Call before you drive
Overnight pharmacy hours depend on staffing, and a counter can close for a night without the website changing. Two minutes on the phone beats a thirty-minute round trip.
24-Hour Pharmacies in San Diego
Fewer than people assume — and the counter's hours are not the store's hours.
Last updated
Quick answer
There are only two pharmacies in the City of San Diego we can confirm are open 24 hours, and both are CVS: 8260 Mira Mesa Boulevard in Mira Mesa, and 3151 University Avenue in North Park. On both, the store and the pharmacy counter are listed as open 24 hours, with the counter closing for a daily lunch break from 11:30am to noon. That distinction matters everywhere else too: plenty of San Diego drugstores keep the shop open late while the pharmacy counter shuts at 9 or 10pm, so a 24-hour store does not mean a 24-hour pharmacist. The nearest other confirmed 24-hour pharmacy is in East County, a Walgreens at 215 N 2nd Street in El Cajon, about fourteen miles out. If you need a prescription filled overnight, call one of the two CVS locations before driving, since hours move and a single unfilled shift closes a counter. For anything urgent overnight, an urgent care or hospital emergency department can dispense what you need on the spot.
Confirmed 24-hour pharmacies
| Pharmacy | Address | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CVS Mira Mesa | 8260 Mira Mesa Blvd, San Diego 92126 | Store and pharmacy counter both listed 24 hours; counter closed 11:30am–noon daily |
| CVS North Park | 3151 University Ave, San Diego 92104 | Store and pharmacy counter both listed 24 hours; counter closed 11:30am–noon daily |
| Walgreens El Cajon | 215 N 2nd St, El Cajon | Nearest confirmed 24-hour pharmacy outside the city, roughly 14 miles from central San Diego; closes briefly for a staff meal break |
Where to stay nearby
Rates and availability change daily, so we link the guide rather than quote a price. Each page compares walkable, short-drive and budget options with parking and resort fees called out.
- San Diego NYE Hotel PackagesLodging guide for this area.
- San Diego HostelsLodging guide for this area.
- San Diego Vrbo GuideLodging guide for this area.
- Where to stay in San DiegoPick your base first — neighborhood decides most of your trip.
- Best hotels in San Diego, rankedOur scored hotel ranking across every area.
How to handle a middle-of-the-night prescription
Ask for the prescription to be sent to the 24-hour branch
If you are being seen at an urgent care or emergency department in the evening, ask them to route the prescription to one of the two 24-hour pharmacies rather than your usual one.
The store being open is not the point
Most chains keep shop hours longer than counter hours. If you only need plasters, painkillers or formula, a late-night supermarket does the job; a prescription needs a pharmacist on shift.
Urgent care and emergency departments dispense
For an acute problem overnight — a child's ear infection, a bad reaction, a lost insulin supply — the hospital is both faster and more likely to resolve it than a pharmacy hunt.
Travelling without medication
A pharmacist can often provide a short emergency supply of an ongoing prescription in California. Bring the bottle or a photo of the label and the prescribing doctor's details.
By area
Central and coastal San Diego
North Park's University Avenue CVS is the closest 24-hour counter to downtown, the Gaslamp, Hillcrest, Golden Hill and the beach neighbourhoods. Nothing on the coast itself runs overnight.
North City and the 15 corridor
The Mira Mesa Boulevard CVS covers Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Peñasquitos, Sorrento Valley and, at a stretch, Carmel Valley and Poway.
East County
El Cajon's 24-hour Walgreens on N 2nd Street is the practical option for La Mesa, Santee, Lakeside and El Cajon itself.
South Bay and North County coast
We could not verify a 24-hour pharmacy in Chula Vista, National City, Oceanside, Carlsbad or Encinitas. Plan on the drive in, or on urgent care.
While you are up
What else is open late
Late-night food, supermarkets and the other things that stay open in a city that mostly does not.
Late-night urgent care
Where to go when it is more than a prescription.
Prescriptions across the border
What the Tijuana pharmacies can and cannot legally supply, and what US customs allows you to bring back.
How to check this before you rely on it
- • Both CVS locations were confirmed on CVS's own store pages and its 24-hour pharmacy locator, checked 20 September 2026. The El Cajon Walgreens was confirmed on Walgreens' own 24-hour locator on the same date.
- • We list only pharmacies whose own chain page states 24-hour hours for the pharmacy counter, not just the store. Anywhere we could not verify that, we have left off rather than guessed.
- • Overnight hours are staffing-dependent and change without notice. Always ring the branch before setting off.
- • This page is not medical advice. For anything acute overnight, contact urgent care, an emergency department or 911.
Frequently asked
Is there a 24-hour pharmacy in San Diego?
Yes, two that we can confirm, both CVS: 8260 Mira Mesa Boulevard in Mira Mesa and 3151 University Avenue in North Park. On both, the pharmacy counter as well as the store is listed as open 24 hours, apart from a daily lunch closure from 11:30am to noon.
What is the closest 24-hour pharmacy to downtown San Diego?
The CVS at 3151 University Avenue in North Park, a short drive or ride-hail from downtown, Hillcrest and Golden Hill. There is no 24-hour pharmacy downtown itself.
Are there any 24-hour Walgreens in San Diego?
Not in the city as far as we can verify. Walgreens' own 24-hour locator returns a branch at 215 N 2nd Street in El Cajon, roughly fourteen miles out, as the nearest one.
Is the pharmacy counter open the same hours as the store?
Often not. Many San Diego drugstores keep the shop open well past the time the pharmacist goes home, so a late-night store is no help with a prescription. Check the counter hours specifically, and expect a short daily lunch closure even at the 24-hour branches.
What do I do if no pharmacy is open?
For an acute problem, go to urgent care or an emergency department — both can dispense on the spot. If you have run out of an ongoing prescription while travelling, a pharmacist in California can often provide a short emergency supply when you can show the label and prescriber details.
Is there a 24-hour pharmacy in Chula Vista or North County?
None that we could verify from the chains' own pages. From the South Bay, the North Park CVS is the nearest confirmed option; from North County inland, El Cajon's Walgreens or a drive into the city.
Keep reading
The Sandi Spots Newsletter
San Diego, in your inbox.
New beach finds, hidden taco shops, weekend events, and seasonal guides — once a week from a local. No spam, ever.
One email a week. Unsubscribe anytime.