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Trip from Bakersfield, CA to Templeton, CA

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

2h 20m

Distance

114.7 mi

185 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$26

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 29 min
4 AM
2h 11m ★
6 AM
2h 21m
8 AM
2h 40m
10 AM
2h 28m
12 PM
2h 26m
3 PM
2h 29m
5 PM
2h 39m
8 PM
2h 15m

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 Templeton, CA, CA

Templeton, CA

Stephen Leonardi

Trip Overview

This 114.7-mile drive from Bakersfield, CA, to Templeton, CA, is an easy one-day trip, taking about 2 hours and 20 minutes. You'll primarily be on the Paso Robles Highway, Westside Freeway, and CA 41, with about half the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this Pacific Coast region excursion is around $26. It's a straightforward drive that doesn't require an overnight stop, making it a convenient option for a quick journey between these two California points.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

57.3 miles from Bakersfield, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 11m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 20m. Total distance: 114.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (49%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

Expect a mixed drive on this route, with 49% of it being highway driving. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 32.3 miles on Paso Robles Highway, offering a good amount of uninterrupted travel. The road's character shifts throughout the journey, providing a blend of faster-paced sections and potentially more local road experiences as you progress toward Templeton. This variety keeps the drive from becoming monotonous.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Paso Robles Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 32.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 13.8 miles in near CA 58 / Stockdale Highway.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 114.7 miles you will encounter 13 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: at 13.8 miles (CA 58 / Stockdale Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 18.4 miles (CA 58): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 18.9 miles (I 5; CA 58 / Westside Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
13.8 mi into trip | ~20m in | CA 58 / Stockdale Highway

Enter roundabout onto CA 58 / Stockdale Highway

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

4
18.4 mi into trip | ~26m in | CA 58

Take the exit onto CA 58 toward I 5 North

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward I 5 North
5
18.9 mi into trip | ~27m in | I 5; CA 58 / Westside Freeway

Merge onto I 5; CA 58 / Westside Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
43.6 mi into trip | ~54m in

Take the exit toward CA 46: Lost Hills, Paso Robles

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 278 Toward CA 46: Lost Hills, Paso Robles
6
107.9 mi into trip | ~2h 11m in

Take the exit toward US 101

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward US 101

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Bakersfield, CA to Templeton, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Paso Robles along the way.

Paso Robles

43.6 mi in | ~54m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Paso Robles Highway 32.3 mi 39m
Westside Freeway 24.8 mi 26m
CA 41 24.5 mi 28m
Stockdale Highway 8.9 mi 12m
Antelope Road 6.8 mi 8m
Westside Parkway 6.6 mi 8m
El Camino Real 5.1 mi 5m
Truxtun Avenue 2.3 mi 4m
Longest stretch: Paso Robles Highway — 32.3 mi, about 39m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Truxtun Avenue

0.1 mi · 23 sec · Truxtun Avenue
2

Continue on Truxtun Avenue

2.2 mi · 4 min · Truxtun Avenue
3

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward CA 58: Westside Parkway West
4

Continue on Westside Parkway

6.6 mi · 8 min · Westside Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Continue on Stockdale Highway

4.3 mi · 5 min · Stockdale Highway
Use the straight lane.
6

Enter roundabout onto CA 58

149 ft · 2 sec · Stockdale Highway
7

Continue on CA 58

4.5 mi · 6 min · Stockdale Highway
8

Take the exit onto CA 58

0.5 mi · 1 min · CA 58
Toward I 5 North
9

Merge onto I 5; CA 58

25 mi · 26 min · Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 27 sec
Exit 278 Toward CA 46: Lost Hills, Paso Robles Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Turn left onto CA 46

2.6 mi · 4 min · Paso Robles Highway
12

Continue on this road

0.3 mi · 19 sec · this road
13

Merge onto CA 46

30 mi · 34 min · Paso Robles Highway
14

Continue on CA 46

6.8 mi · 8 min · Antelope Road
15

Keep slight right at fork onto CA 41; CA 46

24 mi · 28 min · CA 41; CA 46
16

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward US 101
17

Merge onto US 101; CA 46

5.1 mi · 5 min · El Camino Real
18

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 31 sec
Toward North Main Street
19

Turn left onto North Main Street

1.3 mi · 2 min · North Main Street
20

Turn right

160 ft · 11 sec
21

Arrive at destination

Trip Plan

With a duration of just over two hours, this is a flexible drive. You can easily tackle it in one day, leaving whenever suits your schedule. There are no mandatory stops suggested, but keep an eye on your fuel, especially during the 32.3-mile stretch on Paso Robles Highway, to avoid needing to search for stations. The estimated fuel cost of $26 should help you budget accordingly for this trip within the Pacific Coast region.

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 57.3 miles from Bakersfield, CA, or about 1h 11m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 32.3 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 25 miles or 34m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 57.3 miles or 1h 11m 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 55m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Templeton, 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 114.7 miles and 2h 20m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 25 miles from Bakersfield, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Paso Robles Highway for about 32.3 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 57.3 mi from Bakersfield, CA · 1h 11m into the drive

census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Shandon, CA

57 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

Buttonwillow, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 25 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lost Hills, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 57.3 miles from Bakersfield, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Templeton, CA

The final approach into Templeton, 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 Templeton, 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

$26.36 one way

$52.73 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 40 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $27.17 $54.33
premium $6.18 $27.89 $55.79
diesel $5.61 $25.32 $50.65

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$26

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$51–$76

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 40.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 34.4 0 $12.04 $5.51
Efficient EV 28.7 0 $10.04 $4.59
EV Truck/SUV 45.9 0 $16.06 $7.34

Gas CO2

40 kg

EV CO2

13 kg (68% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Bakersfield, CA

Afternoon in Bakersfield on Thursday

Local time

4:58 PM

PDT

Current temp

74°F

Sunny

NW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 14 at 2:09PM PDT until April 15 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Reno NV

Lake Wind Advisory

Lake Wind Advisory issued April 14 at 2:09PM PDT until April 16 at 7:00AM PDT by NWS Reno NV

Destination

Templeton, CA

Afternoon in Templeton on Thursday

Local time

4:58 PM

PDT

Current temp

43°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

31 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

2h 20m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Bakersfield, CA to Templeton, CA covers 114.7 miles and takes about 2h 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Paso Robles Highway, Westside Freeway, CA 41. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 57.3 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 $26.36 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 114.7 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 13.8 miles (CA 58 / Stockdale Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 18.4 miles (CA 58): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 18.9 miles (I 5; CA 58 / Westside Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Bakersfield, CA to Templeton, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Paso Robles along the way.

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