GoCary buses are fare-free through June 30, 2027. Downtown Cary has four free parking decks. I-40, US 1/64 and N.C. 540 ring the town.

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Facts on this page come from GoCary, the Town of Cary’s parking page and the N.C. Department of Transportation. Road work this week is on our road construction page.

Cary sits in the middle of the Research Triangle, with highway access, Raleigh-Durham International Airport and Amtrak passenger service close by, according to its New to Cary page. Its own bus system, GoCary, is free to ride.

Who to call

  • GoCary: 919-485-7433, BetterTransit@GoCary.org, trip planner
  • Roads and live traffic: DriveNC.gov or dial 511
  • Town streets, signals and parking questions: Cary 311, or 919-469-4000 from outside town limits

Main roads

The big routes through and around Cary, as named in NCDOT’s project list for Cary:

  • I-40 along the north side, with the Airport Boulevard interchange being rebuilt as a diverging diamond.
  • US 1 and US 64 through south Cary; DriveNC lists US 1 interchanges at SE Cary Parkway and Ten Ten Road.
  • N.C. 540, the Triangle Expressway, a toll road along the west side; its Complete 540 extension from Apex now reaches I-40, with the next phase due in 2028.
  • N.C. 54, which follows Chapel Hill Road but swings onto Maynard Road around downtown to keep through traffic out of the center, the town says.
  • N.C. 55 on the west side, and the town’s own loop, Cary Parkway.

Check DriveNC or call 511 for closures before you leave.

GoCary buses

GoCary’s fixed-route service is fare-free through June 30, 2027, the agency says on its fare-free notice. Buses connect with GoRaleigh, GoTriangle, GoApex and the Morrisville Smart Shuttle. Routes, from GoCary’s published schedule data:

Route Name
1 Crossroads
2 Cary-West Raleigh
3 Harrison
4 High House
5 Kildaire Farm
6 Buck Jones
7 Weston
9 Apex-Cary
GA1 GoApex Route 1

Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday; each route’s times vary, according to GoCary’s service hours page. Buses run a Sunday schedule on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day and Christmas Eve, and do not run on Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Door to Door: GoCary’s paratransit service for older adults and people with disabilities runs the same hours, with trips booked ahead. Apply through GoCary’s Door to Door page.

Use the GoCary app or the trip planner for live bus tracking.

The airport and the train

  • Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU): reached from I-40 at the Airport Boulevard exit. Flight status and parking are on rdu.com.
  • Amtrak: trains stop at the Cary station downtown; schedules and tickets are on amtrak.com. GoCary’s Route 3 stops at the station.

Downtown parking

Downtown Cary has more than 2,000 free parking spaces, the town says on its parking page. All four public decks are free and open:

Deck Address
Cedar Street 136 E. Cedar St.
Walnut Street 113 Walnut St.
Town Hall 121 Wilkinson Ave.
Academy Street 206 S. Academy St.

Deck rules, from the town’s parking deck rules under town code Section 22-87:

  • No overnight parking except in spaces marked for it. At the Walnut Street deck, overnight spaces are for tenants of The Walker, and some spaces are reserved for library patrons.
  • Park only in striped spaces; no trailers or boats; electric vehicle spaces are for cars that are charging.
  • No loitering more than 15 minutes unless you are loading, picking up passengers or charging.
  • Violators can have parking privileges revoked and be towed at the owner’s expense.

Bikes and greenways

Cary has more than 100 miles of greenway. The 7.1-mile Black Creek Greenway and the White Oak Creek Greenway are part of the East Coast Greenway; GoCary buses carry bike racks. Routes and rules: our parks and trails guide.

What this means for you

  • Ride GoCary free until at least June 30, 2027.
  • Park free downtown; just not overnight in the decks.
  • Check DriveNC before using I-40 near Airport Boulevard during the interchange rebuild.

More: moving to Cary and road construction and closures.

Frequently asked questions

Is GoCary free?

Yes. GoCary says its fare-free service continues through June 30, 2027. All buses are wheelchair accessible, air-conditioned and carry bike racks.

What are GoCary’s hours?

Fixed-route buses run 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, with start and end times varying by route. Buses do not run on Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Is parking free in downtown Cary?

Yes. The town says downtown has more than 2,000 free parking spaces, including four free public decks on East Cedar Street, Walnut Street, Wilkinson Avenue and South Academy Street.

Can you park overnight in Cary parking decks?

Not unless a space is marked for overnight parking, under the town’s parking deck rules. Violators can be towed at the owner’s expense.