Carlsbad, CA
Stop on the proposed 17,000-mile maglev network. Next stop: Oceanside, CA (3.1 mi).
About Carlsbad
Carlsbad is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California, United States. The city is 35 miles (56 km) north of downtown San Diego and 87 miles (140 km) south of downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 114,746.
Source: Wikipedia summary (full article). Population and facts as published there.
Cost breakdown (proposal-scale estimates — see math)
| Item | Basis | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal construction | Large-city terminal (range $2–4B) | $3B |
| Land acquisition | Regional factor 1.5× on $200M base | $300M |
| Track: Carlsbad → Oceanside | 3.1 mi × $500M/mi | $1.6B |
| Annual operations (share) | Staffing, power, maintenance | $60M/yr |
| Stop total (excl. annual ops) | $4.9B |
Best terminal location (proposed)
the Carlsbad Village COASTER station district. Carlsbad Village station sits on the COASTER commuter line in a walkable beach downtown, with the 5 freeway corridor alongside. The village's visitor economy guarantees strong off-peak demand. It captures coastal North County from Oceanside to Encinitas.
Before / after
Aerial mock-up (illustrative, not an engineering rendering). Left: the proposed site today. Right: with the maglev terminal.
- The Cannon Park corridor — commercial and residential zone on the city boundary.
- Oceanside's Fire Mountain district — residential area approaching downtown Oceanside.