The San Diego–Tijuana crossing is the busiest in the world and includes the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports, open 24 hours.
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Southbound · U.S. → MexicoThe line to enter Mexico, seen from the U.S. side. Updated every few minutes.
Southbound traffic · Caltrans
Crossing San Diego–Tijuana: full guide
San Ysidro vs Otay Mesa: which to use
San Ysidro is the busiest land port in the world and connects straight to downtown San Diego and the trolley, so it tends to have long lines, but it is the most convenient if you are on foot or heading downtown. Otay Mesa is farther east, handles heavy commercial and vehicle traffic, and often flows better for driving across. Compare the live times above before you decide.
Best times to cross into San Diego
Northbound, the heaviest hours at San Ysidro are weekday afternoons, Sundays, and holidays, when weekend travelers head back. The fastest crossings are usually early morning and mid-morning on weekdays. Since it is a 24-hour crossing, if your schedule is flexible, leaving very early makes a big difference in the wait.
SENTRI, Ready Lane and pedestrian lanes
Both San Ysidro and Otay Mesa have SENTRI and Ready Lane, which cut the wait dramatically if you have the document. San Ysidro also has pedestrian crossings, including PedWest, and at peak hours walking across and taking the trolley is sometimes faster than waiting in the car. If you cross often, SENTRI is the best time investment.
SENTRI and Ready Lane guide: requirements and costs
More Border Crossings
Live wait times for every crossing we track, with cameras and community reports where available.