Orientation in Salvadorean cities is initially confusing but logical. Streets running north-south are avenidas ; those running east-west are calles . The main avenida and calle will have individual names (along with a few of the others) and the heart of any city is at their intersection. North or south of this intersection avenidas are Norte or Sur, while east or west calles are Oriente or Poniente. Avenidas lying to the east of the main avenida are numbered evenly, rising the further out you go; west of the main avenida, the numbers are odd. Similarly, calles have even numbers south of the main calle and odd numbers to the north. Named avenidas/calles sometimes (though not always) change name either side of the intersection.

Addresses can be given either as the street name/number, followed by the building number, or as the intersection of two streets. So: "12 C Pte #2330, Col Flor Blanca" is number 2330, 12 Calle Poniente in the district ( colonia ) of Flor Blanca, while "10 Av Sur y 3 C Pte" is the intersection of 10 Avenida Sur and 3 Calle Poniente.