What are Otay Mesa's hours today?

Otay Mesa is open 24 hours, per CBP's official schedule (it can vary by lane and season). At the top of this page we show the live status and each lane's wait in minutes; if there's a closure or a construction notice, it appears there.

Which lane is fastest to cross Otay Mesa right now?

Over the last week, the fastest lane at Otay Mesa has usually been SENTRI: ~16m typical wait vs. ~1h 39m in the General lane, per CBP's official hourly statistics. The fastest lane at this exact moment is flagged automatically above, in the live card.

What's the best time to cross Otay Mesa?

Today (Sunday), the shortest line at Otay Mesa typically falls at 5:00 AM (~41m in the General lane, per this weekday's typical pattern). See the best time to cross Otay Mesa with the whole week's hour-by-hour averages.

Is SENTRI or Ready Lane worth it at Otay Mesa?

Yes, if you cross often: at this crossing, SENTRI or Ready Lane saves an average of ~1h 20m per crossing over the General lane, from its own CBP history. See the hour-by-hour breakdown in is SENTRI or Ready Lane worth it at Otay Mesa?.

Baja California California

Live · 2 min ago · CBP

Otay Mesa Border Wait Time Today — Vehicles

Tijuana Otay Mesa, San Diego

Wait times for passenger vehicles

See all Tijuana border crossings

Get directions

Wait now · General lane

1h 40m

The wait at Otay Mesa is lower than usual for this hour: 1h 40m right now, versus a typical 2h 30m.

General 1h 40m Typical 2h 30m

Ready 1h 40m Typical 2h 17m

SENTRI Fastest 25m Typical 34m

Open 24 hours per CBP

Construction notice

Entrance to Ready Lanes is on the far left as you approach the border. Go to www.getyouhome.gov for more information Go to www.GetYouHome.gov for more information.

HOURLY STATISTICS NEW

What's the best time to cross?

Today vs. a typical Sunday at this port.

See the best hour for each day of the week

General Ready SENTRI

Today, Sunday, July 19

Source: CBP · Updated at 4:08 PM

Today Typical Usual range No data

Source: CBP · Updated at 4:08 PM

BEST HOUR LEFT TODAY

10:00 PM

typically 2h 26m · range 0m–4h

BEST HOUR OF THE DAY

5:00 AM

hit 1h today · already passed

NEXT OPEN HOUR

5:00 PM · 2h 47m

typical range 1h 15m–3h 50m

Crossing now or later usually makes little typical difference.

Wait by hour: today, typical and range (minutes)
Hour	Today	Typical	Min	Max
12:00 AM	90	87	25	150
1:00 AM	80	73	5	130
2:00 AM	70	61	5	110
3:00 AM	60	49	5	90
4:00 AM	45	41	10	75
5:00 AM	60	41	15	60
6:00 AM	70	63	45	90
7:00 AM	80	76	60	90
8:00 AM	90	87	60	115
9:00 AM	100	95	70	115
10:00 AM	110	100	70	150
11:00 AM	110	104	70	180
12:00 PM	90	103	70	180
1:00 PM	100	107	70	180
2:00 PM	100	111	70	200
3:00 PM	—	134	90	220
4:00 PM	—	150	80	220
5:00 PM	—	167	75	230
6:00 PM	—	184	100	230
7:00 PM	—	182	90	230
8:00 PM	—	178	80	280
9:00 PM	—	170	60	280
10:00 PM	—	146	0	240
11:00 PM	—	147	70	240

Best hour by day of the week

See the full breakdown

Mon

7 AM

1h 17m

Tue

11 PM

1h 5m

Wed

10 PM

59m

Thu

10 PM

49m

Fri

12 AM

53m

Sat

3 AM

23m

Sun

5 AM

41m

LANE SAVINGS

Is SENTRI worth it here?

Based on this crossing's own wait history.

SENTRI

1h 20m

saved per crossing, on average

up to ~1h 36m at the worst hour (7 PM)

Every 10 crossings ≈ 13 h less in line with SENTRI.

See the hour-by-hour breakdown

About

About this crossing

Otay Mesa connects Tijuana's eastern industrial and airport district with the Otay Mesa area of San Diego. It is the city's second gateway and the natural relief valve when San Ysidro backs up: General, Ready Lane and SENTRI vehicle lanes, its own pedestrian crossing, and direct access to the industrial parks on both sides. Its pace follows maquiladora shift changes and Tijuana airport traffic, so the hourly statistics here are handy for dodging the shift-change spikes.

Frequently asked questions about Otay Mesa

What are Otay Mesa's hours today?: Otay Mesa is open 24 hours, per CBP's official schedule (it can vary by lane and season). At the top of this page we show the live status and each lane's wait in minutes; if there's a closure or a construction notice, it appears there.
Which lane is fastest to cross Otay Mesa right now?: Over the last week, the fastest lane at Otay Mesa has usually been SENTRI: ~16m typical wait vs. ~1h 39m in the General lane, per CBP's official hourly statistics. The fastest lane at this exact moment is flagged automatically above, in the live card.
What's the best time to cross Otay Mesa?: Today (Sunday), the shortest line at Otay Mesa typically falls at 5:00 AM (~41m in the General lane, per this weekday's typical pattern). See the best time to cross Otay Mesa with the whole week's hour-by-hour averages.
Is SENTRI or Ready Lane worth it at Otay Mesa?: Yes, if you cross often: at this crossing, SENTRI or Ready Lane saves an average of ~1h 20m per crossing over the General lane, from its own CBP history. See the hour-by-hour breakdown in is SENTRI or Ready Lane worth it at Otay Mesa?.