Origin
San Diego, CA
Morning in San Diego on Friday
Local time
11:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Diego, CA to Imperial Beach, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
12.9 mi
21 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Diego, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Imperial Beach, CA
Saidamir Mukhitdinov
Trip Overview
The drive from San Diego, CA to Imperial Beach, CA covers 12.9 miles and takes about 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on John J. Montgomery Freeway, Palm Avenue, West Broadway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.9 miles on John J. Montgomery Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.96 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 12.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 17m highway drive covering 12.9 miles, with most of the trip on John J. Montgomery Freeway and Palm Avenue. The longest continuous stretch is about 9.9 miles on John J. Montgomery Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 8 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
John J. Montgomery Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 9.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on John J. Montgomery Freeway and Palm Avenue. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Broadway.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Broadway): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles (I 5 / John J. Montgomery Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Broadway
Turn left onto West Broadway
Navigation decision point
8
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 5 South
5
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 5 / John J. Montgomery Freeway
Merge onto I 5 / John J. Montgomery Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
11.1 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward CA 75: Palm Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 5A
Toward CA 75: Palm Avenue
6
11.5 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
CA 75 / Palm Avenue
Turn right onto CA 75 / Palm Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John J. Montgomery Freeway | 9.9 mi | 11m |
| Palm Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| West Broadway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| 16th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Front Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
John J. Montgomery Freeway
— 9.9 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Diego, CA and Imperial Beach, CA.
1
Start on Front Street
26 ft
·
6 sec
·
Front Street
2
Turn left onto West Broadway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Broadway
3
Turn right onto 16th Street
378 ft
·
14 sec
·
16th Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 5 South
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 5
9.9 mi
·
11 min
·
John J. Montgomery Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 5A
Toward CA 75: Palm Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn right onto CA 75
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Palm Avenue
Use the right lane.
8
Arrive at destination
CA 75
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.96 one way
$5.93 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $3.06 | $6.11 |
| premium | $6.18 | $3.14 | $6.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.85 | $5.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.35 | $0.62 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.81 | $0.83 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Imperial Beach, CA
Morning in Imperial Beach on Friday
Local time
11:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
8 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
17m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from San Diego, CA to Imperial Beach, CA covers 12.9 miles and takes about 17m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are John J. Montgomery Freeway, Palm Avenue, West Broadway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.5 miles from San Diego, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.96 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Broadway): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles (I 5 / John J. Montgomery Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from San Diego, CA to Imperial Beach, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Cabrillo National Monument.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Imperial Beach, CA
Explore more options from San Diego, CA or browse trips ending in Imperial Beach, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.