Línea internacional entre Tijuana y San Ysidro, junto a la Colonia Soler

Tijuana Neighbourhood Guide

Colonia Soler

Tijuana, Baja California

A Hillside Colonia in the Playas Delegación

Soler sits in the southern part of the city, residential and steadily built up over recent decades. The distance to either crossing means residents here plan collection trips rather than making them casually.

  • Playas Delegación
  • Hillside Streets
  • Close to the Border
  • Family Housing

Photo: domingo arriaga nabo… via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Border Intelligence Center

Official CBP Wait Times • Updated Automatically Throughout the Day

  • San Ysidro 110 min SENTRI 15 min Heavy delay
  • Otay Mesa 140 min SENTRI 20 min Heavy delay
  • Tecate 90 min Current wait Heavy delay
  • Pedestrian 30 min at San Ysidro Moderate delay
  • USD / MXN 17.0260 Exchange rate
  • Best crossing Tecate 90 min
  • Updated 12:30 am Official CBP feed

Detailed Border Wait Times (CBP)

Port of Entry General Sentri Pedestrian
San Ysidro 110 min 15 min 30 min
Otay Mesa 140 min 20 min 40 min
Tecate 90 min 5 min

Estimated Total Travel Time

From
Colonia Soler, Tijuana
Drive
7 minutes
Border wait
110 min
Total estimate
117 min

Drive time is an estimate; the border wait is live and changes through the day. Check again before you travel.

Plan Your Trip (opens Google Maps in a new tab)

Mexico Customs Official government resource

Returning to Mexico with purchases? Check Mexico's current traveller allowance (franquicia), declaration requirements and customs guidance before you cross.

Check Mexico Personal Allowance (Franquicia) — opens official Mexican customs traveller allowance (franquicia) information on the ANAM government website in a new tab

U.S. Border Wait Times Official government resource

Check live northbound passenger vehicle and pedestrian wait times at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa before you leave Tijuana.

Official CBP Wait Times — opens official U.S. Customs and Border Protection border wait times in a new tab

Trusted Traveler Programs Official government resource

SENTRI and Global Entry members use dedicated lanes at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa. Apply or renew through the official DHS portal.

SENTRI / Trusted Traveler — opens the official U.S. Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler Programs site in a new tab

Electronic I-94 Official government resource

Travellers entering the United States can obtain or review their electronic I-94 arrival record before crossing.

Electronic I-94 (U.S. Arrivals) — opens the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection I-94 service in a new tab

Vehicle Permits Official government resource

Driving beyond the Baja California free zone requires a temporary vehicle import permit, issued by Banjercito.

Banjercito Vehicle Permits — opens the official Banjercito temporary vehicle import permit site in a new tab

Medical FastLane Official government resource

Patients attending medical appointments across the border may use the Cruce Agil / Medical FastLane northbound lane.

Tijuana Medical FastLane / Cruce Agil — opens the official Tijuana SEDETI Medical FastLane information page in a new tab

Find your neighborhood Encuentra tu colonia

Start typing and go straight to your colonia — accents optional.

Browse all Tijuana neighborhoods

Colonia Soler Quick Facts

  • Drive to San Ysidro 7 minutes

Welcome to Colonia Soler, Tijuana

San Ysidro P.O. Box N Ship
380 E. San Ysidro Blvd., Ste. B, San Ysidro, CA 92173
Open today 9:00 am – 7:00 pm +1-619-213-6259
Distance
5.4 miles
Typical drive
7 minutes
Closest crossing
San Ysidro

Colonia Soler sits on the hills of the Playas delegación, minutes from the crossing. San Ysidro P.O. Box N Ship gives residents a U.S. address for the orders that will not ship into Mexico.

Map

About Colonia Soler, Tijuana

Colonia Soler occupies rising ground in the Playas de Tijuana delegación, inland from the coast and immediately above the Tijuana–Ensenada toll road. It is one of the colonias that filled the hills between the coastal strip and the canyons behind it, and the terrain shows in the street pattern: routes follow the contours, and plots step down the slope.

Its neighbours are all Playas-delegación colonias — Los Altos and División Los Altos above, Lomas Misión and Misión del Sol alongside, Hacienda Linda Vista and Colonia Unión below, with INFONAVIT Lomas del Porvenir to one side and the Cañón del Matadero cutting in behind. The housing is a mix of self-built and developer-platted, and commerce is local rather than regional.

The practical fact that shapes everything here is proximity. Soler is barely four miles from the border as the crow flies, and the drive to our counter is among the shortest of any Tijuana colonia we serve. Residents can collect a single parcel without planning a day around it.

Ordering runs to the ordinary: electronics, clothing, household goods and children's items from U.S. retailers who will not deliver to a Mexican address at all.

  • Within the Playas de Tijuana delegación
  • Above the Tijuana–Ensenada toll road
  • Hillside street pattern
  • Surrounded by Playas-delegación colonias
  • One of the shortest runs to the border
  • Local rather than regional commerce

Explore all Tijuana neighbourhoods

Neighbourhood insights

What makes Colonia Soler, Tijuana distinctive?

Soler belongs to the Playas de Tijuana delegación rather than the southern city, which puts it unusually close to the border for a hillside colonia.

Why do people here use a U.S. mailbox?

At roughly seven minutes to the store, collecting is an errand rather than an expedition — so a U.S. address is worth using for everyday orders, not just large purchases.

Who uses the service most from this area?

Households ordering electronics and clothing, families with school-age children, and residents who prefer to collect parcels singly rather than in batches.

Nearby landmarks

Soler's landmarks are the schools threaded through it and the highway corridor below.

Education

  • Escuela Siervo de la Nación

    A primary school inside the colonia.

    Families order school supplies and laptops from U.S. retailers ahead of each term.

    Approximately 1 minute by car · 1 minute on foot

  • Escuela General Leandro Valle

    A second primary school on the same block.

    Parents order uniforms and stationery through a border address.

    Approximately 1 minute by car · 1 minute on foot

  • Colegio Cadi

    A private school a short walk downhill.

    Parents order books and equipment U.S. sellers will not ship south.

    Approximately 1 minute by car · 4 minutes on foot

  • Instituto Paula Montal

    A private school serving the surrounding colonias.

    Another school run that shapes the household ordering calendar.

    Approximately 1 minute by car · 4 minutes on foot

  • Colegio de Bachilleres de Baja California

    The state upper-secondary college nearby.

    Students order laptops and reference texts from U.S. retailers.

    Approximately 2 minutes by car · 8 minutes on foot

  • Instituto Panamericano

    A private secondary a little further along.

    Families order electronics and sports kit to a border address.

    Approximately 2 minutes by car · 11 minutes on foot

Transportation

  • Autopista Tijuana–Ensenada

    The toll road running below the colonia.

    The route toward the coast, and the corridor most local traffic joins.

    Approximately 1 minute by car · 3 minutes on foot

  • San Ysidro Port of Entry

    The crossing, north-east of the colonia.

    Roughly seven minutes away, which is what makes single-parcel collection practical.

    Approximately 7 minutes by car

Border crossing

The nearest crossing for Colonia Soler, Tijuana is San Ysidro. Wait times vary considerably by hour and by day, and both pedestrian and vehicle lanes are worth checking before you travel — the pedestrian lane is often much faster when you are collecting a parcel rather than moving goods by car.

Bring the documents the crossing requires of you. A mailbox adds no further requirement of its own: collecting mail is an ordinary errand on the U.S. side.

Driving directions

North on Insurgentes, then west toward the San Ysidro crossing.

Parking
Free parking directly outside the store. Soler is residential with street parking widely available on its hillside streets.
Public transport
SITT routes run along the Ensenada highway corridor and connect the colonia toward Playas and the centre.

Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Travel times

Distance
about 5.4 miles
Estimated driving time
7 minutes
Plus border wait
Varies at San Ysidro, often by hours. Check current wait times before travelling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I receive Amazon packages?

Yes. A San Ysidro street address is an ordinary U.S. delivery address, so orders that refuse Mexican addresses arrive normally.

How long is the trip from Colonia Soler?

About seven minutes to the store, plus the border wait, which is the part that varies.

Is it worth a mailbox if I only order occasionally?

Yes — the drive is short enough that collecting one parcel is reasonable.

Do you accept UPS, USPS, FedEx and DHL?

All four, plus most regional carriers.

Can someone else collect on my behalf?

Yes, once they are named on your mailbox agreement.

Why customers from Colonia Soler, Tijuana choose us

  • A real U.S. mailing address

    A street address rather than a PO Box number, so retailers and carriers that refuse PO Boxes will still deliver.

  • Secure package receiving

    Parcels are signed for, logged and held securely until you collect them.

  • Border convenience

    Positioned for the San Ysidro crossing, so collecting a parcel is an errand rather than an expedition.

  • Mail forwarding

    Have mail and parcels sent onward when collecting in person is not practical.

  • Digital mailbox

    See what has arrived without making the trip, and decide what to do with it.

  • Bilingual support

    Staff who work in English and Spanish, every day, for customers on both sides of the border.

  • Business services

    Notary, printing and a registered address businesses can use for supplier deliveries.

Why customers trust us

4.8 from 110 Google reviews

We Also Serve

Get a U.S. address for Colonia Soler, Tijuana

San Ysidro P.O. Box N Ship gives you a real street address minutes from the border, with package receiving from every major carrier and bilingual support.

Questions? Contact the store