Balboa Park
Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre (490 ha) historic urban cultural park in San Diego, California. It is run by Forever Balboa Park. Around it, Mexico–United States border wall (14 mi) comes first on our list.
A park & preserve inside San Diego
You can stay in San Diego
Balboa Park is inside San Diego, which has 508 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Established in 1868
Balboa Park dates from 1868 and is run by Forever Balboa Park. About ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov and Dec
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December are the mild months, with highs of 67–83°. When to go ↓
An airport 3 miles away
San Diego (SAN) has airline service, about 3 miles from Balboa Park.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Below are typical highs and lows near Balboa Park.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre (490 ha) historic urban cultural park in San Diego, California. Placed in reserve in 1835, the park's site is one of the oldest in the United States dedicated to public recreational use. The park hosts various museums, theaters, restaurants, and the San Diego Zoo. It is managed and maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Diego.
Balboa Park hosted the 1915–16 Panama–California Exposition and 1935–36 California Pacific International Exposition, both of which left architectural landmarks. The park and its historic exposition buildings were declared a National Historic Landmark and National Historic Landmark District in 1977, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Type
- Park & preserve
- Established
- 1868
- Area
- 1,200 acres
- Run by
- Forever Balboa Park
- Listed
- National Historic Landmark (1977) · National Register of Historic Places (1977) · list of San Diego Historic Landmarks (1967)
- Wikipedia readers
- 49K a year
Overnight near Balboa Park
Places to stay start in San Diego (508) and Coronado (32).
- 1Mexico–United States border wall
- 2Snapdragon Stadium
- 3San Diego Zoo
- 4Petco Park
- 5USS Midway Museum
- 6SeaWorld San Diego
- 7Pechanga Arena
- 8Whaley House
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Balboa Park | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | in town | — | 508 401 hotels · 27 motels · 25 inns & B&Bs · 17 lodges & cabins · 20 hostels · 13 campgrounds · 5 RV parks | 1,406,106 | $907K | C− |
| Coronado | 5 mi south | 10 min | 32 24 hotels · 3 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins | 21,094 | $2,000K | C |
| Chula Vista | 10 mi southeast | 15 min | 44 27 hotels · 7 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 3 campgrounds · 5 RV parks | 275,533 | $759K | C |
| National City | 5 mi southeast | 10 min | 14 10 hotels · 4 motels | 57,807 | $612K | D |
| El Cajon | 12 mi northeast | 20 min | 20 12 hotels · 6 motels · 2 RV parks | 101,755 | $682K | C− |
| La Mesa | 8 mi east | 10 min | 11 8 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins | 59,914 | $812K | C |
| Imperial Beach | 12 mi south | 15 min | 13 9 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 RV park | 25,206 | $857K | C+ |
| Carlsbad | 29 mi north | 45 min | 68 57 hotels · 5 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds | 112,260 | $1,257K | C+ |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
More to see nearby
Every place here is under 14 miles away.
Big draw114 mi LandmarkMexico–United States border wall
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaSnapdragon Stadium
3in town Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo4.0M visitors a year
42 mi Stadium & arenaPetco Park
52 mi MuseumUSS Midway Museum
65 mi Theme parkSeaWorld San Diego4.0M visitors a year
74 mi TheatrePechanga Arena
83 mi MuseumWhaley HousePhoto credits
Mexico–United States border wall: Földhegy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Snapdragon Stadium: Terrible Tim, CC BY-SA 4.0 · San Diego Zoo: en:User:Cburnett, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Petco Park: Mds08011, CC BY 4.0 · USS Midway Museum: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0 · SeaWorld San Diego: ZooFari, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pechanga Arena: Nehrams2020, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Whaley House: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
_museum_ship,_panorama,_San_Diego,_California.jpg){kind=link}
What people ask about Balboa Park
Is Balboa Park in San Diego?
Yes. It’s inside San Diego, CA.
When is the best time to visit Balboa Park?
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December, with highs of 67–83°.
How far is Balboa Park from Irvine and Santa Ana?
About 75 miles northwest of Irvine and about 82 miles northwest of Santa Ana, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Balboa Park?
San Diego (SAN), about 3 miles away.
Where should I stay near Balboa Park?
San Diego (in town, 508 places to stay), Coronado (5 mi, 32 places to stay) and Chula Vista (10 mi, 44 places to stay).
Tips for visiting, from San Diego
Ask a question, or answer one, in San Diego’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.