When is the best time to cross at San Ysidro?
For drivers at San Ysidro, the General lane typically takes about 2 hr 11 min at 1 p.m. on weekdays and about 45 min at 5 a.m. on weekends, based on official CBP data from the last 120 days analyzed by LineaHoy.
For pedestrians at San Ysidro, the General lane typically takes about 53 min at 8 a.m. on weekdays and about 10 min at 5 a.m. on weekends, based on official CBP data from the last 120 days analyzed by LineaHoy.
Typical northbound wait times by hour (Tijuana time), averaged separately for weekdays (Mon–Fri) and weekends (Sat–Sun), based on the last 120 days of CBP data. Lanes without data aren't shown.
🚗 Driving · Vehicle crossing
General
- Fastest on weekdays: 10 p.m. (~1 hr 6 min), 11 p.m. (~1 hr 9 min) and 9 p.m. (~1 hr 18 min).
- Busiest on weekdays: 1 p.m. (~2 hr 11 min), 2 p.m. (~2 hr 11 min) and 4 p.m. (~2 hr 11 min).
- Fastest on weekends: 5 a.m. (~45 min), 6 a.m. (~1 hr 7 min) and 7 a.m. (~1 hr 19 min).
- Busiest on weekends: 4 p.m. (~2 hr 43 min), 3 p.m. (~2 hr 38 min) and 5 p.m. (~2 hr 38 min).
Ready Lane
- Fastest on weekdays: 10 p.m. (~41 min), 11 p.m. (~46 min) and 9 p.m. (~53 min).
- Busiest on weekdays: 11 a.m. (~1 hr 46 min), 2 p.m. (~1 hr 46 min) and 10 a.m. (~1 hr 45 min).
- Fastest on weekends: 5 a.m. (~35 min), 6 a.m. (~44 min) and 7 a.m. (~52 min).
- Busiest on weekends: 4 p.m. (~2 hr 8 min), 3 p.m. (~2 hr 6 min) and 2 p.m. (~2 hr 5 min).
SENTRI/Global Entry
- Fastest on weekdays: 9 p.m. (~11 min), 10 p.m. (~11 min) and 11 p.m. (~11 min).
- Busiest on weekdays: 7 a.m. (~18 min), 9 a.m. (~18 min) and 10 a.m. (~18 min).
- Fastest on weekends: 5 a.m. (~5 min), 6 a.m. (~10 min) and 7 a.m. (~12 min).
- Busiest on weekends: 5 p.m. (~23 min), 1 p.m. (~21 min) and 9 a.m. (~20 min).
Typical wait by hour (5 a.m. to 11 p.m.)
| Hour | General | Ready Lane | SENTRI/Global Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 a.m. | 1 hr 42 min | 1 hr 16 min | 13 min |
| 6 a.m. | 1 hr 49 min | 1 hr 19 min | 16 min |
| 7 a.m. | 1 hr 59 min | 1 hr 33 min | 18 min |
| 8 a.m. | 2 hr 4 min | 1 hr 40 min | 17 min |
| 9 a.m. | 2 hr 9 min | 1 hr 44 min | 18 min |
| 10 a.m. | 2 hr 10 min | 1 hr 45 min | 18 min |
| 11 a.m. | 2 hr 8 min | 1 hr 46 min | 17 min |
| noon | 2 hr 9 min | 1 hr 42 min | 17 min |
| 1 p.m. | 2 hr 11 min | 1 hr 44 min | 17 min |
| 2 p.m. | 2 hr 11 min | 1 hr 46 min | 18 min |
| 3 p.m. | 2 hr 10 min | 1 hr 45 min | 17 min |
| 4 p.m. | 2 hr 11 min | 1 hr 39 min | 17 min |
| 5 p.m. | 2 hr 8 min | 1 hr 33 min | 16 min |
| 6 p.m. | 1 hr 56 min | 1 hr 26 min | 15 min |
| 7 p.m. | 1 hr 42 min | 1 hr 14 min | 15 min |
| 8 p.m. | 1 hr 26 min | 1 hr | 14 min |
| 9 p.m. | 1 hr 18 min | 53 min | 11 min |
| 10 p.m. | 1 hr 6 min | 41 min | 11 min |
| 11 p.m. | 1 hr 9 min | 46 min | 11 min |
| Hour | General | Ready Lane | SENTRI/Global Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 a.m. | 45 min | 35 min | 5 min |
| 6 a.m. | 1 hr 7 min | 44 min | 10 min |
| 7 a.m. | 1 hr 19 min | 52 min | 12 min |
| 8 a.m. | 1 hr 33 min | 1 hr 5 min | 15 min |
| 9 a.m. | 1 hr 40 min | 1 hr 20 min | 20 min |
| 10 a.m. | 1 hr 50 min | 1 hr 28 min | 20 min |
| 11 a.m. | 2 hr 3 min | 1 hr 35 min | 20 min |
| noon | 2 hr 9 min | 1 hr 40 min | 20 min |
| 1 p.m. | 2 hr 24 min | 1 hr 58 min | 21 min |
| 2 p.m. | 2 hr 35 min | 2 hr 5 min | 20 min |
| 3 p.m. | 2 hr 38 min | 2 hr 6 min | 20 min |
| 4 p.m. | 2 hr 43 min | 2 hr 8 min | 20 min |
| 5 p.m. | 2 hr 38 min | 1 hr 58 min | 23 min |
| 6 p.m. | 2 hr 35 min | 1 hr 55 min | 18 min |
| 7 p.m. | 2 hr 35 min | 1 hr 53 min | 18 min |
| 8 p.m. | 2 hr 33 min | 2 hr | 18 min |
| 9 p.m. | 2 hr 25 min | 2 hr | 18 min |
| 10 p.m. | 2 hr 28 min | 1 hr 55 min | 20 min |
| 11 p.m. | 2 hr 30 min | 1 hr 55 min | 18 min |
🚶 Walking · PedEast pedestrian crossing
General
- Fastest on weekdays: 11 p.m. (~5 min), 10 p.m. (~6 min) and 9 p.m. (~11 min).
- Busiest on weekdays: 8 a.m. (~53 min), 1 p.m. (~52 min) and 3 p.m. (~52 min).
- Fastest on weekends: 5 a.m. (~10 min), 11 p.m. (~13 min) and 6 a.m. (~16 min).
- Busiest on weekends: 3 p.m. (~53 min), 1 p.m. (~52 min) and noon (~50 min).
Ready Lane
- Steady all day: about 5 min.
Typical wait by hour (5 a.m. to 11 p.m.)
| Hour | General | Ready Lane |
|---|---|---|
| 5 a.m. | 32 min | 5 min |
| 6 a.m. | 38 min | 5 min |
| 7 a.m. | 46 min | 5 min |
| 8 a.m. | 53 min | 5 min |
| 9 a.m. | 43 min | 5 min |
| 10 a.m. | 43 min | 5 min |
| 11 a.m. | 48 min | 5 min |
| noon | 46 min | 5 min |
| 1 p.m. | 52 min | 5 min |
| 2 p.m. | 49 min | 5 min |
| 3 p.m. | 52 min | 5 min |
| 4 p.m. | 45 min | 5 min |
| 5 p.m. | 33 min | 5 min |
| 6 p.m. | 29 min | 5 min |
| 7 p.m. | 26 min | 5 min |
| 8 p.m. | 19 min | 5 min |
| 9 p.m. | 11 min | 5 min |
| 10 p.m. | 6 min | 5 min |
| 11 p.m. | 5 min | 5 min |
| Hour | General | Ready Lane |
|---|---|---|
| 5 a.m. | 10 min | 5 min |
| 6 a.m. | 16 min | 5 min |
| 7 a.m. | 18 min | 5 min |
| 8 a.m. | 25 min | 5 min |
| 9 a.m. | 30 min | 5 min |
| 10 a.m. | 37 min | 5 min |
| 11 a.m. | 38 min | 5 min |
| noon | 50 min | 5 min |
| 1 p.m. | 52 min | 5 min |
| 2 p.m. | 50 min | 5 min |
| 3 p.m. | 53 min | 5 min |
| 4 p.m. | 38 min | 5 min |
| 5 p.m. | 43 min | 5 min |
| 6 p.m. | 38 min | 5 min |
| 7 p.m. | 38 min | 5 min |
| 8 p.m. | 45 min | 5 min |
| 9 p.m. | 35 min | 5 min |
| 10 p.m. | 16 min | 5 min |
| 11 p.m. | 13 min | 5 min |
Data: CBP, analyzed by LineaHoy. Updated: October 21, 2026.
About the San Ysidro crossing
San Ysidro (CBP port code 250401) connects Tijuana and San Diego and is the busiest land border crossing in the Western Hemisphere: tens of thousands of people cross every day, by car and on foot.
If you're driving, the vehicle crossing is open 24 hours and feeds into the I-5 and I-805 freeways. If you're walking, PedEast is San Ysidro's main pedestrian crossing, next to the trolley station with service to downtown San Diego. To the west is PedWest (El Chaparral), which has its own page.
Available lanes
For drivers, the lanes into the U.S. are General, Ready Lane and SENTRI. For pedestrians, the lanes vary by crossing, and CBP doesn't always publish all of them (often just General and Ready Lane), so you'll see "No data" for any lane it doesn't report.
- General: any traveler with valid documents.
- Ready Lane: only for RFID-enabled cards: U.S. passport card, Border Crossing Card (laser visa), green card or trusted traveler cards. Passport books are not accepted. Usually faster.
- SENTRI / Global Entry: travelers enrolled in the trusted traveler program. The fastest lane.
Tips for a faster crossing
- With an RFID-enabled card, use Ready Lane (passport books are not accepted); if you cross often, SENTRI is the fastest lane, driving or walking.
- Compare San Ysidro and Otay Mesa before you leave. Sometimes the other port is moving faster.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the San Ysidro border wait today?
It depends on the time of day and whether you're driving or walking. The live CBP wait times for both are shown above and update every 5 minutes. They reflect CBP's latest official reading, not a second-by-second timer.
Can I see San Ysidro wait times for driving and walking?
Yes. This page has two sections: 'Driving' (vehicle crossing) and 'Walking' (PedEast pedestrian crossing), each with its wait time by lane.
What's the difference between Ready Lane and SENTRI?
Ready Lane is for RFID-enabled cards (passport books are not accepted) and doesn't require enrollment. SENTRI (or Global Entry) is a trusted traveler program that does require enrollment and gets you into the fastest lane.
Where is PedWest / El Chaparral?
PedWest, known locally as El Chaparral, is San Ysidro's other pedestrian crossing (on the west side). It has its own page on LineaHoy because it's in a different spot, next to Plaza Viva Tijuana.
What's the best time to cross at San Ysidro on weekdays?
On weekdays, the General lane for drivers is usually fastest at 10 p.m. (~1 hr 6 min), 11 p.m. (~1 hr 9 min) and 9 p.m. (~1 hr 18 min) (typical CBP wait times over the last 120 days, analyzed by LineaHoy). For pedestrians, the General lane is usually fastest at 11 p.m. (~5 min), 10 p.m. (~6 min) and 9 p.m. (~11 min).
What's the best time to cross at San Ysidro on weekends?
On weekends, the General lane for drivers is usually fastest at 5 a.m. (~45 min), 6 a.m. (~1 hr 7 min) and 7 a.m. (~1 hr 19 min) (typical CBP wait times over the last 120 days, analyzed by LineaHoy).
When is the line longest at San Ysidro on weekdays?
On weekdays, the General lane for drivers usually has the longest wait at 1 p.m. (~2 hr 11 min), 2 p.m. (~2 hr 11 min) and 4 p.m. (~2 hr 11 min) (typical CBP wait times over the last 120 days, analyzed by LineaHoy).