San Diego International Airport (SAN)

San Diego Airport-Lindbergh Field is a major airport in southern California with direct and connecting flights to other regional and major North American airports.  Flight and airline information is available on the airport's web site.  The airport also provides charter and general aviation services.

Location:  The airport is located 3 miles/4 km northwest of downtown San Diego, adjacent to San Diego Bay and 19 miles/30 km north of the United States-Mexico border.

Highway Connections: The main entrance for San Diego International Airport - Lindbergh Field is from Harbor Drive which runs along the shoreline of San Diego Bay. Access to Interstate Highway I-5 is nearby at Grape Street. Drivers traveling on I-5 northbound to San Diego airport exit at Hawthorne Street. Traffic southbound on I-5 to the airport should exit at Sassafrass Street to Kettner Blvd. and turn right on Laurel Street for the airport.

Interstate I-5 connects with I-8 a short distance north of the airport. This highway runs east to Arizona. It connects with CA163 a few miles east of the I-5/I-8 junction for destinations in northern San Diego County and Riverside County.

Distances and Routes to Nearby Cities:  Distances below are measured from the airport entrance on Harbor Drive to a major intersection in the named cities.

Cities and points along I-5 south of the airport include state route CA75 for Coronado (5 miles/7 km), 28th Street for San Diego Naval Station (5 miles/9 km), National City (8 miles/12 km), Chula Vista (11 miles/18 km), San Ysidro (18 miles/29 km) and US-Mexico border (19 miles/30 km).

Cities and points along I-5 north of the airport include La Jolla Village Drive (13 miles/22 km), Carmel Valley Road to Torrey Pines (18 miles/29 km), Cardiff-by-the-Sea (25 miles/40 km), Carlsbad (29 miles/47 km), Oceanside at Vista Way/CA78 (36 miles/58 km) and Harbor Drive for Camp Pendleton (39 miles/63 km).

Cities and points along I-8 east of I-5 include Hotel Circle, San Diego (7 miles/12 km), La Mesa (15 miles/24 km), El Cajon (20 miles/32 km) and El Centro (117 miles/189 km).

For distances to points north and south of the airport and for other related information, use the Interstate 5 highway log.

For road condition and weather reports and time zone information go to the California airports home page.

Car Rentals: A good selection of car rentals is available on and off the airport

Parking: Short-term and long-term/economy parking facilities are available on the airport grounds. Long-term/economy parking is also available in the area of the airport.

Web Site: The San Diego Airport web site provides a good range of information on services and other points of interest for travelers.

Alternate Airports:  The following airports may be considered as alternate airports for points in northern San Diego County and adjoining counties: Carlsbad Airport, El Centro/Imperial County Airport, Orange County-John Wayne Airport, Long Beach Airport and Ontario Airport.  

Ground Transportation: There is a good range of transportation service - taxis, buses, rail transit, shuttles, limousines, trains - available that run between the airport or downtown San Diego and surrounding communities.  Ground transportation information is available on the airport's web site.

The Ridelink web site sponsored by the San Diego Area Government is an excellent source of information on bus and rail services in the area around San Diego. Buses regularly run between the airport and downtown (Broadway) San Diego where connections can be made to other bus routes and rail services.  The web site for the Metropolitan Transit System is another good source of information about public transportation services.

Amtrak rail services to Los Angeles and intermediate points operate from the Santa Fe depot in downtown San Diego.

Visit the North County Transit District web site for information about bus and rail services en route to Oceanside and the northern San Diego County area.

Hotels, motels and restaurants:  There is a very good selection of hotels and motels near the airport in addition to a large selection in San Diego and other adjacent communities along Interstate 5, Interstate 8, Interstate 15 and state routes CA163 and CA209. Several hotels and motels provide shuttle service between their facilities and the airport.

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