San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in San Diego, California, United States, located in Balboa Park. It had 4M visitors in 2018. Add Snapdragon Stadium, 3.7 mi away, to a visit.
A zoo & aquarium inside San Diego
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 77K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 96% of the 7,770 attractions we track.
You can stay in San Diego
San Diego Zoo is inside San Diego, which has 508 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Established in 1916
San Diego Zoo dates from 1916. 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 2 miles away
San Diego (SAN) has airline service, about 2 miles from San Diego Zoo.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
When to go
Below are typical highs and lows near San Diego Zoo.
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in San Diego, California, United States, located in Balboa Park. It began with a collection of animals left over from the 1915 Panama–California Exposition that were brought together by its founder, Harry M. Wegeforth. The zoo was a pioneer in the concept of open-air, cage-less exhibits that recreate natural animal habitats.
The zoo sits on 100 acres (40 ha) of land leased from the City of San Diego. It houses over 12,000 animals of more than 680 species and subspecies. It is the most visited zoo in the United States; travelers have cited it as one of the best zoos in the world.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Animals
- 3 animals · 650 species
- Established
- 1916
- Area
- 99 acres
- Wikipedia readers
- 77K a year
A base for San Diego Zoo
The nearest towns with places to stay are San Diego (508) and Coronado (32).
- 1Snapdragon Stadium
- 2Mexico–United States border wall
- 3Petco Park
- 4Balboa Park
- 5USS Midway Museum
- 6SeaWorld San Diego
- 7Pechanga Arena
- 8Whaley House
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From San Diego Zoo | 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 | 6 mi south | 10 min | 32 24 hotels · 3 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins | 21,094 | $2,000K | C |
| Chula Vista | 11 mi southeast | 15 min | 44 27 hotels · 7 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 3 campgrounds · 5 RV parks | 275,533 | $759K | C |
| National City | 6 mi southeast | 10 min | 14 10 hotels · 4 motels | 57,807 | $612K | D |
| El Cajon | 12 mi east | 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 | 20 min | 13 9 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 RV park | 25,206 | $857K | C+ |
| Carlsbad | 28 mi north | 40 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
Beyond San Diego Zoo
These lie within 15 miles as the crow flies.
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaSnapdragon Stadium
Big draw214 mi LandmarkMexico–United States border wall
32 mi Stadium & arenaPetco Park
4in town Park & preserveBalboa 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
Snapdragon Stadium: Terrible Tim, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mexico–United States border wall: Földhegy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Petco Park: Mds08011, CC BY 4.0 · Balboa Park: Antoine Taveneaux, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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
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Questions people have about San Diego Zoo
Is San Diego Zoo in San Diego?
Yes. It’s inside San Diego, CA.
When is the best time to visit San Diego Zoo?
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December, with highs of 67–83°.
How many people visit San Diego Zoo each year?
4,000,000 in 2018, according to Wikidata.
How far is San Diego Zoo from Irvine and Santa Ana?
About 74 miles northwest of Irvine and about 81 miles northwest of Santa Ana, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to San Diego Zoo?
San Diego (SAN), about 2 miles away.
Where should I stay near San Diego Zoo?
San Diego (in town, 508 places to stay), Coronado (6 mi, 32 places to stay) and Chula Vista (11 mi, 44 places to stay).
Tips for visiting, from San Diego
Tips will appear here once someone posts in San Diego’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.