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Where can I find directions and a map to help me navigate around the city? How do I get around the Convention Center?
Downtown San Diego is incredibly compact and convenient. Some of the city's best hotels, restaurants, shopping districts and galleries are all within walking distance, as are incredible views of sparkling San Diego Bay. The Convention Center itself is also easy to navigate.
Google Location Finder
Map of Downtown - PDF
Convention Center Floor Plans - PDF
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What can I do in my free time?
There's so much to see and do in San Diego. Just steps away from the Convention Center is the city's hottest dining and entertainment district, the Gaslamp Quarter, and PETCO Park, the new home to Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. San Diego is one of the most family friendly cities in the nation, so plan on spending time with Shamu at SeaWorld San Diego or spend a day hanging around Monkey Trails and Forest Tales at the San Diego Zoo's newest exhibit.
The region also features a historic aircraft carrier museum aboard the USS Midway, 70 miles of beaches, 92 golf courses, the best shopping, and a variety of exciting attractions. Please visit the What to do page plan the perfect getaway in your free time.
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Do you have WiFi?
With over 70,000 strand miles of fiber optic cable, downtown San Diego is definitely a "wired city". For attendees with WiFi equipped devices, the City of San Diego's Bandwidth Bay initiative provides internet access at several downtown locations. (A service fee may apply)
The San Diego Convention Center also offers WiFi if your meeting organizer has requested this service.
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Who do I contact if I have special needs?
For specific information on the Convention Center's accessibility, please contact our Guest Services department at 619-525-5409. For information on San Diego area attractions, contact Accessible San Diego at 858-279-0704 or www.accessandiego.com.
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What can you tell me about the history of San Diego?
San Diego is located on the site of the first European settlement in California. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailed into San Diego Bay in 1542 and claimed the land for Spain. In 1769 Junípero Serra, a Franciscan missionary, established Mission San Diego de Alcalá and dedicated the Presidio, the first Spanish fort in California. By 1830 most of the people were living in what is now Old Town. It was under Mexican jurisdiction from 1822, when Mexico won independence from Spain, until 1846, when it was captured by a U.S. naval force. The city's population surged when the Santa Fe Railroad arrived in 1884.
San Diego became an important U.S. naval base during World War I; later, other branches of the military established bases here. In the 1950s, this concentration of military installations gave rise to San Diego's aerospace industry. The diversification of San Diego's economic base in the latter part of the 20th century contributed to its rapid growth. An urban revitalization effort began downtown in the 1980s starting with Horton Plaza, an expansive shopping mall that won acclaim for its dramatic architecture, as well as the inauguration of a trolley system. Other regional world-class attractions followed.
Today San Diego is the second largest city in California and the seventh largest in the United States with a citywide population of 1.3 million residents and more than 2.8 million residents countywide. San Diego is not only a premier tourist destination, but an established leader in core industry sectors such as biotechnology, communications and software development. The city's prominence on the harbor and access to Pacific Rim countries has also established downtown San Diego as a hub of international commerce and the urban heart for residents and visitors alike.
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