If you are planning to drive to Tijuana this weekend, budget extra time for the trip home. El Buen Fin, Mexico’s yearly shopping event, starts Friday, Nov. 13, and runs through Tuesday, Nov. 17, wrapped around Monday’s Revolution Day holiday. Thanksgiving weekend follows two weeks later.
Border waits have already been heavy this month. On Wednesday, Nov. 4, the general vehicle lanes at San Ysidro showed a 130-minute wait at both 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., according to official wait-time data compiled by Tijuana en Línea and summarized by TJ Gringo. Ready Lane hit 110 minutes by afternoon. Otay Mesa was not much better, at 70 minutes in general lanes and up to 100 in Ready Lane. Neither report gave a reason for the backup.
A week later, on Nov. 11, San Ysidro’s general vehicle line was about 90 minutes in the afternoon, with Otay Mesa reporting delays as well.
A new lane on the Mexican side
Baja California officials say they have made at least one change aimed at the southbound and return traffic that feeds the San Ysidro jam. State tourism secretary Miguel Ángel Badiola Montaño said this week that Mexican authorities opened a new return-vehicle access at the San Ysidro crossing after a joint review with Mexico’s customs agency found choke points, El Imparcial reported. Crews opened two perimeter gates that had been kept closed and moved National Guard personnel and vehicles, which let officials pull the vehicle control line back and free up space.
Badiola said the state is also watching pedestrian flow at the Tijuana crossing and keeps in daily contact with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, sharing information on vehicle and pedestrian lines. That coordination, he said, has allowed the state to ask for more inspection lanes to be opened progressively during peak periods and for secondary inspections to be eased when traffic piles up. CBP decides how many northbound lanes are staffed.
Why November is busy
Tijuana’s tourism businesses are expecting more visitors from Southern California this month, mostly families crossing to see relatives who also eat out and shop, said Gilberto Gamiño, president of the Cámara de Turismo y Convenciones de Tijuana, in remarks reported by Tijuana en Línea and Tijuana Última Hora. He called El Buen Fin a chance to lift sales but said long waits at the border can discourage or delay shoppers. Neither outlet published visitor or spending estimates.
The crossings were also disrupted earlier this month for a different reason. On Nov. 4, a vehicle pursuit that started in Riverside County ended in a shooting near the border, and San Ysidro traffic was shut for hours before lanes reopened, NBC 7 San Diego reported.
Ways to shorten the wait
- Check CBP’s Border Wait Times site, bwt.cbp.gov, or its app before you get in line. Snapshots change by the hour.
- Walk if you can. On Nov. 4, San Ysidro’s general pedestrian line was 20 to 30 minutes and PedWest was about 5, far shorter than the car lines.
- Trusted traveler lanes help most. SENTRI waits at San Ysidro ran 15 to 30 minutes on the days cited above.
- Avoid Monday afternoon and evening if possible. With Revolution Day falling on Nov. 16, Monday is likely to bring a wave of northbound families at the end of the long weekend.
- Bring the right documents. U.S. citizens returning by land need a passport, passport card, SENTRI or another WHTI-compliant document.
Our guide to crossing at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa covers lanes, documents and timing in more detail. After El Buen Fin, the next big test for both crossings is Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 26 to 29, when holiday traffic runs in both directions.
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