Submarine Base (Ballast Point)
Bay side of the peninsula, home to attack submarines and their support commands. Access is off Rosecrans.
Naval Base Point Loma Guide
Submarines, fleet logistics and the county's most scenic peninsula — with rents to match.
Last updated
Quick answer
Naval Base Point Loma consolidates several sites on and around the peninsula: the submarine base on the bay side, the Old Town complex, the fuel depot, the Naval Information Warfare Center campus and the Fleet ASW training facility. It is the most scenically located installation in the county and one of the most expensive to live near. Sailors and civilians assigned here typically live in Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Bay Park, Clairemont, Linda Vista, Mission Valley or Chula Vista, trading rent against commute. Point Loma and Ocean Beach are five to fifteen minutes away but coastal-priced; Clairemont, Linda Vista and Bay Park are the value plays within twenty minutes; Chula Vista is the family-space answer at thirty. Rosecrans Street is the artery, and it is slow at every peak. The base has a commissary and NEX at the Old Town complex plus clinics, gyms and Fleet and Family Support.
Living near Naval Base Point Loma
| Area | Typical drive | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Point Loma | 5-10 min | Best location, highest rent |
| Ocean Beach | 10-15 min | Beach town culture, older units, tight parking |
| Bay Park | 12-18 min | Bay views, quiet, mid-century homes |
| Clairemont | 15-20 min | Best value inside the city |
| Linda Vista | 15 min | Affordable, central, USD nearby |
| Mission Valley | 15-20 min | Apartments, trolley, everything-shopping |
| Chula Vista | 25-35 min | Family square footage, longest drive |
| Coronado | 25 min | Only if you already live there |
The sites you might report to
Point Loma is a consolidated command, not a single fence line.
Old Town Complex
The Pacific Highway campus with the commissary, exchange, and numerous support commands. Trolley-accessible from the Old Town Transit Center.
Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific
The Navy's West Coast research and engineering hub, with a heavy civilian and contractor workforce. A major employer for veterans and spouses with clearances.
Fuel Depot
The bay-side fueling infrastructure at the base of the peninsula.
Fleet ASW Training Center
Anti-submarine warfare training on the peninsula.
Naval Medical Center Balboa
Not part of Point Loma but the hospital most sailors here use, up in Balboa Park about fifteen minutes away.
Commute reality
The peninsula has one spine road and it is not generous.
Rosecrans Street
The main artery from I-8 down the peninsula. Reliably slow at 0700 and 1600, with no serious alternate route.
Nimitz Boulevard
A faster parallel from Ocean Beach and the west side, and the better choice from Sunset Cliffs.
I-8 and I-5 junction
The Old Town interchange is one of the county's worst merges. If you commute from the east, leave before 0630.
Trolley
The Green and Blue lines serve Old Town Transit Center, which makes the Old Town complex the only Point Loma site with genuine transit access.
Airport traffic
Harbor Drive and North Harbor traffic to San Diego International crosses your route. Holiday weeks add fifteen minutes.
Bikes and scooters
The flat bay-side stretch from Ocean Beach and Midway is genuinely bikeable, and plenty of people commute that way.
Peninsula life
You pay more here, and most people decide it is worth it.
Ocean Beach
Unapologetically counter-cultural, with a farmers market on Wednesdays, Dog Beach at the north end, and rents that have climbed anyway.
Liberty Station
A converted Naval Training Center now holding restaurants, a public market, galleries and a huge lawn. Effectively the peninsula's town square.
Sunset Cliffs
The best sunset in the city and a short walk from a big share of Point Loma rentals.
Cabrillo National Monument
At the tip of the peninsula, with tide pools and the best harbor view in the county. Military ID gets you in without the entrance fee.
Schools
Point Loma High and its feeders are well regarded; Liberty Station also hosts charter options popular with military families.
Parking
Older peninsula apartments frequently have no assigned parking. For a two-car household, treat that as a lease dealbreaker.
How to use these base guides
- • Every installation sets its own gate hours, access rules and visitor policy, and commands change them without notice. Confirm with your sponsor or the installation's official channels before you drive out.
- • BAH rates, housing waitlists and shuttle schedules change every year. We explain how the systems work locally rather than quoting figures that go stale.
- • Nothing here is official Department of Defense, Navy, Marine Corps or VA guidance. It is a local orientation written for people arriving on orders.
- • No base, housing company, employer or business pays for placement on this site.
Frequently asked
Is Point Loma affordable on BAH?
Tight. Single sailors often need a roommate, and families frequently choose Clairemont, Bay Park or Linda Vista instead. Base housing on the peninsula exists but is limited and waitlisted.
Where is the commissary for Point Loma?
At the Old Town complex on Pacific Highway, alongside the Navy Exchange. It is smaller and calmer than the 32nd Street store.
Can I take the trolley to work at Point Loma?
To the Old Town complex, yes — the transit center is adjacent. The submarine base and the peninsula sites are not practically transit-served.
Does NIWC Pacific hire veterans and spouses?
It is one of the largest technical employers in the region and hires heavily into engineering, IT and cleared support roles. Clearance-eligible spouses should look here early.
How far is Balboa hospital from Point Loma?
Roughly fifteen minutes via I-8 and Park Boulevard off-peak, longer at rush hour.
Keep reading
Military & Veteran Resources
The master hub for support programs, family services and community groups.
PCS Move Checklist
Timeline, paperwork and local logistics for orders to San Diego.
On-Base vs Off-Base
BAH math, waitlists, commutes and which neighborhoods work for each base.
Military Discounts
Attractions, restaurants and shops that discount with an ID.
Point Loma Guide
Cabrillo, Liberty Station and Sunset Cliffs.
VA & Tricare Guide
How care and referrals work locally.
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