Balboa Park
Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre (490 ha) historic urban cultural park in San Diego, California.
A park & preserve inside San Diego
You can stay in San Diego
Balboa Park is inside San Diego, which has 107,810 hotel and restaurant jobs, 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, Census job and town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in San Diego. Green months are the mild ones.
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
- 52K a year
Stay in San Diego, or close by
Towns within 30 miles, closest first. Hotel and restaurant jobs show how many places there are to stay and eat.
| Town | From Balboa Park | Hotel & restaurant jobs | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | in town | 107,810 | 1,389,526 | $907K | C− |
| Coronado | 5 mi south | 4,304 | 19,015 | $2,000K | C |
| National City | 5 mi southeast | 3,331 | 58,893 | $612K | D |
| Lemon Grove | 6 mi east | 1,003 | 27,686 | $705K | C |
| La Mesa | 8 mi east | 3,887 | 60,797 | $812K | C |
| La Presa | 8 mi east | 444 | 34,962 | $630K | — |
| Bonita | 9 mi southeast | 300 | 12,652 | $963K | — |
| Spring Valley | 10 mi east | 242 | 31,969 | $715K | — |
| Chula Vista | 10 mi southeast | 10,422 | 276,375 | $759K | C+ |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix | 11 mi east | 488 | 19,765 | $952K | — |
| Imperial Beach | 12 mi south | 703 | 25,764 | $857K | C+ |
| El Cajon | 12 mi northeast | 3,835 | 104,449 | $682K | C |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Balboa Park
Other well-known places within 13 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
1in town🐾 Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo4.0M visitors a year
25 mi🎢 Theme parkSeaWorld San Diego4.0M visitors a year
32 mi🏛 MuseumUSS Midway Museum
43 mi🏛 MuseumWhaley House🌲57 mi🌲 Park & preserveCerutti Mastodon site
613 mi🏖 BeachBlack's Beach
7in town🏛 MuseumSan Diego Air & Space Museum
87 mi📍 LandmarkNaval Base Point LomaPhoto credits
San Diego Zoo: en:User:Cburnett, CC BY-SA 3.0 · SeaWorld San Diego: ZooFari, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Midway Museum: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Whaley House: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Black's Beach: Levi Clancy, CC BY-SA 4.0 · San Diego Air & Space Museum: San Diego Air & Space Museum, No restrictions · Naval Base Point Loma: U.S. Navy, Public domain
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Visiting 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, 107,810 hotel and restaurant jobs), Coronado (5 mi, 4,304 hotel and restaurant jobs) and National City (5 mi, 3,331 hotel and restaurant jobs).
Tips from people in San Diego
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in San Diego’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.