Photo by CDC on Unsplash
There are two main ports of entry into Tijuana; the Otay Mesa and San Ysidro border crossings. The Tecate border is actually a 3rd option but is far less busy than the two main crossings. San Ysidro is the busiest border crossing in the world. Ordinarily, more than two million people pass through it every month. Otay Mesa is still an incredibly busy port of entry but about half as many people pass through it every month compared to San Ysidro.
Commercial traffic is not permitted at the San Ysidro border crossing. Otay Mesa is the main commercial crossing in the area and billions of dollars of goods pass through it each year. The nearby Tecate border crossing also serves commercial traffic and usually has shorter wait times.
Both border crossings often have extremely lengthy passenger vehicle wait times with Sundays and Saturday evenings often particularly lengthy. Commercial wait times at Otay Mesa are shorter and pedestrian wait times at both crossings are generally always pretty short.
It’s worth noting that both the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa border crossings have Ready and Sentri lane options in addition to the general lanes to help pass through the border quicker. Otay Mesa also has a Fast lane for commercial traffic.
You can view live and average San Ysidro and Otay Mesa wait times and FAQ’s using the following links:
