Guides › California › Chula Vista, California
City guide

Chula Vista, California

Chula Vista is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. It is the second-most populous city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh-most populous city in Southern California, the 15th-most populous city in the state of California, and the 81st-most populous city in the United States.

Type CityPopulation 275,487

Why go

  • City in California, United States.
  • Served by John Nichols Field Airport.

History

Chula Vista is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. It is the second-most populous city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh-most populous city in Southern California, the 15th-most populous city in the state of California, and the 81st-most populous city in the United States. The population was 275,487 as of the 2020 census, up from 243,916 as of the 2010 census. It is located in the South Bay, about halfway—7.5 miles (12.1 km)—between the two downtowns of the San Diego–Tijuana region. Chula Vista is named for its scenic location between San Diego Bay and coastal mountain foothills.

Airports

San Diego International Airport (SAN) 8.9 mi to the centre
3225 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101 — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 29 airlines (Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, AirTran Airways…) · direct flights to 55 destinations incl. Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 29 airlines, 55 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) 9.5 mi to the centre
Carretera Aeropuerto S/N, Nueva Tijuana, 22435 Tijuana, B.C., Mexico — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 5 airlines (Volaris, AeroMéxico, Interjet (ABC Aerolineas), Birmingham European…) · direct flights to 32 destinations incl. Culiacan, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Ciudad Juarez, Del Bajio… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 5 airlines, 32 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) 7.6 mi to the centre
San Diego, CA, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF) 13 mi to the centre
San Diego, CA, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Gillespie Field (SEE) 15 mi to the centre
San Diego/El Cajon, CA, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
John Nichols Field Airport 11 mi to the centre
Jamul, CA, US
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Chula Vista Ferry Landing
Ferry terminal · 1.4 mi from the centre · Flagship Cruises and Events
Outdoor
Convention Center / 5th Avenue Ferry Landing
Ferry terminal · 6.4 mi from the centre · Flagship Cruises and Events
Outdoor
Coronado Ferry Landing
Ferry terminal · 6.5 mi from the centre · San Diego Harbor Excursion
Outdoor
Broadway Pier
Ferry terminal · 7.4 mi from the centre · Flagship Cruises & Events
Outdoor
Chula Vista - Convention Center
Ferry route · Flagship Cruises and Events
Outdoor
Chula Vista - Convention Center Ferry Route
Ferry route
Outdoor
Convention Center to Chula Vista
Ferry route · Flagship Cruises and Events
Outdoor
Coronado
Ferry route · Flagship Cruises and Events
Outdoor
Coronado to 5th Ave Landing
Ferry route · Flagship Cruises and Events
Outdoor
Coronado Ferry Landing – Convention Center/ 5th Avenue Ferry Landing
Ferry route · Flagship Cruises & Events
Outdoor
Convention Center/ 5th Ave Ferry Landing – Coronado Ferry Landing
Ferry route · Flagship Cruises & Events
Outdoor
Coronado to Broadway Pier
Ferry route · Flagship Cruises and Events
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is John Nichols Field Airport. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By water: 4 ferry terminals within 12 mi (nearest: Chula Vista Ferry Landing, 1.4 mi); routes include Chula Vista - Convention Center, Chula Vista - Convention Center Ferry Route, Convention Center to Chula Vista.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Chula Vista, California. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Local transit

Bus · San Diego, California · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Jet card, charter · Partner fleet · Jet cards and on-demand charter from Boston.
Jet card · Partner fleet, light to heavy · One of the first jet-card programmes; guaranteed availability on partner aircraft.
Semi-private scheduled · Embraer 135 (16 seats) · First-class-only scheduled flights from Van Nuys to Aspen, Sun Valley, Cabo and Europe in summer.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Phenom 300, Challenger 350 · Fractional and jet card programme centred on the US Midwest and East.
Helicopter, by-the-seat · Helicopters, seaplanes, jets via partners · By-the-seat helicopters Manhattan–JFK/Newark and the Hamptons; jet charter through partners.

Tours & experiences

Food & Wine
Bus Tour