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Trip from Bakersfield, CA to Tipton, 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

52.7 mi

85 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$12

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 54m ★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m

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

Downtown Tipton, CA, CA

Tipton, CA

Stephen Leonardi

Trip Overview

This 52.7-mile drive from Bakersfield, CA to Tipton, CA, is a short, 58-minute journey perfect for a single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate on the Golden State Highway, Golden State Freeway, and Golden State Avenue. With a fuel cost estimated at $12, this route is an economical option for a quick excursion within the Pacific Coast region. The drive is characterized by frequent turns, suggesting a local, more involved driving experience rather than a simple highway cruise. Plan for this to be a straightforward trip with no overnight stays required.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Golden State Highway 44.2 mi 47m
Golden State Freeway 5.2 mi 5m
Golden State Avenue 1.9 mi 2m
Chester Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
Truxtun Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Golden State Road 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Golden State Highway — 44.2 mi, about 47m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bakersfield, CA and Tipton, 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

44 mi · 47 min · Golden State Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Arrive at destination

CA 99

Where to Stop

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

Downtown McFarland, CA, CA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

McFarland, CA

26 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

Shafter, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Delano, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 26.4 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 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 3.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

3
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Truxtun Avenue

Continue onto Truxtun Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | Chester Avenue

Turn right onto Chester Avenue

Navigation decision point

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.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$12.11 one way

$24.23 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $12.48 $24.96
premium $6.18 $12.82 $25.63
diesel $5.61 $11.64 $23.27

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.8 0 $5.53 $2.53
Efficient EV 13.2 0 $4.61 $2.11
EV Truck/SUV 21.1 0 $7.38 $3.37

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Bakersfield, CA

Late night in Bakersfield on Tuesday

Local time

5:20 AM

PDT

Current temp

76°F

Sunny

NW 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Lake Wind Advisory

Lake Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 16 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA

Destination

Tipton, CA

Late night in Tipton on Tuesday

Local time

5:20 AM

PDT

Current temp

46°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

30 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 turn-heavy local drive for this 58-minute, 52.7-mile trip. While 10% of the route involves highway travel, the majority of your time will be spent on local roads like the Golden State Highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 44.2 miles on the Golden State Highway, offering a period of more consistent travel before the local roads begin to dominate. This road's personality is less about sweeping vistas and more about navigating through communities, demanding your attention with frequent directional changes.

Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 44.2 mi on Golden State Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

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 0.1 miles in near Truxtun Avenue.

Driving Effort 3/10

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 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Truxtun Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Chester Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (Golden State Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

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."

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: 52.7 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 (10%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 44.2 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 0.1 miles (Truxtun Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Chester Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (Golden State Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

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 Tipton, 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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