Downtown San Diego is the hub of a regional transportation network. Commuters, residents and visitors find their way to the center city by using multiple modes of transportation, including rail, light-rail trolley, bus and car. Downtown is also a pedestrian-friendly environment, which encourages people to walk to work, shops and restaurants.
Getting Around Fast Facts:
- 4 Interstate highways
- 60,000 parking spaces
- 43 miles of Coaster commuter rail
- 50 miles of trolley lines
- 29 bus routes
- Daily Amtrak service
Highways
Four major interstate freeways (I-5, I-8, I-15 and I-805) and six state highways serve San Diego in a well-developed highway system that is relatively congestion-free. The city's average daily round-trip commute ranks fifth best compared to the 20 largest metropolitan areas in the nation. During the past two decades, more than 1,000 miles of streets and highways have been added to the San Diego region.
Public Transit
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System offers a full menu of mass transit options to and from Downtown San Diego.
Light-rail Coaster Commuter trains link San Diego's North County to Downtown, with regular stops at the center-city Santa Fe Depot.
Twenty-nine bus routes cover more than 600 miles. Express bus lines link points North, East and South to Downtown.
Nearly 50 miles of the San Diego Trolley's light-rail lines travel through Downtown San Diego and connect the area with East County, Old Town, South Bay, Mission Valley, Qualcomm Stadium and the international border with Mexico. Two new trolley line extensions are planned.
The San Diego Downtown Partnership offers a discounted transit pass program offering savings of 17.5% on monthly bus and trolley passes. A company purchasing 50 passes for its employees can save up to $10,000 per year on transit alone.
Parking
CCDC recognizes the importance of parking to a successful urban environment. Downtown currently has approximately 63,000 parking spaces in a mixture of public and private structures and surface lots as well as on-street parking. Click here for additional information.
Downtown Parking Map [PDF 141KB]
Parking Meters / Parking Cards
Rechargeable parking meter cards are available for purchase in $10 or $45 preloaded amounts. Please visit the City of San Diego Parking Administration for purchase or reload locations. The cards can be used at any parking meter in the City of San Diego, including the Port District's parking meters with bright yellow poles in the Harbor Drive area. Coins are still accepted and if you return before your time is up, you can just re-insert your card and the meter will refund your payment down to six minutes (except at the new technology meters).
Purchase or reload your card at the Downtown Information Center at 193 Horton Plaza (above CVS/pharmacy) Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9am-1pm. For questions, please call 619-235-2222.
Major Downtown Parking Operators
Ace Parking
(619) 233-6624
Central Parking
(619) 235-5690
Ampco System Parking
(619) 233-2000
Sunset Parking Management
(619) 238-8064
Rail Service
Amtrak makes a convenient stop Downtown at the Santa Fe Depot located at the corner of Broadway and Kettner. The train offers daily service to Los Angeles. Burlington Northern Santa Fe provides daily freight rail service, with direct connections to many major cities in the U.S.
Air Travel
Conveniently located just minutes from Downtown, the San Diego International Airport is where Charles Lindbergh began his legendary transatlantic flight in 1927. Today, the airport is the nation's busiest single runway commercial airport, serving nearly 15 million passengers annually. A total of 19 airlines offer daily flights to 158 cities and serve an average 36,500 passengers day. Seven airfreight companies handle more than 70,000 tons of air cargo annually.
Port of San Diego
San Diego Bay is located 96 nautical miles southeast of Los Angeles and just north of the United States-Mexico border. The port's close proximity to the open ocean, lack of shipping congestion and year-round mild climate make it an excellent location for cargo shipping.
The port's two marine cargo facilities are the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and National City Marine Terminal. Both terminals have on-dock rail facilities for rapid transfer of cargo to rail and are minutes from Interstates 5, 8 and 15. Terminal gates operate around-the-clock, seven days a week.
The port also has a growing cruise ship operation, with more than 180 cruise ships calling on San Diego's B Street Cruise Ship Terminal each year. Seasonally, Holland America Line and Celebrity Cruises make San Diego their homeport. Other cruise lines that regularly visit San Diego include Princess, Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Radisson Seven Seas and Crystal Cruises.
