Car hire and driving in Tijuana
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Mexico traffic drives on the right. Picking up at TIJ means 5 km (3 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q533806.
Drives from Tijuana
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tijuana to San Diego | United States | 28 km (17 mi) | about 26 min |
| Tijuana to El Cajon | United States | 33 km (20 mi) | about 30 min |
| Tijuana to Escondido | United States | 69 km (43 mi) | about 1 h 3 min |
| Tijuana to Carlsbad | United States | 80 km (50 mi) | about 1 h 13 min |
| Tijuana to Ensenada | Mexico | 80 km (50 mi) | about 1 h 13 min |
| Tijuana to Vista | United States | 81 km (50 mi) | about 1 h 14 min |
| Tijuana to Oceanside | United States | 85 km (53 mi) | about 1 h 17 min |
| Tijuana to Temecula | United States | 111 km (69 mi) | about 1 h 42 min |
| Tijuana to Murrieta | United States | 119 km (74 mi) | about 1 h 48 min |
| Tijuana to Mexicali | Mexico | 146 km (91 mi) | about 2 h 13 min |
| Tijuana to Irvine | United States | 151 km (94 mi) | about 2 h 18 min |
| Tijuana to Costa Mesa | United States | 153 km (95 mi) | about 2 h 20 min |
| Tijuana to Los Angeles | United States | 207 km (129 mi) | about 3 h 10 min |
| Tijuana to Phoenix | United States | 472 km (293 mi) | about 7 h 12 min |
| Tijuana to San Antonio | United States | 1,795 km (1,116 mi) | about 27 h 23 min |
| Tijuana to Ciudad Juárez | Mexico | 996 km (619 mi) | about 15 h 12 min |
| Tijuana to Monterrey | Mexico | 1,787 km (1,110 mi) | about 27 h 15 min |
| Tijuana to San Jose | United States | 698 km (434 mi) | about 10 h 39 min |
| Tijuana to Chihuahua | Mexico | 1,129 km (702 mi) | about 17 h 13 min |
| Tijuana to San Francisco | United States | 765 km (476 mi) | about 11 h 40 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Tijuana?
The right, as everywhere in Mexico.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
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.