Origin
Bakersfield, CA
Afternoon in Bakersfield on Friday
Local time
12:27 PM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bakersfield, CA to Selma, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 43m
Distance
93.6 mi
151 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$21
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 35m
★
6 AM
1h 43m
8 AM
1h 59m
10 AM
1h 49m
12 PM
1h 47m
3 PM
1h 49m
5 PM
1h 58m
8 PM
1h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bakersfield, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Selma, CA
Dominik Gryzbon
Trip Overview
Bakersfield, CA to Selma, CA is 93.6 miles and takes about 1h 43m via Golden State Highway, with a fuel budget near $21 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within California's Pacific Coast region, traversing mostly surface roads. While it's a short drive, it offers a straightforward way to get between these two Central Valley cities. You'll find the fuel cost is quite reasonable for the distance, making it an easy addition to a larger trip or a quick solo drive.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
46.8 miles from Bakersfield, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 51m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Golden State Highway | 84.2 mi | 1h 30m |
| Golden State Freeway | 5.2 mi | 5m |
| Golden State Avenue | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Chester Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| 2nd Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Truxtun Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| McCall Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Golden State Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Golden State Highway
— 84.2 mi, about 1h 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bakersfield, CA and Selma, CA.
1
Start on Truxtun Avenue
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Truxtun Avenue
2
Continue on Truxtun Avenue
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Truxtun Avenue
3
Turn right onto Chester Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Chester Avenue
4
Enter roundabout onto Golden State Road
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Golden State Road
5
Continue on Golden State Road
427 ft
·
8 sec
·
Golden State Road
6
Take the ramp
395 ft
·
10 sec
7
Merge onto CA 204; CA 99 BUS
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Golden State Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto CA 99
5.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on CA 99
84 mi
·
1 hr 30 min
·
Golden State Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 117
Toward Second Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto 2nd Street
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
2nd Street
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on McCall Avenue
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
McCall Avenue
13
Turn left onto Arrants Street
394 ft
·
17 sec
·
Arrants Street
14
Arrive at destination
Arrants Street
Trip Plan
Since this is a shorter drive, you have plenty of flexibility with your departure time. Leaving in the morning will give you ample daylight and allow for an easy arrival in Selma. With only a 1h 43m estimated drive time, you likely won't need many stops, but it's always good to be aware of your fuel gauge, especially with a $21 estimated fuel cost. Keep an eye out for the transition from highway to surface roads to avoid missing any crucial turns.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 46.8 miles from Bakersfield, CA, or about 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 84.2 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 21 miles or 24m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 46.8 miles or 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 24m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Selma, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Bakersfield, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Bakersfield, CA
This is one driving day of about 93.6 miles and 1h 43m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Bakersfield, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Golden State Highway for about 84.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
47 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 21 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 46.8 miles from Bakersfield, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Golden State Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 84.2 miles.
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 105 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 93 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Golden State Road
Enter roundabout onto Golden State Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
1.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
CA 204; CA 99 BUS / Golden State Avenue
Merge onto CA 204; CA 99 BUS / Golden State Avenue
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
3.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
CA 99 / Golden State Freeway
Merge onto CA 99 / Golden State Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
92.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 41m in
Take the exit toward Second Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 117
Toward Second Street
5
93 mi into trip
|
~1h 41m in
|
2nd Street
Turn right onto 2nd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$20.75 one way
$41.50 round trip
$5.63/gal
25.4 MPG avg
33 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.81 | $21.41 | $42.83 |
| premium | $5.98 | $22.05 | $44.10 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $20.63 | $41.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$21
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 32.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 28.1 | 0 | $9.83 | $4.49 |
| Efficient EV | 23.4 | 0 | $8.19 | $3.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 37.4 | 0 | $13.10 | $5.99 |
Gas CO2
33 kg
EV CO2
11 kg (67% 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.
Destination
Selma, CA
Afternoon in Selma on Friday
Local time
12:27 PM
PDT
Current temp
93°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
23 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 43m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
César E. Chávez National Monument
National Monument
Yes, we can! Widely recognized as the most important Latino leader in the United States during the twentieth century, Cesar Chavez led farm workers and supporters in the establishment of the country's...
28 mi from route
~69 min detour
Free
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is predominantly surface roads, with only about 6% of the drive on freeways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 84.2 miles on the Golden State Highway before transitioning to surface streets. Expect a consistent, mostly rural cruising experience with frequent exits as you approach your destination.
Only 6% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 84.2 mi on Golden State Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near Golden State Road.
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 1h 43m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (Golden State Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.4 miles (CA 204; CA 99 BUS / Golden State Avenue): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (CA 99 / Golden State Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
460 ft
254 ft
Total Climb
133 ft
Total Descent
225 ft
Highest Point
460 ft
~6.7 mi in
Elevation Range
205 ft
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 Selma, CA
Full guide →Selma is in the San Joaquin Valley of California just south of Fresno.
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 1h 43m. Total distance: 93.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (6%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 84.2 miles on Golden State Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 1.2 miles (Golden State Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.4 miles (CA 204; CA 99 BUS / Golden State Avenue): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (CA 99 / Golden State 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 Selma, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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