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San Diego’s vast inland region has many attractions, some as close as 20 minutes from downtown San Diego, with mountains an hour or so away and deserts two hours or more.
Here’s our “getting here” guide:
Airports: The closest regional airport is San Diego International Airport. From there, you can access buses, taxis, rental cars, or ride shares such as Lyft or Uber to reach destinations in San Diego’s inland region.
Private pilots can land at several smaller county airports in San Diego’s inland region, which include airports in Agua Caliente, Borrego Springs, Ocotillo Wells, El Cajon, Fallbrook, Jacumba, Palomar, Ramona.
Train: The closest Amtrak depots are in downtown San Diego and San Diego’s Old Town. From there, you can access trolleys, busses, taxis, or ride share services to reach destinations in San Diego’s inland region.
Trolley: The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), operates several trolley lines that run frequently to stations in East County including El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove and Santee as well as San Diego State University. From the trolley stations, you can utilize buses run by MTS, rideshare or private transportation to access East County.
Highways: This map shows major highways and freeways in San Diego County. You can access San Diego’s inland region via the following routes:
From downtown San Diego: I-8 east to the heart of East County, I-94 to Southeast County, I-15 to Northeast County. I-8 also connects to State Routes 67 and 79, which will take you to mountain destinations such as Ramona and Julian. To access Borrego Springs or Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, visit this link for options.
From Imperial County and Arizona beyond: I-8 west to reach East County
From La Jolla through north central San DIego: State Route 52 extends east to Santee.
From South County: I-15 extends from South County north to the Imperial line, and can be used to access I-8, SR 52,and SR 94, as well as State Routes 76 and 78; the latter connect to inland mountain destinations.
From Riverside County to the north: I-15 extends from the Riverside County line south to the international border. It can be used to access highways heading east such as SR 52, I-8, and SR 94, as well as State Routes 76 and 78; the latter connect to inland mountain destinations.
From Orange and Los Angeles Counties: Take I-5 or I-805 south to access highways heading east.
International border crossings: San Diego County has international border crossings at San Ysidro and Tecate. San Ysidro’s crossing leads to major freeways; from I-5 head north to access I-8, SR 94, or SR 52 to reach inland destinations. The Tecate crossing is in San Diego’s East County and connects to SR 94, a rural highway that can be twisty in places. Check wait times and get more info.
SigAlert San Diego posts warnings of major traffic delays and highway hazards.
Many local cities and communities also have bicycle paths. Communities such as La Mesa, El Cajon and Lemon Grove have downtown districts that are bicycle and pedestrian friendly, as does San Diego. SANDAG has information on bike lanes and bike paths countywide.
Via San Diego offers ride-sharing via drivers in electric vehicles, currently in San Diego and El Cajon but with plans to expand.
Bicycle rentals are available across our region.
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