Otay Mesa Border Wait Time Today — Pedestrian
Wait times for pedestrians
See all Tijuana border crossingsThe wait at Otay Mesa is lower than usual for this hour: 0m right now, versus a typical 22m.
Historical reference · not a forecast
| Lane | Now | Typical | 2025 Labor Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Fastest | 0m | 22m | 5m |
| Ready | No live reading for this hour | no data | No historical reading for this hour |
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.
What's the best time to cross?
Today vs. a typical Friday at this port.
See the best hour for each day of the weekToday, Friday, September 4
Today looks like a typical day. The last recorded hours have held steady. Of what's left today, this hour is usually the best.
| Hour | Today | Typical | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1:00 AM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2:00 AM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3:00 AM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4:00 AM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5:00 AM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6:00 AM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7:00 AM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8:00 AM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9:00 AM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10:00 AM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11:00 AM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11:00 PM | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best hour by day of the week
See the full breakdownWait times during Labor Day 2025
Labor Day 2026 falls on Monday, September 7, 2026. For reference, these are the General-lane waits CBP reported from Friday, August 29, 2025 through Thursday, September 4, 2025.
Cars · General
7 of 7 days with data-
3 days before
- Average
- 51m
- Median
- 45m
- Reported range
- 5m–1h 50m
24/24 hours reported
-
2 days before
- Average
- 1h 24m
- Median
- 1h 30m
- Reported range
- 10m–3h
23/24 hours reported
-
1 day before
- Average
- 1h 41m
- Median
- 1h 40m
- Reported range
- 5m–4h 10m
24/24 hours reported
-
Holiday
- Average
- 1h 26m
- Median
- 48m
- Reported range
- 10m–3h 10m
24/24 hours reported
-
1 day after
- Average
- 1h 17m
- Median
- 1h 30m
- Reported range
- 15m–1h 50m
24/24 hours reported
-
2 days after
- Average
- 1h 4m
- Median
- 55m
- Reported range
- 10m–2h 10m
24/24 hours reported
-
3 days after
- Average
- 52m
- Median
- 53m
- Reported range
- 10m–1h 40m
24/24 hours reported
Pedestrian · General
7 of 7 days with data-
3 days before
- Average
- 24m
- Median
- 30m
- Reported range
- 2m–1h
24/24 hours reported
-
2 days before
- Average
- 23m
- Median
- 20m
- Reported range
- 0m–1h
23/24 hours reported
-
1 day before
- Average
- 10m
- Median
- 5m
- Reported range
- 0m–30m
24/24 hours reported
-
Holiday
- Average
- 27m
- Median
- 28m
- Reported range
- 0m–1h 20m
24/24 hours reported
-
1 day after
- Average
- 33m
- Median
- 25m
- Reported range
- 5m–1h
24/24 hours reported
-
2 days after
- Average
- 32m
- Median
- 23m
- Reported range
- 5m–1h 35m
24/24 hours reported
-
3 days after
- Average
- 41m
- Median
- 35m
- Reported range
- 5m–1h 40m
24/24 hours reported
Source: CBP · Labor Day 2025 · General lane.
A single week for reference; this is not a forecast. Check live wait times before you travel.
Is SENTRI worth it here?
Based on this crossing's own wait history.
Every 10 crossings ≈ 14 h less in line with SENTRI.
See the hour-by-hour breakdownAbout 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: ~17m 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 (Friday), the shortest line at Otay Mesa typically falls at 12:00 AM (~5m 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 23m 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?.
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