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Trip from Bakersfield, CA to Cool, CA

Data updated 0 seconds ago

Drive Time

6h 1m

Distance

313.8 mi

505 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$72

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min
4 AM
5h 48m ★
6 AM
6h 1m
8 AM
6h 27m
10 AM
6h 10m
12 PM
6h 8m
3 PM
6h 12m
5 PM
6h 26m
8 PM
5h 54m

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

city and county seat of Kern County, California, United States

Bakersfield, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Cool, CA, CA

Cool, CA

Dominik Gryzbon

Trip Overview

The drive from Bakersfield, CA to Cool, CA covers 313.8 miles and takes about 6h 1m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Truxtun Avenue, Chester Avenue, Golden State Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $72.12 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

156.9 miles from Bakersfield, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h into the drive .

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Drive Character

Expect a 6h 1m drive with frequent turns across 313.8 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 27 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Truxtun Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

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.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 1m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Bakersfield, CA to Cool, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Truxtun Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
Chester Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
Golden State Road Unavailable Refreshing
Golden State Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
Golden State Freeway Unavailable Refreshing
Golden State Highway Unavailable Refreshing
Avenue 7 Unavailable Refreshing
State Route 99 Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Truxtun Avenue — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Truxtun Avenue

0.1 mi · 24 sec · Truxtun Avenue
2

Continue on Truxtun Avenue

0.1 mi · 27 sec · Truxtun Avenue
3

Turn right onto Chester Avenue

0.9 mi · 1 min · Chester Avenue
4

Enter the roundabout and take exit 4 toward Golden State Road

0.1 mi · 12 sec · Golden State Road
5

Exit the roundabout onto Golden State Road

427 ft · 9 sec · Golden State Road
6

Take the ramp straight

394 ft · 11 sec
7

Merge slight left onto Golden State Avenue

1.9 mi · 2 min · Golden State Avenue
8

Merge slight left onto Golden State Freeway

5.2 mi · 5 min · Golden State Freeway
9

Continue on Golden State Highway

111 mi · 2 hr · Golden State Highway
10

Take the exit slight right toward Avenue 7

0.5 mi · 31 sec · Avenue 7
11

Merge slight left

21 mi · 24 min
12

Keep slight right to continue on Northbound California State Route 99

85 mi · 1 hr 38 min · Northbound California State Route 99
13

Continue on Golden State Highway

1.8 mi · 2 min · Golden State Highway
14

Continue on Old U.S. Route 99E

1.3 mi · 1 min · Old U.S. Route 99E
15

Keep slight left

45 mi · 51 min
16

Continue on Capital City Freeway

8.9 mi · 9 min · Capital City Freeway
17

Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway

7.0 mi · 8 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
18

Continue on Alan S. Hart Freeway

17 mi · 20 min · Alan S. Hart Freeway
19

Take the exit slight right toward CA 49 South: Placerville

0.1 mi · 22 sec · CA 49 South: Placerville
20

Turn left onto Elm Avenue

0.1 mi · 34 sec · Elm Avenue
21

Turn left onto El Dorado Street

0.2 mi · 29 sec · El Dorado Street
22

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward El Dorado Street

105 ft · 4 sec · El Dorado Street
23

Exit the roundabout onto El Dorado Street

2.3 mi · 5 min · El Dorado Street
24

Continue on El Dorado Street

3.6 mi · 7 min · El Dorado Street
25

Continue straight

102 ft · 9 sec
26

Turn left onto Georgetown Road

354 ft · 7 sec · Georgetown Road
27

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Evening Departure

This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 156.9 miles from Bakersfield, CA, or about 3h into the drive.

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 80 miles or 1h 32m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 156.9 miles or 3h in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 4h 56m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cool, 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.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Bakersfield, CA

This is one driving day of about 313.8 miles and 6h 1m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Bakersfield, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 156.9 mi from Bakersfield, CA · 3h into the drive

city in and county seat of Stanislaus County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Modesto, CA

157 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

Fresno, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Modesto, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 156.9 miles from Bakersfield, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Cool, CA

The final approach into Cool, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Cool, CA.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$72.12 one way

$144.25 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 110 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $74.32 $148.65
premium $6.18 $76.31 $152.63
diesel $5.61 $69.28 $138.57

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$72

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$97–$122

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 109.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $33 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 94.1 1 $32.95 $15.06
Efficient EV 78.5 0 $27.46 $12.55
EV Truck/SUV 125.5 1 $43.93 $20.08

Gas CO2

110 kg

EV CO2

37 kg (66% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 data refreshed 5 days ago

Origin

Bakersfield, CA

Night in Bakersfield on Tuesday

Local time

10:49 PM

PDT

Current temp

53°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Cool, CA

Night in Cool on Tuesday

Local time

10:49 PM

PDT

Current temp

46°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

7 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

6h 1m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Bakersfield, CA to Cool, CA covers 313.8 miles and takes about 6h 1m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Truxtun Avenue, Chester Avenue, Golden State Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 156.9 miles from Bakersfield, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $72.12 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 1m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Bakersfield, CA to Cool, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Bakersfield, CA to Cool, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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