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PaulW
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Mexicali East Driving
Mexicali crossing – Finding a good route after 20 years of experience.
Going South –
Always choose the non-declare gate. If an inspection is required, the border person will make a lane for you to park in. If you need an FMM ask for
instructions and directions, then walk a short distance to the office. Pay the agent. No bank is required. Nowadays they use credit cards.
Driving south from the gates:
There are two choices the Google map choice and the city traffic avoidance route = East route.
I highly recommend the later which uses a left turn at the border exit onto the main boulevard then traveling east – south - west- south. This
applies any time of the day due to easier drive. During busy times the left turn requires crossing the heavy traffic lane heading north. See the map.
Going north –
It is more complicated because during high traffic times morning and evening It gets tricky. During mid-day with light traffic both ways described
will work, but some require hard turns or U turns to enter the border.
Again, there are two main choices the Google map choice and the city traffic avoidance route = East route.
Google maps only works for Sentri/Ready during high traffic. The reason is during high traffic you cannot enter Standard without driving east down the
boulevard until you can make a U turn and enter the east route.
If you follow the East route, you will find you cannot make the right turn into the Sentri/Ready land either because of traffic or because a cop will
wave you westbound. Going westbound past the border you will have to make a U turn to get into the left lane the Sentri/Ready. That lane eventually
turns left into the border. During high traffic this way may no be [possible due to the long lines.
The East route is best and required for standard entry. See the map.
Northbound it is required to use Standard and as you approach the gate use the Right Lane.
Folks with trailers are required to use Standard far left (east) Lane. The only trailer seen in the Sentri are small utility ones. Don’t try it with
a big one. The lane is narrow and the exit from the gate requires a hard right.
Overall map view explanation:
Green is Google Maps leading to Sentri/Ready. Blue is East route to Sentri/Ready. Red is East route to Standard.
 And images near the border
The image above shows the two routes.
Use the Sentri/Ready path and get in the left lane when you turn east to allow a left turn into the border lanes. There are two lanes provided for S/R
is the left lane is Sentry and right lane is Ready.
The Standard entry lane follows the truck route. And makes an easy right turn into a single border lane. That lane is now a generous single lane as it
is too narrow for two lanes. Big improvement. As you all should know by now this is the only crossing for trailers and Motorhomes. If you do not
follow these directions and try to turn into Standard Lane with a west approach you will have to go a long way to find a U-turn. Likewise, there is a
cop that will prevent you from entering S/R lanes when the approach is from the truck route.
BTW, going southbound when using the truck route watch for the new sign “Rio Hardy -5”. There is a San Felipe sign that is dark and hard to read.
Short left turn lane. Southbound following the S/R route is straightforward with no need for signage. Using the S/R route avoids left turn to follow
the truck route at the busy intersection at the border exit.
The image above is self seems clear enough. When you get to the inspection station find one for Sentri and hardly any vehicles. The Ready Lane is full
of vehicles and there are 4+ inspection stations. The Standard line opens to two lines and two inspection stations. Sometimes they open and extra lane
for motorcycles – left of standard lanes. Rigs pulling small trailers have been observed in both lanes. The right lane is miserably slow.
Be aware there are new height limitations going north. The only lanes with no height restriction are the two lanes to the right (east side) used for
buses and motorhomes. I do not know the clearances. I have been told it is less than 7 feet. That means a lifted truck will not fit. Do not expect the
height limitation to be posted on the Mexican side.
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mtgoat666
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I have always found mexicali west port of entry to be fine for me going southbound. I am usually going south late morning and traffic is always fine
for me. I do prefer mexicali east for northbound travel, as border line wait time seems to be shorter.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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David K
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Thanks Paul!
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Udo
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Very nice paul!
I'll save this so I can share it on FB.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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floydo
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Don't know why, but northbound for the past 5 years or so I've used the sentri turn coming from the east low traffic route and taken the hard right.
That said, I've never seen police at the intersection.
I guess if you get waved, then it is the u turn into the turn lane eastbound.....
Hmmmm...
Nice post Paul!
[Edited on 10-24-2023 by floydo]
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PaulW
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From what I can tell cops present depends on time of day. I usually hit the border early in the morning going north and mid afternoon going south. For
those times of day the cops are diligent in controlling the turns.
Quote: Originally posted by floydo  | Don't know why, but northbound for the past 5 years or so I've used the sentri turn coming from the east low traffic route and taken the hard right.
That said, I've never seen police at the intersection.
I guess if you get waved, then it is the u turn into the turn lane eastbound.....
Hmmmm...
Nice post Paul!
[Edited on 10-24-2023 by floydo] |
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laventana
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For Mexicali heading north to either east or west port of entrys, how accurate are the Border Sentri wait times on the Gov website.
I have a sentri pass now. Before the ready and general were anywhere from 2-4 times longer if it showed 1 hour from my experiences. Last time I
crossed in May before I received my Sentri pass I went Otay it showed 1 hour it was 4 hours.
Also thank you very much for this thread.
[Edited on 10-25-2023 by laventana]
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pacificobob
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Good post paul, thanks
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boe4fun
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Returned to the states Monday morning via your route lined in red. Easy peasy, but with lotsa stop signs, truck traffic, and potholes. But this
probably should be expected driving through the industrial section of town. One unnerving moment came when doing the sharp right hand turn into the
Sentri lane with a one ton, crew cab, long bed Jimmy pickup. I love my truck, but it’s turning radius must be half a football field!
Thanks for the excellent info.
[Edited on 10-25-2023 by boe4fun]
Two dirt roads diverged in Baja and I, I took the one less graveled by......
Soy ignorante, apático y ambivalente. No lo sé y no me importa, ni modo.
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freediverbrian
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I use the green route for north bound very quick and easy to get into the sentri lane. Going north on 5 look for the Kenworth sign and turn right on
Manuel Gomez Morin.
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geoffff
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Thanks for sharing your experience, Paul!
| Quote: Originally posted by PaulW |
Going South –
Always choose the non-declare gate. If an inspection is required, the border person will make a lane for you to park in.
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Mexicali East -- I always choose the non-declare (gates on the left), and always get inspected.
That right turn into the parking area you highlight in red is difficult to make without hopping the nasty oversized curb with your right-rear tire
(lifted vehicle with oversized tires recommended), though perhaps a multi-point turn could be done.
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PaulW
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Geoffff wrote
That right turn into the parking area you highlight in red is difficult to make without hopping the nasty oversized curb with your right-rear tire
(lifted vehicle with oversized tires recommended), though perhaps a multi-point turn could be done.
== =
I never used the parking lot for the reason stated. I parked in the no parking curb just east of the X-ray facility.
It is much easier to park in the inspection area and ask teh guard where to walk to get the FMM. Hopefully that guy will just let you park where you
are at.
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BeachSeeker
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Why would you park in the red arrow area? There is parking to the West of the white roof labeled "FMM park for customs" as seen in the satellite
image.
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floydo
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| Quote: Originally posted by geoffff | Thanks for sharing your experience, Paul!
| Quote: Originally posted by PaulW |
Going South –
Always choose the non-declare gate. If an inspection is required, the border person will make a lane for you to park in.
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Mexicali East -- I always choose the non-declare (gates on the left), and always get inspected.
My experience for past several years is go thru non declare, they pause you on the covered area angled slots on the left. When done ask where to park
for FMM and they say just beyond on the left. Walk then to the right under the cover to pick up FMM. The FMM and payment is in the same covered area
as the inspectors....
Cheers
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Bajaroad
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Going south on the "east" (red) route.
Google shows a road closure on the red route. Can anyone verify this?
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PaulW
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Really sucks for the last 3 weeks.
Red track. Construction at the San Luis highway intersection both N and S with terrible detours to get you lost unless you have a newer car with an up
to date city map. Try it at night and you wont go there again, like me. And a hole in the entrance gate area going S, but maybe it is fixed by now. I
wont go there for now.
Last two trips we used Algodones. And Algodones crossing is under construction as well and long wait going south (1 hour). Not so bad going N,
business as usual.
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: Originally posted by PaulW | Really sucks for the last 3 weeks.
Red track. Construction at the San Luis highway intersection both N and S with terrible detours to get you lost unless you have a newer car with an up
to date city map. |
Waze, Google Maps and Apple Maps are pretty good for navigating Mexicali.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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ChrisLaPaz
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Floydo,
Is the fmm office in the building labeled “fmm park for customs” in the image or in the covered area labeled “inspectors”? I’m going there
in a couple weeks and never entered at Mexicali before.
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towntaco
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| Quote: Originally posted by ChrisLaPaz | Floydo,
Is the fmm office in the building labeled “fmm park for customs” in the image or in the covered area labeled “inspectors”? I’m going there
in a couple weeks and never entered at Mexicali before. |
Are you set on Mexicali East? Mexicali West gets my vote as the easier option, both for access to cambio de change on the Calexico side and more
direct access to the MX5 on the Baja side.
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ChrisLaPaz
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Not really committed to the east. I was going to use the west crossing but seeing the the immigration/fmm office is right at the east crossing I
thought it might be easier. I’m riding my motorcycle down to la Paz (live there half time) and didn’t want to leave it unattended while I search
around to get fmm. I’ve entered at every other crossing and returned to USA through Mexicali west (which was horrible with an rv pulling a trailer
). San Luis has been my favorite but it’s out of the way as I’m coming from Palm Springs area.
If the fmm office is right at the crossing with good parking at Mexicali west I’d probably go that way because of the proximity to getting on 5.
I’m not all that concerned about it, just wondering.
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