San Ysidro car lines topped two hours on Wednesday as Tijuana’s tourism chamber expects a busy November

Driving north through San Ysidro took more than two hours at both checks Tijuana en Línea published on Wednesday, Nov. 4. At 10 a.m., the general vehicle lanes showed a 130-minute wait, Ready Lane 100 minutes and SENTRI 30, according to its roundup of the official wait-time data; at 2 p.m., the general lanes were still at 130 minutes and Ready Lane had reached 110. Neither report gave a reason for the backup.

Otay Mesa wasn’t much of an escape for drivers: 70 minutes in the general lanes and 90 to 100 in Ready Lane at those two checks, with SENTRI at 30 and then 15 minutes. Walking was the faster way north at San Ysidro, where the general pedestrian line showed 20 to 30 minutes and PedWest about 5. Otay Mesa’s pedestrian line was slower, at 80 and then 60 minutes.

A busier month ahead

Tijuana businesses expect more visitors from Southern California this month, mostly families crossing to see relatives who also eat out and shop, said Gilberto Gamiño, president of the Cámara de Turismo y Convenciones de Tijuana, according to Tijuana en Línea and Tijuana Última Hora. He called El Buen Fin, Mexico’s annual sales event, an opportunity to boost business, and said long border waits can discourage or delay would-be customers. Neither report included visitor or spending figures.

What it means if you’re crossing

• Check CBP’s Border Wait Times site (bwt.cbp.gov) or the wait bar at the top of our site before you get in line; the numbers above are snapshots, and waits change by the hour.
• On foot, compare PedWest with San Ysidro’s main pedestrian line; on Wednesday it was the quickest way north.
• Busy dates are coming: El Buen Fin runs Nov. 13–17, around the Monday, Nov. 16, Revolution Day holiday (our story), and Thanksgiving weekend follows on Nov. 26–29 (our planner).
• Lanes, documents and timing tips are in our border-crossing guide.