,
Mexico waiting at the San Ysidro port of entry into the United States. San Ysidro is home to the
fourth busiest land border crossing in the world. It is the second-busiest border crossing between two sovereign nations (after the
Johor–Singapore Causeway) and the busiest border crossing in the Western Hemisphere. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation state more than 15 million vehicles and 36.7 million people entered the United States at the
San Ysidro Port of Entry in 2019. The great majority of these are workers (both of Mexican and U.S. nationality) commuting from Tijuana to jobs in the greater San Diego area and throughout southern California. There is also reverse traffic, both of workers traveling to
maquiladoras in Mexico and those purchasing services or seeking entertainment in Tijuana. 2009 studies estimated that wait times for vehicles at the San Ysidro LPOE averaged 1.5 to 2 hours during the commuter peak period. For pedestrians, in 2012, morning waits to enter the United States could last more than two hours — and twice that time during peak weekend periods. Roughly one-fifth of the 25,000 daily northbound crossers remained in San Ysidro to work, shop, visit family etc., according to the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce. Many more boarded the
San Diego Trolley or other public transportation to work, schools, stores, banks, medical appointments and family gatherings across
San Diego County. In 2016 a second pedestrian crossing was opened, "PedWest", connecting
Plaza Viva Tijuana via a walkway to the border next to the
El Chaparral auto crossing, with Virginia Avenue in San Ysidro. San Ysidro is also where
ICE deports the most
Mexicans back into Mexico; in 2003, this was 360,172 people. Trucks cannot use the San Ysidro crossing and must use the
Otay Mesa Port of Entry instead. An
expansion of the San Ysidro Port of Entry took place in three parts and was completed in 2019. The $741 million project expanded and veered Interstate 5 to the west. A new northbound inspection facility was built, including primary vehicle inspection booths, a secondary inspection area, an administration space, and a pedestrian-processing facility. A southbound inspection facility exists on the southbound crossing, operated by Mexican customs in Tijuana. ==Demographics==