Origin
San Diego, CA
Morning in San Diego on Friday
Local time
8:57 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
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
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 West Broadway, 16th Street, I 5 South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. 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 (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 17m drive with frequent turns across 12.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 8 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West Broadway is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from San Diego, CA to Imperial Beach, CA is easy. At 17m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Diego, CA to Imperial Beach, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Broadway | — | — |
| 16th Street | — | — |
| I 5 South | — | — |
| John J | — | — |
| CA 75 | — | — |
| Palm Avenue | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
West Broadway
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
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
377 ft
·
15 sec
·
16th Street
4
Take the ramp left toward I 5 South
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
I 5 South
5
Merge slight left onto John J. Montgomery Freeway
9.9 mi
·
11 min
·
John J. Montgomery Freeway
6
Take the exit slight right toward CA 75: Palm Avenue
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
CA 75: Palm Avenue
7
Turn right onto Palm Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Palm Avenue
8
Arrive at your destination
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
8:57 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 West Broadway, 16th Street, I 5 South. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
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.
The drive from San Diego, CA to Imperial Beach, CA is easy. At 17m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from San Diego, CA to Imperial Beach, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from San Diego, CA to Imperial Beach, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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