US-bound · Imperial Valley
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Calexico is the main gateway between California's Imperial Valley and Mexicali, Baja California. Two separate ports of entry operate here:
Calexico West is the original downtown crossing, located at the end of Imperial Avenue. It operates 24 hours a day and handles the majority of pedestrian traffic and local passenger vehicles.
Calexico East opened in 1996 and sits about 7 miles east along CA-98. It runs 6 AM to 10 PM and has more lanes, which usually makes it the faster choice for commuters during peak hours.
As a rule of thumb: for pedestrian crossings and late-night/early-morning drives, use West (it's the only option outside of 6 AM–10 PM). For weekday commuter peaks and trusted traveler lanes with less congestion, use East.
The "Should you switch?" card above calculates live whether the 12-minute drive between them would save you time.
Standard: open to any valid traveler.
Ready Lane: requires RFID-enabled document (passport card, enhanced DL, or SENTRI card).
SENTRI: Trusted Traveler program. Both East and West have SENTRI lanes.
Pedestrian: walk-across. West has far higher pedestrian volume.
Calexico West operates 24/7. Calexico East operates 6 AM–10 PM for passenger vehicles.
Weekday mornings 5–8 AM for northbound commuters crossing from Mexicali. Sunday evenings and US holiday returns also push waits up. Pedestrian lanes at West are consistently busiest on Saturdays.
Yes, both East and West have dedicated SENTRI lanes with wait times typically under 15 minutes even when standard lanes exceed an hour.