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Trip from Bakersfield, CA to Lost Hills, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

58m

Distance

46.4 mi

75 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 54m ★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city and county seat of Kern County, California, United States

Bakersfield, CA

Wikimedia Commons

census-designated place in Kern County, California

Lost Hills, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This quick 46.4-mile drive from Bakersfield to Lost Hills in California is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 58 minutes. You'll primarily be on the Westside Freeway, Stockdale Highway, and Westside Parkway, with about 69% of the journey being highway driving. Budget around $11 for fuel for this short hop through the Pacific Coast region. Given its brief duration, this route is perfect for a day trip, offering flexibility in your departure and arrival times. It's a straightforward journey, ideal for those looking for efficient travel between these two points.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Westside Freeway 24.8 mi 26m
Stockdale Highway 8.9 mi 12m
Westside Parkway 6.6 mi 8m
Paso Robles Highway 2.4 mi 3m
Truxtun Avenue 2.3 mi 4m
CA 58 0.5 mi 1m
Farnsworth Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Westside Freeway — 24.8 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bakersfield, CA and Lost Hills, CA.

1

Start on Truxtun Avenue

0.1 mi · 23 sec · Truxtun Avenue
2

Continue on Truxtun Avenue

2.2 mi · 4 min · Truxtun Avenue
3

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward CA 58: Westside Parkway West
4

Continue on Westside Parkway

6.6 mi · 8 min · Westside Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Continue on Stockdale Highway

4.3 mi · 5 min · Stockdale Highway
Use the straight lane.
6

Enter roundabout onto CA 58

149 ft · 2 sec · Stockdale Highway
7

Continue on CA 58

4.5 mi · 6 min · Stockdale Highway
8

Take the exit onto CA 58

0.5 mi · 1 min · CA 58
Toward I 5 North
9

Merge onto I 5; CA 58

25 mi · 26 min · Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 27 sec
Exit 278 Toward CA 46: Lost Hills, Paso Robles Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Turn left onto CA 46

2.4 mi · 3 min · Paso Robles Highway
12

Turn right onto Farnsworth Avenue

112 ft · 10 sec · Farnsworth Avenue
13

Turn left

26 ft · 2 sec
14

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Hights Corner, CA, CA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Hights Corner, CA

23 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Hights Corner, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Buttonwillow, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.2 miles from Bakersfield, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 13.8 and 46.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
13.8 mi into trip | ~20m in | CA 58 / Stockdale Highway

Enter roundabout onto CA 58 / Stockdale Highway

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

4
18.4 mi into trip | ~26m in | CA 58

Take the exit onto CA 58 toward I 5 North

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward I 5 North
5
18.9 mi into trip | ~27m in | I 5; CA 58 / Westside Freeway

Merge onto I 5; CA 58 / Westside Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
43.6 mi into trip | ~54m in

Take the exit toward CA 46: Lost Hills, Paso Robles

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 278 Toward CA 46: Lost Hills, Paso Robles
5
46.4 mi into trip | ~58m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.66 one way

$21.33 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $10.99 $21.98
premium $6.18 $11.28 $22.57
diesel $5.61 $10.24 $20.49

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.9 0 $4.87 $2.23
Efficient EV 11.6 0 $4.06 $1.86
EV Truck/SUV 18.6 0 $6.50 $2.97

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Bakersfield, CA

Late night in Bakersfield on Tuesday

Local time

2:16 AM

PDT

Current temp

78°F

Sunny

WNW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 9:40AM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 9:40AM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Destination

Lost Hills, CA

Late night in Lost Hills on Tuesday

Local time

2:16 AM

PDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

4 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

58m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a highway-focused drive for the majority of this trip, with 69% of the route utilizing faster roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 24.8 miles on the Westside Freeway. While much of the drive follows major roadways, the transition between the Westside Freeway, Stockdale Highway, and Westside Parkway will offer some variation in the driving experience. This isn't a winding, scenic route, but rather a practical and direct path designed for efficient travel.

69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.8 mi on Westside Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and Stockdale Highway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 13.8 miles in near CA 58 / Stockdale Highway.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 58m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 13.8 miles (CA 58 / Stockdale Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 18.4 miles (CA 58): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 18.9 miles (I 5; CA 58 / Westside Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Bakersfield, CA to Lost Hills, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Paso Robles along the way.

Paso Robles

43.6 mi in | ~54m

About the Cities

Starting in Bakersfield, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1869

Bakersfield is a city in Kern County in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Bakersfield is famous for being the home of country music singers Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, and has the nickname "the country music capital of the West Coast."

Arriving in Lost Hills, CA

Full guide →

Lost Hills is a town in Kern County in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. Located near Interstate 5, it is one of a few places on this part of the freeway that have gas, food or lodging.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 46.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

58m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (69%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 24.8 miles on Westside Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 7 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 13.8 miles (CA 58 / Stockdale Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 18.4 miles (CA 58): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 18.9 miles (I 5; CA 58 / Westside Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — César E. Chávez National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lost Hills, CA before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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