North County Transit District
| North County Transit – San Diego Railroad | |
|---|---|
Gallery of NCTD services | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | Northern San Diego County, California |
| Transit type | Buses, commuter rail, light rail, paratransit |
| Number of lines |
|
| Number of stations | 15 light rail stations 8 commuter rail stations |
| Daily ridership | 25,500 (weekdays, Q4 2025) |
| Annual ridership | 8,324,500 (2025) |
| Chief executive | Shawn M. Donaghy |
| Headquarters | Oceanside, CA |
| Website | gonctd |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | September 30, 1975 |
The North County Transit District (NCTD), branded as North County Transit – San Diego Railroad, is the agency responsible for public transportation in Northern San Diego County, California. The agency manages the COASTER commuter rail service between Oceanside and San Diego, the SPRINTER hybrid rail service between Escondido and Oceanside, the BREEZE transit bus service, LIFT paratransit service, FLEX and NCTD+ on-demand services
Established on September 20, 1975 as the North County Transit Development Board, and later took the name North County Transit District (NCTD). The agency's jurisdiction includes Oceanside, Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista, Escondido, Fallbrook, Pauma, Valley Center, San Dieguito, and Ramona. The Board would serve as the operator of bus service within the North County area, absorbing the municipal bus systems of Escondido and Oceanside.
NCTD owns 62 miles (100 km) of mainline railroad track (the Surf Line) from the Orange County/San Diego County line to Santa Fe Depot (used by COASTER, Metrolink, and Pacific Surfliner passenger trains along with BNSF Railway freight trains) along with the 22-mile (35 km) Escondido Subdivision (used by the SPRINTER and BNSF freight trains).
NCTD works closely with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), which operates public transit services in Southern San Diego County, and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), which plans, develops, and constructs transit projects for both NCTD and MTS.
As of 2025, NCTD provides 8,324,500 passenger trips per year, or about 25,500 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2025. NCTD's geographic area is approximately 1,020 square miles (2,600 km2) with an approximate population of 842,000 people.