Since Interstate 5 covers some 798 miles on its north-south journey, the roadtrip page is split to accommodate all of the photos along this route. This page covers Interstate 5 in northern San Diego County.
Southbound Interstate 5 from Camp Pendleton to California 56
Now departing Orange County and entering San Diego County, Interstate 5 passes under Cristianitos Road and approaches its first interchange in San Diego County: Exit 71, Basilone Road. At this point, Interstate 5 becomes the coastal highway, and for the first time, views of the ocean are available from Interstate 5 (former U.S. 101). Use Exit 71 to reach San Onofre State Beach, which features swimming and camping right along the water. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 71, Basilone Road. The San Onofre Nuclear Power Generating Station is also located at Exit 71, and it is situated at the south end of the state beach, near the north end of Camp Pendleton. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
Interstate 5 through Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base is known as the Basilone Freeway. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Due to the presence of a Border Patrol checkpoint to the south, signs showing running people are posted along southbound Interstate 5 as it passes through Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. Photo taken 07/06/04.
This mileage sign provides the distance to Oceanside (16 miles) and San Diego (53 miles). Photo taken 07/06/04.
All trucks must use the right lane to queue for the weigh station. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The weigh station is located adjacent to the Border Patrol checkpoint found along northbound. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 does not have to stop for the Border Patrol Checkpoint along northbound. However, there is a Caltrans Weigh Station for trucks. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Due to training activities and occasion high winds, dust clouds are possible along the Interstate 5 freeway between San Clemente and Oceanside. Use caution, especially in the presence of helicopter activities. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound is a vista point, one of the few vista points along Interstate 5 in Southern California (four miles), followed by a Rest Area (seven miles). Not listed on this mileage sign is Exit 62, Las Pulgas Road, which is situated approximately one mile south of the vista point. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches the vista point, which provides outstanding views of the ocean and the surrounding military base. Again note that the rest area with full facilities is only three miles ahead. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The vista point gore point signage has the ocean as its backdrop. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 approaches Las Pulgas Road, Exit 62, one mile. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Las Pulgas Road merely connects Interstate 5 with the central portion of the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. It does not provide a route for through traffic. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 62, Las Pulgas Road. No services are available at this interchange. A launching point for bicycling along the old alignment of U.S. 101 through the northern part of Camp Pendleton is available at this interchange. During 2005, signs along this stretch of Interstate 5 were replaced, including this one. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
After the Vista Point and Las Pulgas Road interchange, southbound Interstate 5 next approaches a rest area (Exit 60), two miles. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 approaches Exit 60, rest area one mile. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 60, Rest Area. This is the last rest area along southbound Interstate 5 (and the first one since entering the Southern California megalopolis on southbound). Photo taken 07/06/04.
At the southern end of Camp Pendleton, some of the land is used for agriculture and farming. In this view along southbound Interstate 5, agricultural lands blend into the ocean that is still visible in the distance. Photo taken 04/16/06.
Crossing the Santa Margarita River, the SDNR Railroad (which carries freight rail, Amtrak, and Metrolink) enters the median of Interstate 5 and crosses the river on a truss bridge. Look for the commuter rail yards for Metrolink and the San Diego Coaster to the left. Photo taken 04/16/06.
Use Exit 54B (Junction Old U.S. 101 South, Coast Highway) to the Official California Welcome Center at Oceanside. Tourist information, maps, and restrooms are available at the welcome center. Photo taken 04/16/06.
Six miles south of the Rest Area, southbound Interstate 5 approaches its next interchange: Exit 54C, Junction San Diego County Route S-21 (Old U.S. 101), Oceanside Harbor Drive to the southern entrance to Camp Pendleton and Oceanside Harbor. This is the first exit since the Las Pulgas Road interchange (Exit 62) along southbound. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Oceanside Harbor Drive heads south toward Oceanside (which is signed as San Diego County Route S-21 and connects to Old U.S. Highway 101) and north to Camp Pendleton. Motorists services are available to the south at this interchange. Photo taken 04/16/06.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 54C, Junction San Diego County Route S-21, Oceanside Harbor Drive to Camp Pendleton and Oceanside Harbor. San Diego County Route S-21 traces Old U.S. 101 from Oceanside south to San Diego; use either this exit or Exit 54B to Old U.S. 101 southbound). Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 54B, Junction Historic U.S. 101/Coast Highway (formerly Hill Street/San Diego County Route S-21 south). While Interstate 5 remains east of the city centers of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, and Del Mar, Old U.S. 101/Coast Highway 101 passes through the downtowns of each city. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The right lane of southbound Interstate 5 becomes exit only for Exit 54B, Junction Historic U.S. 101 (Coast Highway). Coast Highway was formerly known as Hill Street, hence the old tab affixed to the top of the old sign. Notice the U.S. 101 shield affixed to this overhead sign (it survived intact to the new sign, but the glue seems to have worn off). Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
For the first time since leaving San Clemente in Orange County, Interstate 5 enters an incorporated area: the city of Oceanside. Oceanside is the first of several communities nestled along the Interstate 5 corridor that form coastal "North County," a reference to their location in the northern part of San Diego County. Oceanside is a 42-square-mile city that was founded on July 3, 1888, and it is home to 173,303 people as of a 2005 estimate (the highway sign says 164,500 people as of the 2000 Census). After this sign, Interstate 5 crosses the San Luis Rey River. An Old U.S. 101 bridge also spans the river to the west of Interstate 5. Photo taken 04/16/06.
Historic U.S. 101 is signed sporadically along the coastal route, at least as far south as the city of Del Mar. Historic U.S. 101 shields have not been placed within the city of San Diego. Exit 54B is the exit to southbound Historic U.S. 101 and Coast Highway. The next exit is Exit 54A, Junction California 76 east to Bonsall and Mission San Luis Rey. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
No destination or control cities are placed on this overhead sign, but eastbound California 76 passes through northeastern Oceanside, then turns northeast to Bonsall, Pala Mesa (Junction Interstate 15), Pala, Pauma, Rincon, and Lake Henshaw. California 76 ends at its intersection with California 79 in Morettis. California 76 is currently an expressway from Interstate 5 east to the Oceanside city limits, but it is planned for expansion to expressway standards as far east as Interstate 15 if not all the way to Rincon and the Palomar Mountain turnoff. Traffic on the two-lane sections of California 76 near Bonsall can be thick, especially during commuting hours. Such improvements are still an indeterminate distance away from becoming reality. This photo shows Interstate 5 at Exit 54A, Junction Eastbound California 76/San Luis Rey River Expressway. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 53, Mission Avenue/Business California 76, followed by Exit 52, Oceanside Boulevard and Exit 51C, Cassidy Street. This mileage sign was replaced with a reflective sign in 2005. Photo taken 07/06/04.
A lone Business California 76 shield is posted beneath the Park and Ride guide sign. Photo taken 04/16/06.
Mission Avenue was the original alignment of California 76 before the San Luis Rey River Expressway was constructed in the late 1990s. Once that expressway opened, the old alignment became known as Business California 76. Business California 76 is signed from Interstate 5, but it is generally not signed along Mission Avenue itself. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 53, Junction Business California 76, Mission Avenue. To the west, Mission Avenue connects with San Diego County Route S-21 (Old U.S. 101). Photo taken 07/06/04.
Now on the offramp from southbound Interstate 5, this trailblazer shield indicates that Interstate 5 is the western terminus of Business California 76, even though Mission Avenue goes both east and west. Photo taken 07/06/04.
As noted earlier, Mission Avenue heads east to rejoin California 76 in east Oceanside. Take Mission Avenue west to reach Coast Highway 101/San Diego County Route S-21. Note that continuing straight through the upcoming traffic signal will deposit travelers into the parking lot for Oceanside High School. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 52, Oceanside Boulevard, one mile. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
The next three exits along southbound Interstate 5 are Exit 52, Oceanside Boulevard; Exit 51C, Cassidy Street; and Exit 51B, Junction California 78/Vista Way. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Another mileage sign is posted thereafter along southbound Interstate 5 for Carlsbad (the next city south of Oceanside), Leucadia, and San Diego. Since Leucadia is now part of Encinitas, this mileage sign should read Encinitas rather than Leucadia in keeping with Caltrans policy of not placing unincorporated areas on distance signs. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 52, Oceanside Boulevard. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 51C, Cassidy Street, one-half mile. Cassidy Street and Vista Way both connect with downtown Oceanside and its pier. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
The next three exits along southbound Interstate 5 are Exit 51C, Cassidy Street; Exit 51B, Junction California 78/Vista Way; and Exit 51A, Las Flores Drive. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next three exits along southbound Interstate 5 are Exit 51C, Cassidy Street; Exit 51B, Junction California 78/Vista Way; and Exit 51A, Las Flores Drive. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 51C, Cassidy Street. The first photo shows the original sign, while the second shows the new sign featuring the exit number. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 51B, Junction California 78 east to Escondido and Vista Way west into downtown Oceanside, one-half mile. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
California 78 is a major east-west highway across Southern California, connecting Oceanside and Escondido via a six-lane freeway. East of Escondido, California 78 traverses the Laguna Mountains, passing through Santa Ysabel, Wynola, and Julian along the way. Upon reaching Imperial County, California 78 skirts the southern edge of the Salton Sea, then crosses the Imperial Sand Dunes near Glamis. The highway reaches its eastern terminus at its interchange with Interstate 10 just west of Blythe near the Arizona State Line/Colorado River. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches the offramp to Exit 51B: Junction California 78 east to Escondido and Vista Way west to Coast Highway in Oceanside. Even though California 78 is a freeway, this interchange is very underpowered, and back-ups ensue during periods of rush hour and heavy usage. This is because some of the connections (including this movement) are governed by a traffic signal rather than a transition ramp. As seen by the overhead sign on the bridge crossing over Interstate 5, both directions are on the bridge. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/16/06.
The next seven exits serve the city of Carlsbad: Exit 51A, Las Flores Drive; Exit 50, Carlsbad Village Drive/Elm Avenue; Exit 49, Tamarack Avenue; Exit 48, Cannon Road; Exit 47, Palomar Airport Road; Exit 45, Poinsettia Lane/Aviara Parkway; and Exit 44, La Costa Avenue. Interstate 5 will shortly depart Oceanside and enter Carlsbad after crossing the lagoon. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 at Exit 51A, Las Flores Drive. Interstate 5 is now in the City of Carlsbad. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 50, Carlsbad Village Drive. Photo taken 04/23/06.
The next three exits along southbound Interstate 5 are Exit 50, Carlsbad Village Drive, followed by Exit 49, Tamarack Avenue and Exit 48, Cannon Road. This exit leads directly into downtown Carlsbad. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Home to the famous Carlsbad Flower Fields, Carlsbad was incorporated on July 16, 1952, and it is home to 78,247 people as of the 2000 Census. It is still growing, especially on its eastern side, as it has grown from 7.5 square miles in 1952 to nearly 42 square miles in 2005. Photo taken 04/23/06.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 50, Carlsbad Village Drive. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 49, Tamarack Avenue. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next three exits all serve the city of Carlsbad: Exit 49, Tamarack Avenue; Exit 48, Cannon Road; and Exit 47, Palomar Airport Road. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 48, Cannon Road. Although this sign was replaced in April 2006, it does not have an exit number. Photo taken 04/23/06.
Use Cannon Road east (Exit 48) to reach Legoland, one of San Diego County's newest tourist attractions. Photo taken 07/06/04.
This mileage sign provides the distance to Leucadia (part of the city of Encinitas), downtown Encinitas, and downtown San Diego. Photo taken 04/23/06.
The next three exits along southbound are: Exit 48, Cannon Road; Exit 47, Palomar Airport Road; and Exit 45, Poinsettia Lane/Aviara Parkway. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 48, Cannon Road to Legoland and Carlsbad. The power lines distribute electricity generated by the natural gas generation facility located along the coast in Carlsbad (the Encina facility). Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/23/06.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 47, Palomar Airport Road/San Diego County Route S-12, next right. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/23/06.
Use Palomar Airport Road/San Diego County Route S-12 west to reach Coast Highway 101/San Diego County Route S-21. Photo taken 04/23/06.
A standalone trailblazer shield provides the sole indication that Palomar Airport Road is also San Diego County Route S-12. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 47, Palomar Airport Road/San Diego County Route S-12. As the name implies, Palomar Airport Road leads east to McClellan-Palomar Airport. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/23/06.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 45, Poinsettia Lane/Aviary Parkway followed by Exit 44, La Costa Avenue. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Some of the newest residential communities within Carlsbad may be reached by taking Poinsettia Lane/Aviary Parkway east. This sign was replaced in April 2006 with a new reflective, exit number sign. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/23/06.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 45, Poinsettia Lane/Aviara Parkway in Carlsbad. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 44, La Costa Avenue, followed by Exit 43, Leucadia Boulevard and Exit 41B, Encinitas Boulevard. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Use La Costa Avenue east to reach La Costa Country Club, home to a professional golf event every year. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/23/06.
A Vista Point that doubles as a park and ride is located at Exit 44. Interstate 5 crosses Batiquitos Lagoon, another in a series of lagoons the freeway crosses in Northern San Diego County. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Upon crossing the lagoon, Interstate 5 departs Carlsbad and enters Encinitas. Nevertheless, La Costa Avenue east reenters Carlsbad after passing El Camino Real/San Diego County Route S-11. Encinitas is located between the Batiquitos Lagoon to the north and the San Elijo Lagoon to the south, and it consists of the communities of Leucadia, Encinitas, and Cardiff along the coast and New Encinitas (along El Camino Real) and Olivenhain west of Interstate 5. The city was incorporated on October 1, 1986, making it one of the younger cities along the coast. As of the 2000 Census, 58,014 people resided in Encinitas. The city consists of 19.4 square miles. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 44, La Costa Avenue, followed by Exit 43, Leucadia Boulevard and Exit 41B, Encinitas Boulevard. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 43, Leucadia Boulevard, followed by Exit 41B, Encinitas Boulevard and Exit 41A, Santa Fe Drive. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Leucadia Boulevard heads west into the heart of Leucadia, a community at the north end of Encinitas. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 43, Leucadia Boulevard in Encinitas. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 41B, Junction San Diego County Route S-9/Encinitas Boulevard, followed by Exit 41A, Santa Fe Drive and Exit 40, Birmingham Drive. Photo taken 07/06/04.
San Diego County Route S-9 follows Encinitas Boulevard east and then south to Rancho Santa Fe, where it ends at its junction with San Diego County Route S-8 (Paseo Delicias). Photo taken 07/06/04.
Use San Diego County Route S-9/Encinitas Boulevard to the Quail Botanical Gardens. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 41B, Junction San Diego County Route S-9/Encinitas Boulevard. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 41A, Santa Fe Drive, followed by Exit 40, Birmingham Drive and Exit 39, Manchester Drive. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Exit 41A/Santa Fe Drive is the next exit along southbound. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 at Exit 41A, Santa Fe Drive. A Scripps medical facility, along with a grocery store, is available at this exit. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 40, Birmingham Drive, followed by Exit 39, Manchester Drive and Exit 37, Lomas Santa Fe Drive/Solana Beach (San Diego County Route S-8). Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 approaches Exit 40, Birmingham Drive, one-half mile. Use Birmingham Drive west to reach Cardiff by the Sea, the southernmost part of Encinitas. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 at Exit 40, Birmingham Drive in Encinitas. Photo taken 07/15/03.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is a Vista Point midway between Exits 40 and 39. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 39, Manchester Drive, followed by Exit 37, Lomas Santa Fe Drive/Solana Beach (San Diego County Route S-8) and Exit 36, Via de la Valle. Photo taken 07/06/04.
For a view of the ocean, exit here. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The view point has no facilities; at the time this photo was taken, the San Diego County Fair was just wrapping up, and the sign on the gore point indicated that fairgoers would not be able to take a shuttle from the viewpoint; they instead need to use the next exit. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 39, Manchester Avenue. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 37, Lomas Santa Fe Drive/Solana Beach (San Diego County Route S-8), followed by Exit 36, Via de la Valle and Exit 34, Del Mar Heights Road. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Use Lomas Santa Fe Drive/Solana Beach (San Diego County Route S-8) east to reach the unincorporated yet exclusive community of Rancho Santa Fe. Photo taken 07/06/04.
San Diego County Route S-8 is a fairly short county route that connects San Diego County Route S-21/U.S. 101 in Solana Beach to the west with San Diego County Route S-6 in Rancho Santa Fe to the east via Lomas Santa Fe Drive and Linea del Cielo. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Interstate 5 departs the city of Encinitas and enters the city of Solana Beach after crossing the San Elijo Lagoon. Solana Beach has a population of 13,835 as of the 2000 Census. Photo taken 07/06/04.
San Diego County Route S-8 travels west to the Cedros Design District in downtown Solana Beach via Lomas Santa Fe. To the east, San Diego County Route S-8 connects to Linea del Cielo, then enters Rancho Santa Fe, where it connects to San Diego County Route S-9 and ends at San Diego County Route S-6 (Del Dios Highway). Del Dios Highway is a diagonal route that travels northeast past Lake Hodges en route to Escondido. Photo taken 04/23/06.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 37, Lomas Santa Fe Drive (San Diego County Route S-8) to Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 5 is Exit 36, Junction San Diego County Route S-6/Via de la Valle, followed by Exit 34, Del Mar Heights Road and Exit 33, Carmel Valley Road to California 56 freeway east. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Use Via de la Valle/San Diego County Route S-6 west to reach the San Diego County Fairgrounds and Del Mar Racetrack, home to horse racing during the latter part of summer. During race events and the annual county fair in June, traffic may swell a bit along the freeway as it approaches the Via de la Valle interchange (hence the warning lights). Photo taken 07/06/04.
Additionally, use Via de la Valle west to enter the city of Del Mar, which is an exclusive community along the coast sandwiched between San Diego and Solana Beach. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 04/23/06.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 36, San Diego County Route S-6/Via de la Valle (this is Former Business Loop I-5; only a couple of signs remain) to Del Mar. The annual San Diego County Fair is held at the Del Mar Race Track every year, and this exit is situated close to the race track. Interstate 5 dips into the San Dieguito River Valley in the distance. Photo taken 07/06/04 and 04/23/06.
After the Via de la Valle interchange, Interstate 5 departs from Solana Beach/Del Mar and enters the city of San Diego. Home to 1,223,400 people as of the 2000 Census, San Diego is the seventh-largest city in the United States and is second only to Los Angeles in size within the state of California. According to the official site, the total land area is 219,000 acres, of which 30,600 acres are roads or freeways. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next three exits along southbound Interstate 5 are Exit 34, Del Mar Heights Road; Exit 33, Carmel Valley Road (east to California 56 and west to old U.S. 101/Camino del Mar); and Exit 31, Junction Interstate 805 (Dekema Freeway) South. Exit 31 is not mentioned on this mileage sign. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Interstate 5 crosses the San Dieguito Lagoon. To the west lies the massive Del Mar Racetrack, and agricultural fields lay to the east. The freeway is going to change in the coming year (2006-2007) as the new Local Bypass is constructed for southbound traffic. Photo taken 04/23/06.
Del Mar Heights Road connects Interstate 5 with the community of Torrey Pines (Del Mar Heights) and the city of Del Mar to the west and the community of Carmel Valley to the east. Photo taken 04/23/06.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 34, Del Mar Heights Road. Del Mar Heights Road leads east into the Carmel Valley community of San Diego (with a connection to Carmel Valley Road in Pacific Highlands Ranch) and west into the City of Del Mar. Photo taken 04/23/06.
Southbound Interstate 5 next approaches Exit 33, Carmel Valley Road. To reach eastbound California 56, motorists must use eastbound Carmel Valley Road. Westbound Carmel Valley Road goes into Del Mar, where it meets Camino del Mar (also known as Coast Highway 101 or Historic U.S. 101). Photo taken 07/06/04.
Southbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 33, Carmel Valley Road. Since there is currently no direct connection from southbound Interstate 5 to eastbound California 56, travelers must use Carmel Valley Road east for a little less than a mile to get onto the eastbound freeway. California 56 connects Carmel Valley, Del Mar Mesa, Pacific Highlands Ranch, Torrey Highlands, and Rancho Penasquitos together before culminating at Interstate 15 in Sabre Springs/Carmel Mountain Ranch. Photo taken 07/06/04.
