Mexicali: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Mexicali is a city of 1 million people in Mexico (Baja California), 4 m (13 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport (MXL), 20 km (12 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 79 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Mexicali runs from about 10 h 3 min a day in late December to 14 h 21 min in late June (computed for 32.63° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Mexicali is served by 3 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport (MXL), 20 km (12 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,530 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Imperial County Airport (IPL, 26 km), Yuma International Airport / Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (YUM, 79 km).
Flights to Mexicali: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Mexicali · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 79 places to stay in Mexicali. Of the 40 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (21), and 3 are five-star. Across 28 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.2 out of 10. Guests have left 15,602 reviews in total.
Hotels in Mexicali: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Los Angeles, 304 km (United States) — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Tijuana, 146 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Phoenix, 328 km (United States) — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- San Diego, 160 km (United States) — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Las Vegas, 395 km (United States) — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Long Beach, 284 km (United States) — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Mesa, 350 km (United States) — flights · buses · car rental
- Ensenada, 137 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Anaheim, 265 km (United States) — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Riverside, 233 km (United States) — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Tijuana, Nanjing, São José dos Campos, Gumi, El Centro, Coachella, Calexico.
Common questions
Which airport serves Mexicali?
General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport (MXL), 20 km (12 mi) from the centre, plus 2 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Mexicali?
About 1 million people live in Mexicali, across 114 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Mexicali in?
America/Tijuana, currently UTC-7.
What currency is used in Mexicali?
The Peso (MXN). Traffic drives on the right.
How many hotels are there in Mexicali?
Our booking partner lists 79 places to stay in Mexicali, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Mexicali?
Los Angeles (304 km), Tijuana (146 km), Phoenix (328 km), San Diego (160 km), Las Vegas (395 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.