Otay Mesa Port of Entry – Class A

I expect more from a US official. That being said do not expect much protection or service from these officers. The communication between them is horrendous and no one knows how to handle tasks efficiently. No wonder the line takes forever. So here is the deal: My car broke down in the line waiting to cross. We pushed the car across the border to leave it in front of the border office per the first officer we encountered. Another officer comes out and says I have to move the car about 10 feet down so I can be in front of the gate when the tow truck comes (reasonable) then another officer comes and says I have to move back because I am in front of the gate… So obviously everyone here is autonomous and is not communicating with each other (very unsecure way of running a border checkpoint). Then we are trying to get signal to call so we have to walk around to get signal… they don’t like that. I guess that is obvious to us but if we can’t get signal we can’t get a tow truck. Nobody thinks there they just keep repeating like robots, «get back in your car». They should have allowed us to use their phones then to make that call so we can get out of their way as quickly as possible. They don’t have a plan for when a car breaks down. Unbelievable to me that they do not have a contingency plan for this. am sure it happens all the time especially since cars have to sit there upwards of 3 hours waiting for them to figure out if they’re going to let someone thru after they already checked passports. Once the tow truck gets there the office at the gate doesnt know about how to let him in. So he tells the driver he has to go thru the border and then come back and waiting in line to get through #idiot. I see him so I go running to tell him that the truck is here to tow me. I am waiting at the gate so he can tow me. Another officer tells me we will take care of it and tell the gate officer to let him in. Guess what? That didn’t happen. So the driver goes to cross the border and speaks to the officer at the gate about what has happened and they go back and forth a little until he feels embarrassed about how ridiculous the whole thing is and lets him through across the middle divider of traffic so he can tow me. Whoever the leadership is at this border needs to be replaced. They have no business running this place as they are severely incompetent. Please someone read this and fix this issue that is so simple. Create a plan to get cars taken care of as soon as possible when they break down. It is both both an efficiency and safety issue. I hope its new management that make the decision because the current management will probably just have the car stay on the Mexican side so they don’t have to deal with it. So sad that our officers aren’t trained professionally to handle the public with grace. What was demonstrated was a complete lack of training and planning. Fix it!

I had to piss in a plastic pinche barrilito bottle for waiting so long… que la pinche chingadaaaa

This is a contender for the worst border crossing in the world. Let me hasten to say that the difficulty is all on the Mexican side. I say this as one who loves Mexico and want to note at this point that the inefficiency of their officialdom is balanced by the kindness and helpfulness of the ordinary people.
Tried to drive recently from the parking lot at TJ airport to the border. A very short distance, but: the traffic is a chaotic free-​for-​all, the traffic lights don’t work, the trucks that clog this road are so enormous that you won’t be able to see the signage and if by some miracle you did see the signage it would be of no help at all. The crossing is called ‘Garita de Otay’ — singularly unhelpful for English-​speakers who won’t know what ‘garita’ means – but that’s OK, because none of the signs say it. I did finally glimpse numerous signs directing me to the Mental Hospital (apt choice!) but never a single one for Garita de Otay. Finally did find a sign that (sort of) directed me in the general direction of the US Sentri Line entrance. There, the US personnel could not have been nicer.
Happily, this mega-​hassle may soon be a thing of the past once they open the pedestrian bridge from the US to the airport. Then, the promise is that you’ll be able to park in the US and not have to drive in or park in Tijuana at all. We’ll see.

Coming into the USA very easy. Going into mexico only two lanes… perfer driving into Mexico using san ysidro

Have passport. Will travel.
Even if it means just crossing the border into Mexico — to volunteer at an orphanage in Tijuana. Add the simplicity of crossing at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and the visit isn’t just fulfilling, but enjoyable as well.
I recently started volunteering so I’ve only crossed twice so far. Each time, I’ve returned back onto US soil without a hitch. The facility is pretty well laid out. Clean and staffed with friendly and informative staff. Even the restrooms were sanitary and stocked.
I haven’t crossed by car yet but I feel that if you have nothing to hide, then there shouldn’t be a problem. As for walking across — I wish that all my experiences of border crossings or passing thru immigration checkpoints were this easy and pleasant.

Honestly was trying to cross tecate waited 3 hours only to have the border closed in my face… I am now waiting in otay border crossing and to be honest I have been here another 2 hours… Please get your crap together I just want to get home! Mexico is chill to see family chill and drink other than that avoid it !!! I only say this because everytime I come I wait in a border wait of 5 hours… And for what? Some guys who’s barely a citizen to question me if I’m american? I speak clearer English than any of the agents. Just plain rediculous tecate get some signs letting us know your lazy and going home at 11pm on a Saturday night busiest days for a border crossing… At least a speaker tell me to get going to tijuana instead of having me sit in your border line with a poor sick child for no reason! 0 stars for poor attitudes and just plain loss of common sense.

I cross over almost every month on a Sunday to visit an orphanage in TJ and thankfully, each time has been fairly easy and never more than two hours.
Going to TJ is super easy. Coming back takes longer especially on certain times or holidays.
*Bring your documents: a passport card or green card lets you go on the Ready Lane shorter lines whether it’s by car or by foot. If anyone doesn’t have one of these, they should cross by foot and let one who does drive through since the car lines are usually longer
*if you do cross by foot, enjoy the tacos, nieves (snow), churros and all the snacks they sell. They’re definitely different from anything you would get in the US.

I mostly cross in Otay Mesa Border than Ysidro.
I cross here every Sunday before 8am if you wish to cross a little bit faster.
After 10am, get ready to wait more longer.
I take the «Ready Lane» in which you need a US Passport Card or any required document, it helps you to cross 2 times faster than All-​Traffic Lanes. Gotta love being a bicultural person.

Because ANY entry back to the United States is the BEST entry no matter how long it takes to get back into the country.
Although this port is usually faster than San Ysidro, be prepared to wait. While waiting, feel blessed to have the privilege to re-​enter the USA.

Very efficient. Super quick. Took me a total of 20 mins to cross over, way much faster than the other port of entry from MX

People get over that bullshit of «I WAITED TOO LONG IN LINE» you should know better that if you have no sentri or no readylane documents expect to wait, and don’t be an idiot and cross when it’s some big holiday you know you’re gonna wait more then 2 hours… so get over it! ARRIBA MEXICO CABRONES!

After a glorious trip to Ensenada, we think we’re smart and take the extra way to come back to the US through Otay instead of San Ysidro. In the words of Julia Robers in «Pretty Woman» BIG. MISTAKE. BIG ONE.
We waited for over 4 hours. 5 friends and their baggage, one Prius. I’m surprised we’re all still friends. I must say I am very glad I did not get explosive diarrhea from consuming 1 nieve de vainilla and churros locos in such short span. The amount of culinary options is great, so save plenty of cash because it’ll be a long wait! Forgot souveniers? Pick up a piggy bank in the theme of your favorite bootleg character or of a Corona barrel. If you get lucky, you might find a coffee mug in the shape of a boob.
For those of you feeling adventurous, have a coctel de camaron and see how long until you need to use the bathroom.
I might also suggest that if you can get out of driving, it would be great. I watched all my friends take naps and play on thier phones as I tried to keep my forehead from hitting the horn.
Once it’s FINALLY our turn, the officer reminded us about the hostile police state we live in. He leans into my car and gives me a lecture about 2 of us not having passports (but birth certificates and picture ID instead, which to me are legit proofs of citizenship). Instead of being clear and direct about the importance of having passports in a professional manner, he asks, «Do you watch the news?» «Excuse me?» «Do you know there’s an amber alert?» (by then, it was revealed that the man was found dead) «Yes» But what does that have to do with anything? Seriously?! I wanted to scream and have a fit, but I am powerless and we all just wanted to go home.

2 hours. 1 torta de Milanese, 3 $ in churros, 1 nieve de vanilla, 1 hello kitty bank, 6 carlos v chocalets… Yikes!

Returning to the US is much easier and totally faster this way. First, it has a freeway from the 805 (over and back) that takes 10 minutes to use. Second, it has far less construction happening. Third, it has over eight «ready lanes,» three snail lanes and 2 – 3 Sentri lanes. The Sentri lane can only be entered from Belles Artes street going westbound. It is a fraction of the time it takes for San Ysidro crossing, anytime.
Don’t know if you can use the Ready lanes or Sentri lanes — Google them and learn.

Waited in line for four hours last Sunday afternoon.
We were down in Mexico for the weekend building a house for charity. We decided to use Otay, figuring that it should be faster than Ysidro.
Had a hell of a time figuring how to get in line, though there were plenty of touts wanting to direct us to the border for a dollar.
One mile, four hours. Several complete standstills of 15 minutes or so. No place to turn off if I wanted to give up. Hot, hot, hot, though it wasn’t that hot out, sitting there with AC off and windows rolled down to avoid overheating.
What’s with all the different lines? What’s a «ready lane»? What if I’m in the wrong lane? I still don’t know what they’re for, though I guess the Sentri lane is the only one to bother with if you ever go down at all.
Lots of opportunities to buy churros and tchotchkes. If I have to give one star for anything, it’s for that.
Toward the end of the line, three lanes widened to five — then shrunk back down to three. Sheer lunacy.
Ill-​behaved US border agents strutting like roosters, spitting tobacco on the road.
At last (and at least) the officer barely glanced at our passports and our filthy camping gear.
I will do everything I can to avoid ever going to Mexico again. Maybe that’s what they’re hoping for.

Hey, hey, it’s time to go back to TJ!
Because being from NorCal, you just can’t get a really great taco up there like you can across the border. Like our previous expeditions, the girlfriend & I were transported over & back by her Tijuana sherpa-​of-​a-​cousin who managed to skillfully knife a minivan through mean TJ street traffic.
On the way back to the US, we went to Otay Mesa this time instead of San Ysidro. It was the wisdom of the TJ sherpa that this was the faster crossing. San Ysidro, with all its renovation work, looks like the Ritz-​Carlton of border crossings compared to Otay Mesa. But Otay Mesa was, indeed, faster.
The border crossing at Otay Mesa may not be pretty, but it can be faster than crossing at San Ysidro. Our TJ sherpa knew this & I’ve seen it firsthand.

For people who cross the border often, this is the way to go. This border entry is a lot faster than the main one (San Ysidro) and as far as the customs agents go they all seem to be on edge and are very defensive about the people that enter the U.S. as should be, considering that they protect our border from anything harmful entering it.
They’ve been making new developments but there are plenty of signs to point you in the right direction.

Tijuana is awesome, people are friendly, prices are so low!
But the bording crossing is the worst thing ever! Website advertises 1hr15mins wait time… actual wait tine? 3HRS RIDICULOUS! These people are a waste of our tax-​payer money!

Nugent is the worse agent…

Who knows, but the day I arrived from a trip to PV I had to cross here. Besides the short line that didn’t move and had us standing for almost an hour, the jerk who passed me through had a major attitude. «What are you bringing back?» «Nothing.» «Then what’s in your bags?» My friggin’ dirty clothes you idiot!
Seriously, is that really necessary? You don’t need to be a jerk on a power trip because you couldn’t get a real job.