San Diego Transportation
From San Diego Wiki
If you’re from out of town, getting around San Diego may seem like a hard task, but you’ll discover it’s quite simple once you get accustomed to the freeways, trolleys, and coasters. Like our northern neighbor of Los Angeles, travel in San Diego is usually accomplished via road trip. But unlike LA, getting from one end of the city to the other is usually not much of a time-intensive task. There are four main freeways in our beach city. And if you’re not from here, you’ll notice that locals place the word “the” in front of our four fave freeways: the 5, the 805, the 163, and the 15.
San Diego Freeways and Highways
Whether you want to travel to the beaches of La Jolla, the clubs of Downtown, up north to Del Mar, or across the border to T.J., San Diego’s interstates are simple, straightforward easy access streets for long distance travel needs. From our highways, you will get the chance to see many interesting sights such as Qualcomm Stadium and the Pacific Ocean.
Interstate Highway I-5: San Diego Freeway
San Diego’s famed I-5 Freeway reaches as far south as the U.S./Mexico border in San Ysidro. When traveling in the opposite direction, the long coast-hugging freeway stretches north through San Diego, all the way up to the U.S./Canada border in Blaine, Washington. This is an often-used freeway, as many commute back and forth between southern California communities such as Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego on the weekends.
Interstate Highway I-805: Jacob Dekema Freeway
San Diego’s I-805 Freeway serves as a bypass route of the I-5 and is named after Jacob Dekema, who had greatly helped in the development of San Diego’s freeway system. The 805 is a common commute for those going to and fro in the South Bay and La Jolla communities.
Interstate Highway I-163: Cabrillo Freeway
San Diego’s I-163 Freeway is the most common street for those who seek Downtown San Diego, while also serving as a route connecting with the I-805. The northern section of the 163 merges with the I-15 while its southern section runs through an area of Balboa Park where the freeway is considered a scenic drive.
Interstate Highway I-15: Escondido Freeway
Similar to the I-5, the I-15 is a San Diego transcontinental highway stretching from Tijuana all the way to Canada. The I-15 is known as the main roadway to reach northern San Diego communities, Riverside County, and Nevada’s ever-famous Las Vegas.
San Diego Public Transportation
Although Southern Californians love the freedom of using their own cars, the city of San Diego offers handy public alternatives for those who want something else. From the local coaster to the expanding trolley system, take a trip around town without spending money fueling up.
The San Diego Trolley
The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system that offers service from the Mexican border and on through the areas of Mission Valley and Santee. Fares are extremely affordable and people often use the railway to get to special events taking place at Qualcomm Stadium, Old Town, and San Diego State University.
The San Diego Trolley Website
The San Diego Coast Express Rail
Often dubbed as the San Diego Coaster; the local express rail serves a good portion of San Diego with stops at places such as Downtown, Old Town, Sorrento Valley, Solana Beach, and Oceanside. The coaster has low ticket prices that change depending on the number of zones one travels and is considered a common way of transportation for business travelers and other commuters.
The San Diego Coast Express Rail Website
Pacific Surfliner
The Pacific Surfliner is an Amtrak passenger train that stretches from San Diego up to San Luis Obispo. A majority of the 350 mile track lies along the Pacific coast, providing a serene train trip with an ocean view. The Surfliner offers many amenities such as outlets for portable electronics, a café with fresh food and drink, and special racks for surfboards and bicycles.
General Street Public Transportation
Like most other major cities, San Diego offers several alternatives to using one’s own street vehicle, while still allowing one to travel on the actual roads. A simple phone call or Internet search will lead you to numerous businesses for shuttle vans, taxi cabs, and car rental services.
San Diego Cabs and San Diego Taxi Companies
Yellow Cab: 619.677.1855
Coach Cab: 760.722.5100
Orange Cab: 619.223.5555
A Del Mar Cab: 858.523.9999
ABC Cab: 619.482.0397
Ace Cabs: 858.270.8000
San Diego Limousine and San Diego Limo Companies
APlus Limo: 858-650-0557 Limo in San Diego http://www.apluslimos.com
San Diego Airports
San Diego’s sunny weather makes it a prime location for travel. With this in mind, it is no wonder that the city’s main airport has an average of over 600 arrivals and departures every day. When you are ready to take to the skies when visiting, leaving, or returning back to San Diego from a vacation, the airport runways are open and waiting with anticipation.
San Diego International Airport
When nearing Downtown San Diego, one will often hear and see planes flying, taking off, and landing at all times of the day. The international and commercial airport, located near Downtown and the Marine Corps Recruit Deport San Diego, has been listed as the busiest single-runway commercial airport in the U.S. San Diego International is also known as Lindbergh Field, and was given this name as a tribute to Charles Lindbergh’s famous and first solo transatlantic flight that began in San Diego.
San Diego International Airport Website
Montgomery Field
Jets and other aircraft are also often heard when nearing the military base (MCAS) in Miramar, San Diego. However, not all of the planes by the marine base are military as there is a nearby public general aviation airport, namely, Montgomery Field. Montgomery is operated by the City of San Diego and is named after John J. Montgomery, a pilot who locally made the first manned, controlled, heavier-than-air plane flights back in 1883.
Brown Field
Brown Field is the second of the two major general aviation airports operated by the City of San Diego. Brown Field is known as a main port-of-entry into the U.S. from Mexico and is located a mere one mile north of the U.S./Mexico border. Brown Field also has a strong history of use by the military and general law enforcement agencies.
County of San Diego Airports
The County of San Diego operates eight, lesser known, general aviation airports
Agua Caliente Airport
Borrego Valley Airport
Fallbrook Airpark
Gillespie Field
Jacumba Airport
Ocotillo Airport
McClellan-Palomar Airport
Ramona Airport
San Diego Bay
Considering we are a port city, traversing the seas in San Diego is not as common amongst the general local populace as a visitor might think. Although understanding the sailing rules in San Diego is likely only useful for actual boat owners, there are general rules and information that all show know, whether you’re a true sea fairer or a mere landlubber.
Information from the Unified Port of San Diego
- San Diego Bay is under the jurisdiction of the Port of San Diego and the San Diego Harbor Police.</li<
- There are four Port District maintained launch ramps throughout San Diego Bay. These are in
- San Diego - Shelter Island
- National City - Pepper Park, adjacent to the 24th Street Marine Terminal
- Chula Vista - In the J Street Park
- Coronado - Adjacent to the Municipal Pool in Glorietta Bay
- United States Coast Guard Inland Rules apply within San Diego Bay
- San Diego Bay is accessed through the Main Shipping Channel that runs roughly North/South and is marked by lighted red and green buoys. Boaters are cautioned to stay in the channel near the mouth of the bay as there are several submerged reefs outside the channel.
San Diego Bay
Is an active commercial harbor with two commercial wharves operated by the Port of San Diego, and numerous commercial fishing wharves. There is also heavy vessel traffic from the U.S. Navy. As a result, boaters need to operate with caution in the bay. Watch for large vessels, as well as smaller ones and be familiar with the rules of the road for boating.
San Diego Ports Website
Other than using your own boat in the bay, one can also find many longstanding tour boats and cruise ships such as the Hornblower on North Harbor Drive.
Hornblower Website
San Diego High Risk of Accident Areas
As it was mentioned previously, with all the different venues of transportation available in San Diego, a good majority of the population still sticks with the automobile. It’s wonderful that every place in the city can be easily accessed from a simple drive, but sometimes we’re in a bigger rush than we need to be. Below is a list of street intersections in which there has been a high number of car accidents in the past few years.
Garnet Avenue at Mission Bay Drive
Aero Drive at Murphy Canyon Road
32nd Street at Harbor Drive
Black Mountain Road at Mira Mesa Boulevard
La Jolla Village Drive at Towne Center Drive
Camino De La Reina at Qualcomm Way
54th Street at Montezuma Road
A Street and 10th Avenue
60th Street and Imperial Avenue
Grape Street and North Harbor Drive
EB Scripps Poway Parkway and Community
EB Ted Williams and Pomerado
Main and Jamacha
Magnolia and Madison
Have fun and be safe when traveling around beautiful San Diego.
