitors to park while you entertain them.

2 Car Driveway Width

A double driveway will require a width of about 20 to 24 feet; however, going for the minimum width of 20 feet will not give the freedom for both of the cars to pass each other, which means that in the end, the 20 feet space will not be enough for two vehicles to simultaneously open doors if both cars are parked side by side.

If you have two vehicles to park side by side in your driveway, the better choice is to opt for the maximum driveway width for a double at 24 feet or about 7 meters.

3 Car Garage Driveway Dimensions

If you have three cars, it will only be appropriate to go for a three-car garage and a three-car driveway. Read more about garage dimensions on this page.

If a minimum of 12 feet or about 4 feet is required for a single vehicle, triple that size, and we arrive at a triple car driveway of about 30 to 36 feet or approximately 9 or 11 meters from one side to the other.

3 Car Driveway Width

If a triple car driveway should have a size of 30 to 36 feet or approximately 9 or 11 meters, the maximum of 36 feet or 11 meters will be better in the long run.

The minimum size of about 30 feet or 9 meters will not allow three vehicles to park side by side with each other, and opening doors simultaneously will be impossible with this space allowance.

The maximum size at 36 feet will be your best bet; however, if you have a larger vehicle, it is only better to adjust the surface area for each car to go in and out of the driveway easily.

Driveway Parking Space Dimensions

Aside from the turnaround space, another utility use of your driveway allows for parking space even if you do not have a garage. The critical factor is deciding how many vehicles you are considering parking at a time.

In deciding the driveway parking space, the rule of thumb allows each vehicle to have an area of 10 feet or 3 meters in width plus 22 feet or about 7 meters in length.

Therefore, if you are looking to park two cars simultaneously, a space of 20 feet to the more convenient 24 feet should be allowed in your driveway’s parking space.

For more related content visit our driveway gate ideas on this page.