You should assume you cannot park within 15 feet (about one car length) of a fire hydrant in most of the United States.

Short answer

  • In most places: stay at least 15 feet away from the hydrant (front and back of your car).
  • This rule keeps you legal in all states, even though a few allow shorter distances.
  • If you are unsure: park a full car length away and avoid any red or yellow painted curbs or “No parking” signs.

Why 15 feet is the “safe” rule

  • Fire trucks need clear space to pull up, connect hoses, and work quickly, so blocking a hydrant—even partially—can slow emergency response.
  • The National Fire Protection Association and many state/city codes use 15 feet as the standard clearance around hydrants.
  • No state requires more than 15 feet, so if you follow 15 feet everywhere, you won’t be too close anywhere.

Differences by state (but don’t rely on them)

Some states allow closer parking by law, but this varies and can be confusing:

  • Many states (e.g., California, New York, Texas, Florida): 15 feet minimum.
  • Some states/cities: 10 feet (for example, Connecticut, New Jersey, Oregon).
  • A few unusual cases:
    • Iowa: as close as 5 feet.
* Vermont: about **6 feet**.

Because local ordinances can change—and tickets can be expensive—the safest everyday rule is still to treat 15 feet as your minimum.

Simple rule of thumb

  • Imagine one standard car length between your bumper and the hydrant (roughly 15 feet).
  • Never park where the curb is painted red or yellow, or where there are “No parking – fire lane / hydrant” signs, even if you think you’re far enough.

Quick HTML table for clarity

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Location / Guidance</th>
      <th>Recommended minimum distance</th>
      <th>Notes</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>General USA rule</td>
      <td>15 feet</td>
      <td>Safe distance that keeps you legal in all states.[web:1][web:3][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Most states (e.g., CA, NY, TX, FL)</td>
      <td>15 feet</td>
      <td>Written into many state vehicle codes.[web:3][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Some states/cities (e.g., CT, NJ, OR)</td>
      <td>10 feet</td>
      <td>Local law may allow closer, but check code before relying on this.[web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Iowa</td>
      <td>5 feet</td>
      <td>One of the shortest legal distances.[web:1][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Vermont</td>
      <td>6 feet</td>
      <td>Also unusually short distance.[web:1][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>If you are unsure</td>
      <td>15 feet or more</td>
      <td>Use one car length as a quick visual estimate.[web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Forum-style takeaway

If you don’t want a ticket (or to mess up a firefighter’s day), just keep one full car length between your car and any hydrant. When in doubt: more than 15 feet is always safer.

TL;DR: In almost all situations, park at least 15 feet away from a fire hydrant, even if some states technically allow less.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.