Otay Mesa Border Wait Time
Otay Mesa, CA — Passenger · Mexico → US (Northbound entry)
Also known as Garita de Otay
Current wait
Passenger vehicles
- Standard10 min
- SENTRILanes Closed
- Ready Lane5 min
Commercial vehicles
- StandardN/A
- FASTN/A
Hours: 24 hrs/day
Latest snapshot: 10/29/2026, 10:25:09 AM UTC
Best & worst times to cross
Typical wait times by day of week + hour, averaged from the last four weeks of data. Times are approximate local at the crossing.
Quietest
- Wed 1am–2am7 min avg
- Wed 9pm–10pm12 min avg
- Wed 10pm–11pm12 min avg
Busiest
- Sun 6pm–7pm170 min avg
- Sun 7pm–8pm168 min avg
- Sun 5pm–6pm162 min avg
Nearby crossings
Guides for this crossing
About this crossing
Otay Mesa, CA (Passenger) is a US Customs and Border Protection port of entry on the Mexican border. Wait times shown are for travelers entering the United States. Numbers come directly from CBP and update roughly every hour while the port is staffed.
Don't Wait is an independent app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting for CBP, CBSA or any other government agency.
Typical waits at Otay Mesa
Computed from the waits we recorded at this crossing (standard passenger lane, whenever a wait was reported). Past patterns are not a prediction.
Over the last 90 days (24,957 readings), the standard passenger-vehicle lane at Otay Mesa averaged 92 min. Weekdays averaged 87 min and weekends 105 min.
Sundays were the busiest day on average (120 min) and Wednesdays the quietest (70 min).
The busiest stretch was Sundays 6pm–9pm, averaging 193 min. The quietest was Saturdays 1am–4am, averaging 21 min. Times are local to the crossing.
Waits reached 30 minutes or more in 91% of readings and 60 minutes or more in 75%.
The SENTRI lane averaged 21 min against 102 min in the standard lane over the same hours, about 81 minutes less.
CBP publishes passenger-vehicle wait times here for standard, SENTRI and Ready Lane lanes.
Commercial-truck waits are published for standard and FAST lanes.
Posted hours: 24 hrs/day.
Frequently asked
Do I need a passport to cross at Otay Mesa, CA?
Yes. US citizens need a passport, passport card, enhanced driver's license, or SENTRI card. Non-US citizens need a valid passport plus any required visa.
Are SENTRI lanes always faster?
At this crossing over the last 90 days, the SENTRI lane averaged 21 min versus 102 min for standard. SENTRI lanes are typically much faster than standard lanes, especially at peak times, but they can still see delays when traffic is heavy or when a few lanes are open. SENTRI provides expedited US entry for pre-approved low-risk travelers from Mexico. Apply at ttp.cbp.dhs.gov.
What hours is the Otay Mesa crossing open?
24 hrs/day. Hours are set by CBP and may change for holidays or staffing.
How often is this wait time updated?
CBP officers at each port update their reported wait time roughly every hour while the port is staffed. We re-poll the CBP feed every five minutes and cache the result for both speed and to be kind to the upstream feed.
Why is the wait time blank or "no data"?
CBP doesn't publish a number for that lane right now — usually because the port hasn't reported in over an hour, the lane is closed, or the port is idle. We show whatever CBP publishes without modification.
When is the best time to cross at Otay Mesa, CA?
In our last 90 days of recorded waits, the quietest stretch for standard passenger vehicles was Saturdays 1am–4am (about 21 min on average) and the busiest was Sundays 6pm–9pm (about 193 min). Times are local; today's live wait can differ.