Though initially daunting, San Salvador's layout is easily grasped with the aid of a map. The city's central intersection is at the northwest corner of the Catedral Metropolitana, at the junction of the city's main avenida (called Avenida España to the north of the cathedral, and Avenida Cuscatlán to the south) and main calle (called Calle Delgado to the east and Calle Arce to the west). The heart of the capital, El Centro - increasingly referred to as the Centro Histórico - is centred on a point just north of the Catedral Metropolitana and encompasses several important buildings and churches, along with the city's major markets. Northwest of here, just outside El Centro, is the Centro de Gobierno , while to the east of El Centro is the major Terminal de Oriente bus station.

The business and residential districts west and northwest of El Centro are linked by the Alameda F. D. Roosevelt , which runs due west of El Centro to Plaza de las Américas , before changing its name to Paseo General Escalón , where it's fringed by quiet, wealthy residential districts. Many of the foreign embassies are located at the far end of the Paseo, as are a number of luxury hotels, banks and restaurants. The major 49a Avenida crosses the Alameda 600m east of the Plaza de las Américas, then changes its name to Boulevard de los Héroes as it runs northeast, where it's lined with restaurants, bars and nightclubs and two major shopping malls. To the southwest of El Centro are further business and residential areas and the second major bus station, Terminal de Occidente . The Carretera Interamericana branches out southwest through the city; to the north of this lies the Zona Rosa , a suburb of secluded houses, upmarket restaurants and nightclubs.