A launch from Cape Canaveral, seen from San Diego

From San Diego, Cape Canaveral SFS is about 3515 km away to the E (compass bearing 88°). A night or twilight launch is unlikely to see; a daytime launch is unlikely to see. Face E shortly after liftoff and watch low on the horizon — the rocket climbs as it heads downrange.

You're not watching the rocket itself — beyond a few km the vehicle is far too small to see. What's visible is the engine plume at 65–100+ km altitude: at night a brilliant moving flame (routinely seen 300+ km away), at dawn/dusk a sunlit "jellyfish" cloud that has been documented 800+ km away, in daytime only a white contrail with much shorter range. Cloud cover, local horizon and trajectory all matter.

Nearby cities

For exact launch times and live trajectories, check the provider's stream. How this estimate works.