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With a population of over 1.3 million residents, the city is the eighth-most populous in the United States and the second-most populous in the state of California after Los Angeles. The city is the seat of San Diego County, which has a population of nearly 3.3 million people as of 2021. [15]
- 62 ft (19 m)
- Saint Didacus of Alcalá
Mar 1, 2024 · The best things to do in San Diego, California, include exploring Balboa Park, eating authentic Mexican food in Old Town, and relaxing on the shores of La Jolla.
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- Overview
- Why you should visit San Diego
- Best time to visit San Diego
- Lay of the land
- Getting around San Diego
- Know before you go
- How to visit San Diego sustainably
- What to read and watch
Here’s all the info you need to explore the southern California city’s sunny beaches, eclectic museums, and charming historic neighborhoods.
Visitors walk and pedal in El Prado, an early 20th-century neighborhood in San Diego built in the Spanish colonial style. The zone is open only to pedestrians and bikes.
Fast facts
Founded: July 16, 1769
Time zone: Pacific Standard Time Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8)
Main airports: The city’s largest airport, San Diego International Airport (SAN), is serviced by all major airlines. Other airports include Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF), six miles north of downtown, operating charter flights for smaller aircraft.
Seventy miles of sun-kissed coastline. The San Diego Museum of Art and the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park. Pop-culture fest Comic-Con. California’s first Catholic mission.
Spring: In March and April, golden yarrows, mariposa lilies, and California poppies burst forth in Mission Trails Regional Park. Pink and white blooms star in March’s Cherry Blossom Festival in the Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum.
Summer: Temperatures in the 70s Fahrenheit make summer an ideal time to walk, surf, or sunbathe on local beaches like Torrey Pines and La Jolla Shores. Iconic seasonal events include Comic-Con International downtown and the San Diego Pride Parade, which brings up to 300,000 revelers to Hillcrest.
Autumn: Experience one of the country’s largest Day of the Dead processions (plus live music and food vendors) in Barrio Logan. Snorkel amid the (harmless) leopard sharks in La Jolla in September, the best time to spot the timid creatures.
Winter: From December to March, around 20,000 gray whales migrate from Alaska to Baja California, passing through the deep waters off the San Diego coast. Take a whale-watching cruise from Mission Bay, keeping an eye out for dolphin mega pods. February is Museum Month, with half-price admission to over 40 city showplaces, including the Whaley House Museum in Old Town, the USS Midway Museum in downtown, and the Women’s Museum of California in Balboa Park.
Coastal neighborhoods: Traveling south, stop at Gliderport for the hang-gliding school in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. (Tip: Tandem rides offer amazing ocean views.) Avoid tourist-clogged Mission Beach and head instead to the coastal village of La Jolla, set amid pine trees, craggy cliffs, and sparkling tide pools. Visit the recently revamped Museum of Contemporary Art, then catch a Broadway musical at La Jolla Playhouse, founded by actor Gregory Peck in 1945.
Urban neighborhoods: Historic Gaslamp Quarter, with its Victorian-style flickering streetlights, is the city’s nightlife hub. Dance to hip-hop and electronica at Bloom or soak up the views of the bay from Altitude Sky Lounge. Nearby, Little Italy comprises 48 square blocks of outdoor restaurants, patio cafés, and wineries. Stop for a slice at Filippi’s Pizza Grotto (established in 1950) then head five minutes north to the famed Ballast Point Brewery, which has more than 25 beers on tap.
By bus: MTS operates bus routes throughout the city. Plan your trip and buy tickets at the MTS website or on the PRONTO app. Greyhound and Flixbus offer regular daily services to San Diego from all major U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
By car: With about 1,800 charging stations across the city, San Diego is one of the most EV-friendly destinations in the U.S. No matter what you drive, parking can be a challenge, so check Parkopedia for nearby lots and parking structures, and use ride-shares when possible.
By train: Amtrak connects San Diego with many U.S. cities. Pacific Surfliner runs north and south along the coast from Oakland to the Downtown San Diego Amtrak Station, with stops at San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles.
By trolley: The bright-red, eco-friendly San Diego trolley crisscrosses through the city, connecting neighborhoods such as downtown, Old Town, and Mission Valley.
Languages: English is the official language, but many people speak Spanish as well.
Wildlife awareness: Stingrays are ubiquitous in the summer months; remember to shuffle your feet through the sand when entering the ocean to warn them you are coming.
Outdoors: San Diego was recently ranked the Greenest City in America. Cycling lanes are abundant; use the regional bike map to navigate. San Diego Natural History Museum offers a new native plant nature trail and a canyoneer-led hiking program with guided walks through desert, beach, or mountain wilderness.
Shopping: In hip North Park, browse along Main Street for locally made gifts, jewelry, and vintage clothing. For secondhand surfboards, try Bird’s Surf Shed near Mission Bay.
The House of Broken Angels, by Luis Alberto Urrea. This Mexican-American family saga explores issues surrounding immigration, identity, and loss in San Diego and across the border.
Mister Magic, by Kiersten White. The San Diegan horror writer serves up a creepy tale of 1990s child television stars who reunite to solve a cold case.
Veronica Mars, directed by Rob Thomas. San Diego stood in for the fictional Neptune, California, in this beachy noir TV series (and movie) starring Kristen Bell as a hardboiled, soft-hearted teenage sleuth.
For more local literature, visit the San Diego Festival of Books in August.
(For more tips on what to do in San Diego, see our Explorer’s Guide.)
Edmund Valance is a Los Angeles-based writer.
- Soak up the Sun at a Local Beach. Why it’s a top thing to do in San Diego: There are 70 miles of coastline in San Diego County, with beautiful beaches, ample waves for water sports, and some of the most epic ocean sunsets you'll ever see.
- Spend a Day Wandering Through Balboa Park. Why it’s a top thing to do in San Diego: This sprawling, 1,200-acre urban park is home to so many San Diego attractions, you could easily spend your whole vacation here and have no regrets.
- Go Out for a Night on the Town. Why it’s a top thing to do in San Diego: San Diego is as vibrant at night as it is during its signature sunny days. From the Gaslamp Quarter to Pacific Beach, America's Finest City has a wide variety of waterfront lounges, rooftop bars, open-air dance clubs, and nightlife experiences.
- Go for a Coastal Hike. Why it’s a top thing to do in San Diego: Natural wonders abound for adventure-seekers and casual hikers alike in the county's plethora of oceanside state and local parks.
2 days ago · San Diego, port and city, seat (1850) of San Diego county, southern California, U.S. It lies along the Pacific Ocean at San Diego Bay, just north of the international border with Mexico and some 120 miles (195 km) southeast of Los Angeles. The city consists of two portions of unequal size: the much.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Guide to the best hotels and things to do in San Diego. Maps, travel tips and more.
San Diego offers plentiful sunshine and unforgettable landscapes in its beaches, parks and deserts. One of only two locations in the world where Torrey pine trees grow, Torrey Pines Natural Reserve is full of walking trails in a dramatic cliff-top setting with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.
