What is 211 San Diego, and what can it help with?
Dial 2-1-1 from any phone in San Diego County for free, 24/7 help finding food, housing, utility assistance, health care and disaster info, in 200+ languages. From outside the county, call 858-300-1211.
- Call
- 2-1-1
- Outside the county
- 858-300-1211
- Languages
- 200+
- Services listed
- 6,000+
24/7, free
Same service
Interpreters on the line
Searchable online
The short version
- Dial 2-1-1 any time; calls are free and confidential, with help in more than 200 languages.
- From outside the county or a phone that can't dial 211, call 858-300-1211.
- Its database lists more than 6,000 free or low-cost services across San Diego County.
- Agents can help apply for CalFresh, Medi-Cal and utility assistance by phone.
- It's a nonprofit (INFO LINE of San Diego County) dating to 1986, not a government office.
2-1-1 is a three-digit number, like 911, reserved nationwide for community information and referral. In San Diego it's answered by 211 San Diego, a local nonprofit that keeps a database of free and low-cost services and staffs a contact center around the clock. If you don't know who to call for help with rent, food, a utility shut-off notice or a confusing benefits form, this is the number.
What 211 can help with
Common reasons people call
| Need | What 211 does | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Finds food pantries and can help apply for CalFresh (SNAP) | |
| Housing | Shelter referrals, rental-assistance programs, eviction-prevention resources | |
| Utilities | Points to bill-payment help and discount programs | |
| Health | Medi-Cal enrollment help, low-cost clinics, dental | |
| Disasters | Activated as an information line during fires and storms | |
| Military & veterans | Navigation services for service members, veterans and families |
Need
- Food
- Finds food pantries and can help apply for CalFresh (SNAP)
- Housing
- Shelter referrals, rental-assistance programs, eviction-prevention resources
- Utilities
- Points to bill-payment help and discount programs
- Health
- Medi-Cal enrollment help, low-cost clinics, dental
- Disasters
- Activated as an information line during fires and storms
- Military & veterans
- Navigation services for service members, veterans and families
What 211 does
Ways to reach 211
Pick the channel that works for you
- 01
Call 2-1-1
From any phone in San Diego County. Have a pen ready; agents often give several numbers.
- 02
Call 858-300-1211
If you're outside the county, on some business lines, or 2-1-1 won't connect.
- 03
Search online
Browse the resource database at 211sandiego.org by ZIP code and need.
- 04
Text
Texting your ZIP code to 898-211 returns nearby resources, according to guides to the service.
24/7
Hours
365 days
1986
Started
As United Way's INFO LINE
2003
Independent nonprofit
INFO LINE of San Diego County
211 San Diego also serves Imperial County. It has no designated federal or state funding; it runs on contracts with agencies such as the County and on grants.
Other numbers worth saving: report potholes and other city problems with Get It Done, and sign up for emergency alerts before fire season.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 8, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
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SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
211 San Diego · Nov. 2024
24/7, 200+ languages, service categories
County of San Diego
History (1986, 2000, 2003), funding, San Diego and Imperial counties
- BackgroundSan Diego 211
San Diego Center for Children
858-300-1211 alternate number
Gerald
Text ZIP to 898-211