Origin
California City, CA
Morning in California City on Sunday
Local time
7:25 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from California City, CA to Bakersfield, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 23m
Distance
68.4 mi
110 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$16
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 17m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
California City, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Bakersfield, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling between California City and Bakersfield covers 68.4 miles and typically takes about 1 hour and 23 minutes. This trip is well-suited for a single-day excursion, as it is short enough to complete without needing an overnight stay. You will primarily utilize California City Boulevard, the Barstow–Bakersfield Highway, and the Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway to complete your journey. Budgeting approximately $16 for fuel should cover your transit costs between these two Pacific Coast locations. Since there are no formal stops required, you can expect a straightforward commute that serves as a direct link between these desert and valley areas.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway | 53.2 mi | 1h 1m |
| California City Boulevard | 7.9 mi | 12m |
| Barstow–Bakersfield Highway | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| Aerospace Highway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| South Chester Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Bakersfield–Tehachapi Highway | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Richland Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Truxtun Avenue | <0.1 mi | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway
— 53.2 mi, about 1h 1m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between California City, CA and Bakersfield, CA.
1
Start on California City Boulevard
50 ft
·
2 sec
·
California City Boulevard
2
Continue on California City Boulevard
7.9 mi
·
12 min
·
California City Boulevard
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
4
Merge onto CA 14; US 6 Hist
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Aerospace Highway
5
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Toward CA-58 West: Bakersfield
6
Merge onto CA 58
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Barstow–Bakersfield Highway
7
Continue on CA 58
0.7 mi
·
50 sec
·
Bakersfield–Tehachapi Highway
8
Continue on CA 58
53 mi
·
1 hr 1 min
·
Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 111
Toward Chester Avenue, H Street
Use the slight right lane.
10
Continue on Richland Street
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Richland Street
11
Turn right onto South Chester Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Chester Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Turn right onto Truxtun Avenue
19 ft
·
0 sec
·
Truxtun Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
Truxtun Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
34 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 34.2 miles from California City, 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 75 decision points cluster between mile 7.9 and 67 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
7.9 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
3
8.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
CA 14; US 6 Hist / Aerospace Highway
Merge onto CA 14; US 6 Hist / Aerospace Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining
6
9.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward CA-58 West: Bakersfield
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward CA-58 West: Bakersfield
8
66.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
Take the exit toward Chester Avenue, H Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 111
Toward Chester Avenue, H Street
6
67 mi into trip
|
~1h 21m in
|
South Chester Avenue
Turn right onto South Chester Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$15.72 one way
$31.44 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $16.20 | $32.40 |
| premium | $6.18 | $16.63 | $33.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.10 | $30.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$16
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.5 | 0 | $7.18 | $3.28 |
| Efficient EV | 17.1 | 0 | $5.99 | $2.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.4 | 0 | $9.58 | $4.38 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Bakersfield, CA
Morning in Bakersfield on Sunday
Local time
7:25 AM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Mostly Clear
ESE 0 to 5 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 18 at 1:22AM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
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
21 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
1h 23m 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 that demands your full attention behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous interstate cruise, this route features zero highway-share, placing you entirely on regional roads. The longest uninterrupted portion of your journey occurs on the Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway, which spans 53.2 miles. Because the road profile is technical and winding, you should prepare for a driving experience that feels more active than a standard freeway haul. Navigating these local stretches requires you to stay alert as the terrain transitions toward your destination.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 53.2 mi on Bakersfield Tehachapi 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 7.9 miles in.
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 1h 23m 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 7.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 8.2 miles (CA 14; US 6 Hist / Aerospace Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Elevation Profile
Hilly terrain with moderate elevation changes
3,999 ft
388 ft
Total Climb
1,611 ft
Total Descent
3,611 ft
Highest Point
3,999 ft
~24.4 mi in
Elevation Range
3,611 ft
About the Cities
Starting in California City, CA
Full guide →Founded 1965
California City is a town of 14,000 people in Antelope Valley, southern California.
Arriving 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 1h 23m. Total distance: 68.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 53.2 miles on Bakersfield Tehachapi 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 7.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 8.2 miles (CA 14; US 6 Hist / Aerospace Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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 Bakersfield, 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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