San Diego Traffic Cameras — Live Road Cameras & Map
All San Diego California Caltrans cameras — interactive map
About the San Diego cameras
I‑5, I‑8, I‑15 and I‑805 through San Diego, plus SR‑163, SR‑52, SR‑94 and SR‑78 — the border region's freeways from the coast to the inland valleys.
San Diego's 300‑plus Caltrans cameras run from the beaches to the mountains to the international border. I‑5 and I‑805 converge at San Ysidro — the busiest land border crossing in the Western Hemisphere — and the cameras cover the freeway approaches on the U.S. side. Be clear about what that means: you can see how traffic is flowing toward the port of entry, but not the CBP inspection lines themselves; official wait times come from CBP.
Inland, I‑15 forms the north–south spine through Escondido toward Temecula, while SR‑163, SR‑52 and SR‑78 stitch the mesas and North County together. The wildcard is I‑8 heading east — it crests above 4,000 feet in the mountains near Pine Valley, high enough for real snow, and occasionally chain controls, a few times each winter.
On the coast the hazard is subtler: the spring marine layer locals call May Gray and June Gloom, which can hold drizzle and short visibility over I‑5 all morning. The cameras show whether it has burned off yet — and in fire season they're the fastest check on the east-county routes.
Tips for the San Diego cameras
- Border run? Check the I‑5 and I‑805 cameras near San Ysidro for approach traffic, then CBP's official wait times for the inspection lines — the two together give the full picture.
- Driving I‑8 east in a winter storm, look at the cameras on the grades around Pine Valley before leaving the city — snow at 4,000 feet is invisible from sea level.
- On gray spring mornings, one coastal camera tells you whether May Gray means drizzle on the freeway or just an overcast sky.
- Pin your regulars — a border approach, your I‑15 merge, the I‑8 grade — as favorites so they open together next time.
- When a camera makes you doubt a route, get the official call from Caltrans QuickMap (quickmap.dot.ca.gov) or 511 — closures and chain controls on I‑8 are theirs to post.
More California cameras
The statewide map and the other California regions.
California road camera guides
In-depth guides to the highways, passes and destinations we cover here.