Calexico West Port of Entry


The Calexico West Port of Entry is one of two ports of entry in the Imperial Valley area of California. It is located in the business center of the Calexico-Mexicali metropolitan area that is divided by an international boundary. This crossing has easy access north to Interstate 8 via California State Route 111. Mexican Federal Highway 5 then begins its journey to the south. The General Services Administration is currently implementing a multi-year facility upgrade that will dramatically change the appearance and throughput of the border crossing.

History

There has been a border crossing at Calexico since the late 19th century. The area grew substantially when irrigation converted the barren Imperial Valley into fertile agricultural land. The historic border inspection station on Heffernan Avenue was built in 1933. It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1992, and remains today as US government office space. In 1974, a new port of entry was built two blocks to the west, adjacent to the international rail crossing.