San Juan lies on the Island's north coast, a bit east of center. Its main sections are Old San Juan, Santurce and Río Piedras. There are also smaller distinct areas within these sections, like Miramar, Condado and Hato Rey. The Metropolitan Area has extended well beyond San Juan proper. It encompasses Bayamón and Guaynabo to the west, Carolina to the east, and Caguas to the south.

The city's tourist district encompasses the beach front Isla Verde, Ocean Park and Condado sections, as well as Old San Juan, the city's historic zone. Visitors often travel to Santurce, the city's old downtown area. The "Golden Mile" runs through Hato Rey, the city's financial district, while the University of Puerto Rico's stately campus lies at the heart of Río Piedras.

The airport is just east of Isla Verde in Carolina. Route 26, also called Baldorioty de Castro, is the main artery to the airport. It runs more or less parallel to the ocean and can be taken west to all locations within the tourist district. The Teodoro Moscoso Bridge serves the airport from Hato Rey and Río Piedras.

Ponce de León Avenue, Route 25, is a major thoroughfare running one-way from Río Piedras, through Hato Rey and Santurce, and into Old San Juan. Fernández Juncos Avenue runs parallel with Ponce de León and can be taken back out of Old San Juan in the other direction. Just past the Dos Hermanos bridge at the entrance to Condado, you may opt to take the Muñoz Rivera Expressway to Hato Rey and Río Piedras in order to avoid downtown traffic. De Diego Avenue is one route to the Luis A. Ferré Expressway, still called by its former name, Las Américas Expressway.

The Ferré Expressway eventually becomes Highway 52, which is the best route to take for points south. It can also be picked up from Baldorioty de Castro or the Muñoz Rivera Expressway. Highway 22 leads to points west, and can be reached via De Diego or Kennedy avenues. For points east, take Baldorioty de Castro beyond the airport and then on to Route 3. From Hato Rey and surrounding areas, the Teodoro Moscoso bridge is the quickest route to get east. For Humacao and other southeast points, the quickest route is Highway 52 to Route 30.