12-minute 992 bus ride links SAN to the Green Line
The San Diego Trolley Green Line doesn’t reach the terminals, so you first ride MTS Bus 992 from Terminal 1 or 2 to Old Town Transit Center, then hop on the Green Line. Bus 992 stops outside both terminals every 10–15 minutes most of the day and runs roughly 5:00–23:30 daily, with a posted stop just past baggage claim at each terminal.
Bus 992 drops you at Old Town Transit Center in about 12 minutes, and that stop sits directly next to the Green Line platforms. The Green Line runs east through Old Town toward downtown, Mission Valley, SDSU, and beyond, with trains typically every 7–15 minutes depending on time of day. Total airport-to-downtown ride time usually lands around 25–35 minutes door to door.
A standard MTS one-way fare on the bus or trolley is usually a few dollars, and a day pass is only slightly more; you can pay using the PRONTO card or the PRONTO mobile app and then tap on both Bus 992 and the Green Line. Kids 5 and under generally ride free with a paying adult, and PRONTO caps daily fares so you don’t pay more than the day-pass rate once you’ve tapped enough rides.
At SAN, look for the blue MTS 992 signs on the curb outside Terminal 1 and Terminal 2; the bus boards from the “Public Transit” area, not from rideshare pickup. At Old Town, Green Line trains toward downtown and Petco Park typically use the track signed for “12th & Imperial,” while eastbound trains toward Santee use the opposite side; the overhead digital boards show the next departure time in minutes.
Late-night coverage drops: the last Green Line trips often leave around midnight, and Bus 992 frequency falls to roughly every 30 minutes after about 21:00, so check the MTS timetable if you land on a 23:00 arrival bank. On game days at Petco Park, Green Line trains and the Old Town platform can be packed 90 minutes before first pitch, which can add 10–15 minutes of waiting or crowding.
One practical move: buy or load your PRONTO fare while you’re standing at baggage claim in Terminal 1 or 2 so you’re not fumbling with the app or the vending machine when the 992 pulls up outside.