BajaNomad - Mexicali Border Crossing

Ok, here is the correct answer and avoids a U-turn that Google makes you use that is seldom possible.
First disregard Google maps and other maps and instructions presented above.
Google maps leads you to Sentri and Ready and you need standard Which
means you need to approach the border entry from the east not the west. These Nomads will ague all day that from the west works, but after 18 years of doing this crossing for sure east always works and is easy.

Here are the easy instructions - write them down in order:
From Hwy 5 turn right at the first traffic light thru the industrial area. Go straight at all choices and pass the Coco Cola building and a major bank. Cross the San Luis highway at RR tracks and continue going straight.
The road leads you northerly past a Calimax and to a major intersection with a huge new high rise shopping building. At that point turn right onto the Airport road which is a 6 lane highway. Use left lane and turn left at a major intersection identified by a multistory warehouse on the SW corner and a Large gas station on the SW corner. See a Garita sign.
Follow the road in the second lane from the right and then move to the right lane after all the semis turn north.
The key sign to watch for is Garita. Find it along the way at various intersections.
=== ==

The 2nd route I posted comes in from the East. Near the airport it starts following the route you posted. It just swings further East outside the city at the beginning.

For sure you want to follow Google Maps turn by turn directions. You just need to set a 1st stop (like the airport) that makes it come in from the East to the 2nd spot (border).

No way I'm trying to memorize directions that say turn right by the big red building with the hot dog cart out front.

Use technology ppl. Just vetted it first. In fact, in a couple minutes you could add 1 or 2 additional stops to have Google Maps follow the exact path you typed out. Then when you are driving it tells you exactly what to do and gives you advance notice of turns.

[Edited on 4-18-2022 by JZ]

mtgoat666 - 4-17-2022 at 07:30 PM

if you are going to socal cross at tecate.

Worst advice ever! Tecate require ridiculous detour thru mountains, HUGE waste of time.

mtgoat666 - 4-17-2022 at 07:32 PM

GPS tracks imbedded on Google earth

Good route :bounce:

Lee - 4-17-2022 at 09:04 PM

GPS tracks imbedded on Google earth

This is the best route to avoid town. Memorize the land marks and street names.

mtgoat666 - 4-17-2022 at 09:28 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Lee

GPS tracks imbedded on Google earth

This is the best route to avoid town. Memorize the land marks and street names.

Why memorize the route? That’s what maps are for. Hard copy or smart phone better than memorizing.

Street Names

PaulW - 4-18-2022 at 06:32 AM

Street names
From Hwy 5 to the standard east border. Note the street name changes along the way.

photo image hosting com

Mulege Canuck - 4-18-2022 at 07:30 AM

GPS tracks imbedded on Google earth

That is the way I go through Mexicali. Good route

Purdyd - 4-18-2022 at 08:04 AM

These are great maps to the Mexicali east border crossing.

But if you come in from the east can you turn right into the global sentri lane?

Is it marked?

Google maps ain’t exactly clear on how that works and it looks to be setup for a left turin coming in from the west?

I’ll be coming back through in May and haven’t driven across that border crossing in well, a long time.

Sorry I see it now, I assume right at the alto sign.

[Edited on 4-18-2022 by Purdyd]

TSThornton - 4-18-2022 at 09:09 AM

Last November, I used the regular lanes at the West crossing. Took 3 hours. Registered my truck for Sentri when I got home. This past Friday, I accessed the East crossing Sentri lane via the directions Google Maps gave me (same as what PaulW posted) and it was so great. The bypass around the city was smooth and there was 0 wait. Rolled right through with the only stop being for less than one minute at the booth.

The most notable thing was the insane stream of cars moving south for Easter weekend! The beaches from San Felipe down through the popular ones south of Mulege were all already jam packed. I don't know where everyone was going to find a place to camp!

bkbend - 4-18-2022 at 09:46 AM

During times of high traffic volume I've seen the police directing traffic at that Alto sign preventing the right turn from the east into the sentri/ready lanes. You would need to continue west and make a U-turn to get into the end of the line for a left turn into sentri/ready. I think they do it when the sentri/ready lines back up to the turn and becomes a bit of a cluster. I the photo above you can see the police car sitting there but it appears they are allowing the right turn entry.

PaulW - 4-18-2022 at 02:02 PM

You cannot see the cop car blocking your right turn at the stop sign into Sentri or Ready. The co[ will direct you westbound.
If you are coming from the east you have to go straight and do a U-turn. Traffic will block you so you will be in bad shape.
Way better to skip the turn on to the airport road and go north to the border road then go east to the left turn ito Sentri/Ready.
=== ===
path

Quote: Originally posted by Purdyd

These are great maps to the Mexicali east border crossing.

But if you come in from the east can you turn right into the global sentri lane?

Is it marked?

Google maps ain’t exactly clear on how that works and it looks to be setup for a left turin coming in from the west?

I’ll be coming back through in May and haven’t driven across that border crossing in well, a long time.

Sorry I see it now, I assume right at the alto sign.

[Edited on 4-18-2022 by Purdyd]

mjs - 4-18-2022 at 02:48 PM

The Ready lane is often backed up to the street. I've seen it all the way back to the traffic circle at Calz. Manuel Gómez Morín. Sometimes Sentri holders pass on the right and then turn left into Sentri so as to avoid the Ready Lane congestion. I've turned in coming from the east too as the Sentri line is usually not as backed up.

Purdyd - 4-18-2022 at 07:31 PM

So you may or may not be able to turn right into the sentri lane coming from the east depending on the day.

Not sure I’m excited about passing on the right coming from the west and turning left either.

I guess I’ll figure it out. 😎

PaulW - 4-19-2022 at 09:17 AM

Turning right when going west means you have to cut into an existing line waiting for traffic to clear. The cop will wave you westbound as the cops prohibit cutting the line.
I see a cop pulling out cutting cars all the time and sending them to the back of the line.
Nobody like the line cutters, and the cops agree.

Purdyd - 4-19-2022 at 04:32 PM

Turning right when going west means you have to cut into an existing line waiting for traffic to clear. The cop will wave you westbound as the cops prohibit cutting the line.
I see a cop pulling out cutting cars all the time and sending them to the back of the line.
Nobody like the line cutters, and the cops agree.

They pull them out of the sentri lane?

I understand the ready lane issue but not the sentri lane.

PaulW - 4-20-2022 at 07:32 AM

Sorry I did not make myself clear.
The line from the west to turn left into the border is in the left lane and consists of both Sentri and Ready. This long line is waiting for the heavy traffic from the east which is 100% vehicles traveling to the core city along the border road.
Those vehicles wait for a break then turn left into the border. From the east if you were to turn right into the Sentri/Ready you would be cutting into that traffic and the cop usually prevent you from doing that and will wave you to go straight heading west. If there is no cop the folks waiting to turn left into the border will honk and be upset you cut into their track.
Every trip into the standard lane I use I witness this activity multiple times while waiting very trip north. Never witnessed any one successfully doing the right turn coming from the east into the Sentri/Ready.
SO, you come from the east heading west and go straight past the border and do a U-turn to get into the eastbound lane you will be cutting into that line and the cop will pull you out and send you further west to find the end of the line. If you are lucky there will be no cop just angry people.
Once into either the Sentri or Ready past the turns you will be good.

Bajazly - 4-20-2022 at 10:02 AM

So even if the Sentri lane, the furthest one west of the 4 you can turn into, has no cars in it at the road or in sight for that matter, you are still expected to wait in the line?

mtgoat666 - 4-20-2022 at 10:31 AM

So even if the Sentri lane, the furthest one west of the 4 you can turn into, has no cars in it at the road or in sight for that matter, you are still expected to wait in the line?

depends on traffic, depends on whether a cop is there to direct traffic.

the E-W road has pretty open traffic flow except for the border xing line ups limited to a few lanes, so it is relatively easy to do a drive-by to check out traffic/lines, and then do a u-turn to go back and get in the appropriate traffic pattern.

Bajazly - 4-20-2022 at 11:06 AM

So even if the Sentri lane, the furthest one west of the 4 you can turn into, has no cars in it at the road or in sight for that matter, you are still expected to wait in the line?

Yeah I get that but many times, read every time, I have used east with Sentri I have always just turned right coming from the east. Why would you need to wait hours just to make a left turn to get in a lane with maybe no cars in it that you have the right to use?

mtgoat666 - 4-20-2022 at 11:30 AM

So even if the Sentri lane, the furthest one west of the 4 you can turn into, has no cars in it at the road or in sight for that matter, you are still expected to wait in the line?

Do what works for you.

I have always crossed northbound in the afternoon, and I have never seen lines that extend to the E-W street.

1Bajalover - 4-20-2022 at 04:28 PM

Thank you all so much!! really great detailed maps! and Paul W a special thanks to for writing it all out like that (for the regular and not sentri border crossing)

I am writing it all down and studying things the night before - it now seems doable

I Love This Site - It has Been a Life Saver Many Times!!

Purdyd - 4-22-2022 at 09:25 AM

Sorry I did not make myself clear.
The line from the west to turn left into the border is in the left lane and consists of both Sentri and Ready. This long line is waiting for the heavy traffic from the east which is 100% vehicles traveling to the core city along the border road.
Those vehicles wait for a break then turn left into the border. From the east if you were to turn right into the Sentri/Ready you would be cutting into that traffic and the cop usually prevent you from doing that and will wave you to go straight heading west. If there is no cop the folks waiting to turn left into the border will honk and be upset you cut into their track.
Every trip into the standard lane I use I witness this activity multiple times while waiting very trip north. Never witnessed any one successfully doing the right turn coming from the east into the Sentri/Ready.
SO, you come from the east

heading west and go straight past the border and do a U-turn to get into the eastbound lane you will be cutting into that line and the cop will pull you out and send you further west to find the end of the line. If you are lucky there will be no cop just angry people.
Once into either the Sentri or Ready past the turns you will be good.

Got it. Thanks. From this picture I see two left turn lanes coming from the west. Does this imply you can use the right left turn lane to go into the sentri lane?

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PaulW - 4-22-2022 at 10:55 AM

Can do if the cop is not directing you westbound.

With no cop you would have to wait quite a while If you take your turn to cut thru all the folks waiting to turn left. Meanwhile if you wait you will be holding up the mass of traffic heading west.

Not nice but doable. The folks doing from the west waited a long time to take their turn.
Actually it is a good route I described to get into the eastbound lane and still avoid the core city route that Google tells folks to go.

Purdyd - 4-22-2022 at 08:07 PM

If you had to pick a day and time during daylight hours in May, what would you pick?

It seems for example like today Friday, 5pm had a fairly low wait time for everyone crossing the border.

Or is that just a generally bad time to drive through Mexicali.

mtgoat666 - 4-22-2022 at 09:02 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Purdyd

If you had to pick a day and time during daylight hours in May, what would you pick?

It seems for example like today Friday, 5pm had a fairly low wait time for everyone crossing the border.

Or is that just a generally bad time to drive through Mexicali.

May 11, 2:13:22 PDT plus or minus 9 seconds.

Seriously, just avoid commuting rush hours, and last day of a holiday weekend. Don’t over-obsess, the Mexicali crossings, east in particular, don’t have very bad lines.

Driving thru Mexicali is a cake walk. It ain’t a very big city. If you just have hyper-anxiety about driving, then perhaps you should only drive Sunday daytime when traffic is slowest — or you could hire a driver, Uber, etc.

[Edited on 4-23-2022 by mtgoat666]

RFClark - 4-24-2022 at 05:37 AM

The Mexicali Crossings are in a general sate of flux, though the East Crossing seems like it’s finally finished. The East Crossing Ready and Sentry lanes must be entered from the west when busy. The General lanes are entered from the east.

The fastest General lanes at west crossing are from the east side (the old way) through the new tunnel of death which is now a single lane and not 3 lanes! The single lane continues to the border where US Customs has a single opening in the K-rail. North of the K-rail there’s a short line for each open gate. (Current information as of last Thursday) General crossing time about an hour.

The border wait time App generally reflects the actual East Crossing times and the east approach to the West Crossing.

The west side of the West Crossing now has the Medical lane and motorcycles combined with fewer General lanes and is a lot slower! (Several or more hours!)

We don’t do Sentry so I can't help there.

PaulW - 4-24-2022 at 09:15 AM

Correct - CBP Border wait times do not include the wait to enter at the intersection on the Mexico side.

From the west there is only one left turn line. both Sentri and Ready use that line. The two right lanes are mostly continuing east.
At the intersection it is a 3 way stop at the tee intersection and folks take turns. Usually there is a cop or two that monitor the goings on when traffic is heavy. Morning and afternoon see the most thru traffic.

My track record for crossing including the wait in line on the boulevard varies quite a bit. Since I have somewhere to get to north I am an early person and my times average 1-1.5 hours. I even have had several trips of near 10 minutes. Of course at the same tine I cross I note that Sentri has no line after the intersection and Ready, which have most of the gates, is still shorter than standard I use. The trailer line is somewhat slower.

Meanwhile here are images from my GPS tracks that show the several routes

Showing GE and the routes I use
GE is Green,
Red is standard
Blue is Sentri/Ready

Mx E All ways.jpg - 221kB

A closeup at the border

Purdyd - 4-24-2022 at 09:48 AM

Great thanks guys.

Alm - 4-24-2022 at 06:35 PM

So even if the Sentri lane, the furthest one west of the 4 you can turn into, has no cars in it at the road or in sight for that matter, you are still expected to wait in the line?

I came in the late afternoon, approached from the East, no cars backed up in Sentri or Ready, made right turn to Ready. Slowly and carefully. It's a tight turn, narrow lanes to the border. Did this for the 1st time in January, cops didn't care. They are generally avoiding doing the work that is not necessary. It was Sunday, maybe they behave differently when it gets busier at other times.

[Edited on 4-25-2022 by Alm]

WideAngleWandering - 5-4-2022 at 06:31 PM

if you are going to socal cross at tecate.

Worst advice ever! Tecate require ridiculous detour thru mountains, HUGE waste of time.

Uh, no. Best advice ever! I always cross north in Tecate. No hassles in town. No traffic. Easy access to car wash and tacos. Never more than 45 minutes in line to cross.

I just incorporate it into my trip, often spending the night in Laguna Hanson and taking the dirt road north to the top of the Rumarosa grade. Or coming up to Tecate from Ensenada if I find myself on the Pacific side.

Even driving the Rumarosa paved route on hwy 2 from Mexicali isn't bad compared to the complications and potential long waits in Mexicali.

PaulW - 5-4-2022 at 07:57 PM

The bonus is the drive from San Felipe to Tecate on one of the wonders of mountain highway construction.
Comparable to the highway across the Andes to get from Mendoza to Santiago. See this link

https://www.earthtrekkers.com/driving-santiago-to-mendoza/

Both highways have the tight switchbacks and the crashed rigs down the mountain side.

chippy - 5-4-2022 at 07:58 PM

if you are going to socal cross at tecate.

Worst advice ever! Tecate require ridiculous detour thru mountains, HUGE waste of time.

Thanks! Some people just don´t get it. I've done both many times and without sentri I would never do Mexicali again.

PaulW - 5-4-2022 at 08:01 PM

Does not work when traveling north or east.
Kinda a long ways from Yuma or Phoenix, or an appointment in El Centro

mtgoat666 - 5-4-2022 at 08:08 PM

if you are going to socal cross at tecate.

Worst advice ever! Tecate require ridiculous detour thru mountains, HUGE waste of time.

Thanks! Some people just don´t get it. I've done both many times and without sentri I would never do Mexicali again.

If you are unemployed or retired, and have all the time in the world, then tecate is great place to cross!
Mexicali east is fast — if you don’t have sentri, then use the ready lane. If you don’t have an enhanced drivers license for ready lane, then you are behind the times.
If you are nervous Nelly wigged out by Mexicali traffic, you are hopeless…

chippy - 5-4-2022 at 08:14 PM

Does not work when traveling north or east.
Kinda a long ways from Yuma or Phoenix, or an appointment in El Centro[/rquo

When I'm going to Mesa I use San Luis Rio Colorado. Thankfully I don´t do elCentro.

chippy - 5-4-2022 at 08:18 PM

if you are going to socal cross at tecate.

Worst advice ever! Tecate require ridiculous detour thru mountains, HUGE waste of time.

Thanks! Some people just don´t get it. I've done both many times and without sentri I would never do Mexicali again.

Goat you are a ****** and your assumptions are stupid and wrong. Carrry on lame azz.

mtgoat666 - 5-4-2022 at 09:22 PM

if you are going to socal cross at tecate.

Worst advice ever! Tecate require ridiculous detour thru mountains, HUGE waste of time.

Thanks! Some people just don´t get it. I've done both many times and without sentri I would never do Mexicali again.

Goat you are a ****** and your assumptions are stupid and wrong. Carrry on lame azz.

Chippers:
I am totally right! Always! Never wrong!
The 8 across the mountains is relaxing 80 mph drive, wide lanes, high-speed curves, a calTrans marvel. The 2 / 94 thru the mountains is curvy and slow, and has a toll, and takes extra 1/2 to 1 hours in drive time.

[Edited on 5-5-2022 by mtgoat666]

RFClark - 5-5-2022 at 04:06 AM

Paul,

If you think that HWY 2 is a marvel you don’t drive much! The road from Mexico City to The south is a marvel as is the road from Nairobi down into the riff valley! HWY2 is a goat trail! Except I doubt goat wold drive it!

Purdyd - 5-22-2022 at 07:03 AM

Just to complete this, I did cross Mexicali east and came from the west and made the left turn.

I got there about just after 2:45pm on a Tuesday and was through the sentri lane before 3pm.

I had planned on Wednesday a bit later in the day but things change.

The ready lane was backed up so I waited in line for a few minutes to make the turn. The line moved in small surges.

The left lane widens into two left turn lanes just before you make the left turn. I noticed some California license plate cars drove by to the end and used the right most left turn lane to turn left presumably into the ready lane. It was difficult to see into the busy intersection.

See intersecting left turns marked red and blue below.

There are many topas in the sentri lane so it took awhile to navigate to the border. They were checking for a sentri card at the spot marked x in the picture below. You could conceivably get into the correct lane if you goofed and got into sentri.

There was only one car in front of me at the border.

Google maps stuff

Left turn lanes
Entering sentri lane to left
Ready lane blue, sentri red, and x for sentri Id check

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Lee - 5-22-2022 at 09:40 AM