Origin
Shafter, CA
Afternoon in Shafter on Sunday
Local time
12:34 PM
PDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Shafter, 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
23m
Distance
18.5 mi
30 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Shafter, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Bakersfield, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling between Shafter and Bakersfield, California, you are looking at a quick 18.5-mile journey that typically takes about 23 minutes. Since both cities are located within the Pacific Coast region, you will remain in the same geographic area for the duration of your trip. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, as it is far too short to require an overnight stay. You should budget approximately $4 for fuel to cover the distance comfortably. It is a straightforward, practical drive that functions well for commuters or anyone needing to move between these two Central Valley locations efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Lerdo Highway | 6 mi | 7m |
| Golden State Freeway | 5.2 mi | 5m |
| Golden State Highway | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| Golden State Avenue | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Chester Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Golden State Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Central Valley Highway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Truxtun Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East Lerdo Highway
— 6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Shafter, CA and Bakersfield, CA.
1
Start on Jackson Avenue
47 ft
·
3 sec
·
Jackson Avenue
2
Turn right onto CA 43
422 ft
·
9 sec
·
Central Valley Highway
3
Turn left onto East Lerdo Highway
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
East Lerdo Highway
Use the straight lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward CA 99 South
5
Merge onto CA 99
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Golden State Highway
6
Continue on CA 99
5.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 204; CA 99 BUS
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Golden State Avenue
Exit 27
Toward CA 204 South: Golden State Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
475 ft
·
13 sec
9
Continue on Golden State Road
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Golden State Road
10
Enter roundabout onto Chester Avenue
193 ft
·
3 sec
·
Chester Avenue
11
Continue on Chester Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Chester Avenue
12
Turn left onto Truxtun Avenue
122 ft
·
7 sec
·
Truxtun Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
Truxtun Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 17.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CA 43 / Central Valley Highway
Turn right onto CA 43 / Central Valley Highway
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Lerdo Highway
Turn left onto East Lerdo Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
6.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward CA 99 South
Navigation decision point
Toward CA 99 South
8
15.4 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
CA 204; CA 99 BUS / Golden State Avenue
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 204; CA 99 BUS / Golden State Avenue toward CA 204 South: Golden State Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 27
Toward CA 204 South: Golden State Avenue
6
17.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Chester Avenue
Enter roundabout onto Chester Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.25 one way
$8.50 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.38 | $8.76 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.50 | $9.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.08 | $8.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.94 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.18 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Afternoon in Bakersfield on Sunday
Local time
12:34 PM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Mostly Clear
WNW 5 to 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 8:46PM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 8:09PM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard 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
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
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 attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. You will spend roughly 28% of your time on highways, utilizing both the Golden State Freeway and the Golden State Highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 6-mile segment on East Lerdo Highway, which provides a brief period of steady travel before shifting back into more localized road conditions. Because this path relies heavily on regional thoroughfares, the road feel changes noticeably as you transition from the smaller lanes of Shafter into the more active traffic patterns leading into Bakersfield.
Only 28% 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: 6 mi on East Lerdo Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CA 43 / Central Valley Highway.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.5 miles you will encounter 7 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CA 43 / Central Valley Highway): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Lerdo Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles: Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
460 ft
345 ft
Total Climb
125 ft
Total Descent
66 ft
Highest Point
460 ft
~11.9 mi in
Elevation Range
115 ft
About the Cities
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 23m. Total distance: 18.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (28%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6 miles on East Lerdo 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: near the start (CA 43 / Central Valley Highway): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Lerdo Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles: Navigation decision point.
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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