San Diego, CA

Finding a Church in San Diego: 568 Congregations Sorted by Tradition and Neighborhood

15 minute read Churches List editorial desk

Spanish revival church with white stucco walls and bell tower above a san diego canyon, rendered in stipple ink with sepia wash.
Spanish revival church with white stucco walls and bell tower above a san diego canyon, rendered in stipple ink with sepia wash.

San Diego holds 568 congregations from mission-era parishes to canyon-side plants. This guide sorts every tradition and maps the spread.

568congregations inside San Diego
42distinct traditions represented
292listings with a church website

San Diego lists 568 Christian congregations in the Churches List directory across 48 ZIP codes of canyon-cut neighborhoods. The city's church geography follows its terrain: congregations line the mesa-top boulevards, and a straight-line half mile across a canyon can be a 20-minute drive.

The directory's largest single label in San Diego is African Methodist Episcopal at 139 listings, the densest AME concentration in the national directory; the count comes from the congregations' own source records and includes the tradition's many small fellowships alongside its historic anchor churches. Baptist congregations follow at 76, Catholic parishes at 45, and Lutheran congregations at 29.

Which traditions have the most churches in San Diego?

San Diego's 568 listings include 20 Non-Denominational and 19 Presbyterian congregations among roughly three dozen traditions. The Catholic count of 45 carries the deepest local history: the Mission San Diego de Alcala, founded in 1769, was the first of the 21 Alta California missions, and the diocese descended from it still frames the city's oldest parishes. Three San Diego buildings hold National Register of Historic Places listings.

Congregations by tradition, San Diego (June 11, 2026)

African Methodist Episcopal139
Baptist Churches76
Catholic45
Lutheran29
Non-Denominational20
Presbyterian19
Apostolic18
Community18
Episcopal16
Christian15
Church of Christ14
Church of God14

Which San Diego churches hold National Register of Historic Places listings?

3 San Diego church buildings hold National Register of Historic Places listings as of June 11, 2026. The register-listed congregations in this directory include A New Life Church San Diego (listed 2017); Horizon Coast Chapel - Church in Mission Beach Ca (listed 1978); San Diego Rescue Mission (listed 1970).

A sortable selection of San Diego churches by tradition

The table below holds 60 of San Diego's 568 congregations, selected for record completeness: register-listed buildings first, then congregations with verified details and working websites. The San Diego city page lists every congregation.

60 selected congregations of 568 listed in San Diego
ChurchTraditionStreetZIPRecords
Horizon Coast Chapel - Church in Mission Beach CaNon-Denominational840 Santa Clara Place92109National Register, website
San Diego Rescue MissionAfrican Methodist Episcopal120 Elm St.92101National Register, website
A New Life Church San DiegoNon-Denominational10601 Tierrasanta Boulevard, #G34292124National Register
180 Degrees Worship CenterAfrican Methodist EpiscopalP.O. Box 22112592192website
Abundant Grace Christian CenterAfrican Methodist Episcopal3117 University Ave.92104website
Advent Christian ChurchChristian3702 29Th Street92104website
All Saints Episcopal ChurchEpiscopal625 Pennsylvania Avenue92103website
All Saints Lutheran ChurchLutheran6355 Radcliffe Drive92122website
All Souls' Episcopal ChurchEpiscopal1475 Catalina Boulevard92107website
Apostolic Assembly of Imperial BeachApostolic1465 30Th Street, # F92154website
AscensionCatholic11292 Clairemont Mesa Blvd92124website
Ascension Catholic ParishCatholic11292 Clairemont Mesa Blvd92124website
Ascension Lutheran ChurchLutheran5106 Zion Avenue92120website
Atonement Lutheran ChurchLutheran7250 Eckstrom Avenue92111website
Barabbas Road ChurchBaptist Churches4676 Ingraham Street92109website
Bayview Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches6126 Benson Avenue92114website
Bayview Christian ChurchChristian6130 Benson Avenue92114website
Bethany Lutheran ChurchLutheran2051 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard92107website
Bethel Memorial A.m.e. ChurchAfrican Methodist Episcopal3085 K Street92102website
Blessed SacramentCatholic4540 El Cerrito Drive92115website
Calvary Baptist Church/San DiegoBaptist Churches6866 Linda Vista Rd.92111website
Calvary Chapel Mira MesaCalvary Chapel11230 Avenida Del Gato, Sandburg Elementary92126website
Calvary Chapel Point LomaCalvary Chapel4425 Valeta Street92107website
Calvary Temple AogAfrican Methodist Episcopal3920 Normal St.92103website
Canyon Ridge Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches8245 Rons, #B92111website
Cathedral Church of Saint PaulEpiscopal2728 6Th Ave92103website
Centro Cristiano AgapeAfrican Methodist Episcopal619796644 6051 Potomac92139website
China Outreach MinistriesAfrican Methodist Episcopal9353 Delophia St92129website
Chinese Evangelical ChurchEvangelical2585 Judson Street92111website
Christ Church UnityUnity3770 Altadena Avenue92105website
Christian City Church (C3 Church) San DiegoAfrican Methodist Episcopal3800 Mykonos Lane92130website
Christian City Church/ San DiegoAfrican Methodist Episcopal8707 Adobe Bluffs Dr.92129website
Christian Family Church San DiegoAfrican Methodist Episcopal7930 Park Village Rd (Park Village Elementary)92129website
Christian Fellowship ChurchFellowship of Christian Assemblies1601 Kelton Road92114website
Christian Reformed ChurchChristian6745 Amherst Street92115website
Christ Lutheran ChurchLutheran4761 Cass92109website
Christ Presbyterian ChurchEvangelical3025 Fir St92102website
Christ Temple Church of ChristChurch of Christ1040 Winston Drive92114website
Christ the KingCatholic29 N. 32Nd Street92102website
Christ the KingAnglican9939 Hibert St. Suite10192131website
Christ the King Catholic ChurchCatholic29 32Nd St.92115website
Christ United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist3295 Meade Avenue92116website
Church of ChristChurch of Christ4292 Balboa Avenue92117website
Church of ChristChurch of Christ6070 Division Street92114website
Church of ChristChurch of Christ580 69Th Street92114website
Church of ChristChurch of Christ4790 Seminole Drive92115website
Church of ChristChurch of Christ2528 El Cajon Boulevard92104website
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsChurch of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints4741 Mt Abernathy Ave92117website
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsChurch of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints5151 Fanuel St92109website
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsChurch of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints5299 Trojan Ave92115website
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsChurch of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints3705 Tennyson St92107website
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsChurch of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints1515 Elder Ave92154website
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsChurch of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints6767 51St St92120website
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsChurch of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints8902 Highwood Dr92119website
Church of Rancho BernardoAfrican Methodist Episcopal11740 Bernardo Plaza Court92128website
Church of the Good SamaritanEpiscopal4321 Eastgate Mall92121website
Citywalk Christian ChurchAfrican Methodist Episcopal1789 State St.92101website
Clairemont Christian ChurchChristian4330 Moraga Avenue92117website
Clairemont Church of GodChurch of God4955 Conrad Avenue92117website
Clairemont Covenant ChurchAfrican Methodist Episcopal5255 Ararat Dr92111website

Where San Diego's churches stand: the map

The map shows the 60 selected congregations from the table above.

How to choose a church in San Diego: a practical checklist

San Diego's listings include a website in 292 of 568 cases, the best website coverage in this guide series. To shortlist:

  • Use the nearest-to-me button early; canyon geography makes the map more honest than the ZIP code.
  • Filter by tradition, then compare the published sites: with 292 available, the congregation's own materials are the best differentiator.
  • Ask about service languages. Many San Diego congregations run English, Spanish, Tagalog, or Vietnamese schedules under one roof.
  • Submit corrections through the corrections page; most fixes apply within two business days.

How this guide was assembled

The Churches List directory snapshot of June 11, 2026 records 568 congregations inside San Diego across 48 ZIP codes. 555 of those listings carry a phone number and 292 carry a website. National Register status comes from the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places database; 3 San Diego churches hold listings. Churches List does not rank congregations: the table sorts alphabetically within record-completeness groups, and the directory applies corrections submitted by churches, usually within two business days, through the corrections page.

Related reading in The Letter: African Methodist Episcopal churches in California maps the statewide geography behind San Diego's 139 listings, and California's 3,278 non-denominational churches covers the state's newest cohort. The California state page lists all 21,472 California churches.