San Diego Travel Risk — Moderate Risk (48/100)
Is San Diego safe right now? Checked 17 October 2026
San Diego scores 48/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise normal security precautions. The US State Department does not issue advice for United States. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Government advisory (score 10)
Crime (score 25)
October 13, 2026
San Diego, United States has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 48 out of 100 (moderate risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is crime at 25/100; the lowest-rated category is government advisory at 10/100; last updated October 13, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the United States travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is San Diego to visit in 2026?
San Diego currently sits at 48/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the moderate-risk tier. Most travelers will be fine with normal precautions, but a few categories below score high enough that planning matters. The highest-rated risk category for San Diego is crime (25/100), and the lowest is government advisory (10/100). This page was last updated on October 13, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (61/100) and natural hazards (69/100).
A score of 48 is higher than 57% of the cities we score.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 14, 2026
San Diego currently holds a moderate baseline risk level with an active orange tropical cyclone alert for ISAIAS-26 and a Level 1 global Dengue health notice. Recent safety conditions include lingering high surf and coastal flood warnings following a cleared storm, alongside a resolved security incident at the airport.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 17, 2026 13:36 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Crime (score 25/100): Use registered taxis or ride-share apps. Keep electronics out of sight in public transit. Read recent reviews for your specific neighborhood.
- Transport safety (score 22/100): Use the safest available transit. For high-risk routes, prefer reputable carriers and avoid late-night driving.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in San Diego
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Daytime conditions are generally secure along major corridors and commercial districts. Keep bags zipped and avoid displaying high-value items openly.
Risk levels elevate noticeably after dark outside main central zones. Avoid walking alone through unlit parks, alleys, or quiet transit stations; favor pre-booked door-to-door transport.
Safety by Traveler Type in San Diego
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
No group-specific warning is triggered in San Diego for solo travelers (Crime 25/100 · Transport 22/100), women traveling solo (Crime 25/100), families with children (Health 15/100 · Natural disaster 20/100), older travelers (Health 15/100 · Transport 22/100), business travelers (Digital 15/100 · Money 15/100 · Transport 22/100) and lgbtq+ travelers (Advisory 10/100 · Political 10/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
View complete category score breakdown & baseline metrics
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Grounded open data research & citations
Quick facts
| Hospital access | low |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | low |
| Road safety | low |
| Public transport | low |
| Tourist scam risk | low |
| Night safety | low |
| Last updated | October 13, 2026 |
Live conditions in San Diego
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Official travel advisory
The US State Department does not issue advice for United States.
Disaster alerts
Active Disaster Alerts
-
Green earthquake (Magnitude 5.6M, Depth:1km) in United States 15/10/2026 11:07 UTC, 9 thousand in MMI>=III. GREEN · country-wide · 2026-10-15
On 10/15/2026 11:07:01 AM, an earthquake occurred in United States potentially affecting 9 thousand in MMI>=III. The earthquake had Magnitude 5.6M, Depth:1km.
-
Green flood alert in United States GREEN · country-wide · 2026-05-21
On 19/05/2026, a flood started in United States, lasting until 16/10/2026 (last update). The flood caused 29 deaths and 2292 displaced .
-
Drought is on going in Mexico, United States GREEN · country-wide · 2026-04-30
The Drought notification level is Green.
“~N km away” = event centroid within ~500 km of this location; “country-wide” = a national/regional alert that may not be near this specific city. Source: GDACS · fetched 2026-10-17 13:36:30 UTC
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Wildfires | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of San Diego happened in January (2 of 6 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the United States travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the United States entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-17 06:34:10 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit San Diego
The most weather-stable two-month window for San Diego is April–May, when typical daily temperatures run from about 12°C to 22°C and monthly rain averages 17 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include hurricane season in June–November. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 11, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Practical safety map
Safety infrastructure nearby in San Diego
San Diego has 7 hospitals, 1 police stations, 5 pharmacies and 5 fire stations within 7 km of the city center in the latest OpenStreetMap extract.
The interactive map loads when it approaches the viewport.
Facility list (works without JavaScript)
- Hospital: Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center
- Hospital: Kaiser Permanente Zion Medical Center
- Hospital: Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego
- Hospital: Sharp Allison deRose Rehabilitation Center
- Hospital: Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns
- Hospital: Sharp Memorial Hospital
- Hospital: Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital
- Police: California Department of Fish and Wildlife - Southern District
- Pharmacy: CVS Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Rite Aid
- Pharmacy: San Diego Compounding Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Union Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Walgreens
- Fire station: San Diego City Fire Station 39
- Fire station: San Diego City Fire Station 39
- Fire station: San Diego Fire Sta. # 28
- Fire station: San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Air Operations Unit
- Fire station: San Diego Fire-Rescue Logisitcs Division
Map and facility data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations can be incomplete or outdated; confirm before relying on them. See this destination’s numbers or browse emergency numbers by country.
Emergency numbers (United States)
| Police | 911 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 911 |
| Fire | 911 |
| General | 911 |
See nearby hospitals, police, pharmacies, embassies, and fire stations on the safety map.
Medical access
| Hospital access | high |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | high |
| Emergency response | high |
| English-speaking care | high |
| Evacuation complexity | low |
San Diego features robust medical infrastructure with highly accessible hospitals, pharmacies, and emergency services throughout the region. English is the primary language spoken, ensuring seamless healthcare communication for travelers.
Common scam patterns
- Fake Event Website Scam. Scammers have targeted local vendors and operators in San Diego using fake websites for popular local events like December Nights. Victims can be tricked into financial transactions or fraudulent registrations through these spoofed pages. Tip: Always verify event registration links through official municipal or recognized organizer domains before submitting payments or personal details.
Area notes
- Otay Mesa. Otay Mesa maintains a very low crime rate significantly below the national average, making it one of the safer neighborhoods in San Diego.
- North Park. North Park is an active urban neighborhood where local police handle routine division calls including traffic and disturbance incidents.
Run a personalized assessment for San Diego
Get a tailored briefing in ~15 seconds, with live weather, advisories, and recent news.
Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2026 | 52 → 48 | elevated → moderate | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Oct 13, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 31 → 52 | moderate → elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
Every editorial change to San Diego's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
Been to San Diego? Share your experience
Share your first-hand experience in San Diego
Help other travellers stay safe. Share recent observations regarding street safety, transit, scams, or neighbourhood conditions. All submissions are moderated before publishing.
Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
View full data sources, coverage scope, and registry notes
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for San Diego
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for San Diego, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
Popular travel-safety searches right now
Cities our visitors look up most frequently — useful for trip planning, comparison, or just curiosity.
PAGE LAST UPDATED:
Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.