Where Is the San Diego Zoo Located?

The San Diego Zoo is located just north of downtown San Diego. The exact address is 2920 Zoo Drive. Read on for directions and more information about this zoo.   

The San Diego Zoo is located in Balboa Park.  Here are directions to reach the zoo from several alternative directions:

• If you are southbound on I-5, then you would take the Pershing Drive exit and follow the signs. 
• If you are northbound, you would take the State Route 163 north exit and follow the signs. 
• From I-15 southbound, take State Route 163 south, exit at Park Blvd and turn left. 
• From the east on I-8, take State Route 163 south, exit at Park Blvd and turn left. 
• From State Route 94, turn right on 12th Avenue and that will turn into Park Blvd.

Arrival at the Zoo

Once you arrive at the San Diego Zoo, you might want to take the guided bus tour that will show you where the exhibits are located.  It only takes 35 minutes and will show you most of the 107 acre zoo, with its 4000 animals that include over 800 species and subspecies.  The zoo is also home to over 700,000 exotic plants.

The zoo opened in 1915 and is now divided into eight zones.  Here is a list of some of the animals you will see in each:

• Africa Rocks - Here you will see a Chinese leopard, jaguar, kopje, meerkat, mountain lion (also called cougar or puma), Siberian lynx, and a snow leopard.
• Asian Passage - In this area there is one of the world’s most endangered animals, the lion-tailed macaque.  Also there, and also endangered, are the smallest bears in the world, the Bornean sun bears.  They are called sun bears because their chests have a golden colored crescent shape on them.
• Elephant Odyssey - This exhibit was enlarged and reopened in 2009.  It includes: California condors, camels, capybaras, elephants, guanacos, horses, jaguars, lions, pronghorns, rattlesnakes, secretary birds, and tapirs.
• Lost Forest - Here you will see: birds, bobobos, flamingos, gorillas, hippos, monkeys, orangutans, otters, Siamangs, tapirs, and tigers.
• Outback - There are koalas munching on eucalyptus leaves here as well as some two-humped camels and wallabies. 
• Panda Canyon - This is home to the Giant Pandas, one of only four places in the U.S. where these critically endangered animals are kept.
• Polar Rim - You will see polar bears in the Polar Bear Plunge, a 12-foot deep pool with 130,000 gallons of water.  Also there are ducks, martens, Pallas cats, and Siberian reindeer.  The Arctic Aviary has buffleheads, diving ducks, mergansers, shorebirds, and smews.  
• Urban Jungle - Giraffes and gazelles are found here and you can buy biscuits to feed to the giraffes.  

Other exhibits of note are: 

• Absolutely Apes - Two critically endangered species of apes are housed here: orangutans and the siamangs.
• Ituri Forest - This is like an African rainforest where you can see beautiful birds, hippos, otters, okapis, and entertaining monkeys. There is also an Mbuti camp that helps educate you about the people, animals, and plants that live in the Ituri Forest.

Tips for Your Visit

Now that you know where the San Diego Zoo is located, here are some tips that will help your visit go smoothly:

• The zoo is open every day and always open from 9 to 5, but extends the hours during certain times of the year. The gate closes two hours before the park closes, so plan accordingly.  

• The best times to visit during the year are from the fall to the spring.
• Best times to visit during the day are early morning and later in the afternoon.
• Always bring a hat and sunscreen and plan your route before you start out so you will not have to backtrack.
• If you walk the whole zoo, you will walk up to four miles. Some things that will help if you are physically challenged are moving sidewalks, an express bus, the Skyfari sky ride, and guided bus tours.

So, now you know where the San Diego Zoo is located as well as some other details to prepare you for your visit.