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Trip from Bakersfield, CA to Cambria, CA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 52m

Distance

137 mi

220 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$31

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 33 min
4 AM
2h 42m ★
6 AM
2h 53m
8 AM
3h 15m
10 AM
3h 1m
12 PM
2h 59m
3 PM
3h 2m
5 PM
3h 14m
8 PM
2h 46m

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 Cambria, CA, CA

Cambria, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Bakersfield, CA to Cambria, CA covers 137 miles and takes about 2h 52m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Truxtun Avenue, CA 58, Westside Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $31.49 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

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

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

68.5 miles from Bakersfield, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 26m into the drive .

About the Cities

Starting in Bakersfield, CA

Full guide →

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 2h 52m. Total distance: 137 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 52m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 52m drive with frequent turns across 137 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 29 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. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Bakersfield, CA to Cambria, CA is easy. At 2h 52m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

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

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Truxtun Avenue
CA 58
Westside Parkway
Stockdale Highway
I 5 North
Westside Freeway
CA 46
Paso Robles Highway

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

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

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Truxtun Avenue

0.1 mi · 24 sec · Truxtun Avenue
2

Continue on Truxtun Avenue

2.2 mi · 4 min · Truxtun Avenue
3

Take the ramp straight toward CA 58: Westside Parkway West

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

Continue on Westside Parkway

6.6 mi · 8 min · Westside Parkway
5

Continue on Stockdale Highway

4.3 mi · 5 min · Stockdale Highway
6

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Stockdale Highway

151 ft · 2 sec · Stockdale Highway
7

Exit the roundabout onto Stockdale Highway

4.5 mi · 6 min · Stockdale Highway
8

Take the exit straight toward I 5 North

0.5 mi · 1 min · I 5 North
9

Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway

25 mi · 26 min · Westside Freeway
10

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

0.3 mi · 28 sec · CA 46: Lost Hills, Paso Robles
11

Turn left onto Paso Robles Highway

2.6 mi · 4 min · Paso Robles Highway
12

Continue straight

0.3 mi · 20 sec
13

Merge slight left onto Paso Robles Highway

30 mi · 34 min · Paso Robles Highway
14

Continue on Antelope Road

6.8 mi · 8 min · Antelope Road
15

Keep slight right

24 mi · 28 min
16

Take the exit left toward US 101

0.2 mi · 23 sec · US 101
17

Merge slight left onto El Camino Real

3.4 mi · 3 min · El Camino Real
18

Take the exit slight right toward CA 46 West: Cambria, Hearst Castle

0.2 mi · 29 sec · CA 46 West: Cambria, Hearst Castle
19

Turn right onto Green Valley Road

4.5 mi · 6 min · Green Valley Road
20

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Green Valley Road

125 ft · 2 sec · Green Valley Road
21

Exit the roundabout onto Green Valley Road

17 mi · 23 min · Green Valley Road
22

Turn right onto Cabrillo Highway

2.3 mi · 3 min · Cabrillo Highway
23

Turn right onto Main Street

0.2 mi · 25 sec · Main Street
24

Turn left onto Eton Road

0.4 mi · 53 sec · Eton Road
25

At the end of the road, turn left onto Eton Road

344 ft · 8 sec · Eton Road
26

Continue on Burton Drive

0.3 mi · 55 sec · Burton Drive
27

Turn right onto Village Lane

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Village Lane
28

Continue on Village Lane

0.1 mi · 24 sec · Village Lane
29

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 68.5 miles from Bakersfield, CA, or about 1h 26m 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 30 miles or 37m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 68.5 miles or 1h 26m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 21m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cambria, 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 137 miles and 2h 52m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 30 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 68.5 mi from Bakersfield, CA · 1h 26m into the drive

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

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Shandon, CA

69 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 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Shandon, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 68.5 miles from Bakersfield, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Cambria, CA

The final approach into Cambria, 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 Cambria, 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

$31.49 one way

$62.98 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 48 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $32.45 $64.90
premium $6.18 $33.32 $66.63
diesel $5.61 $30.25 $60.50

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$31

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$56–$81

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 47.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 41.1 0 $14.39 $6.58
Efficient EV 34.3 0 $11.99 $5.48
EV Truck/SUV 54.8 0 $19.18 $8.77

Gas CO2

48 kg

EV CO2

16 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 15, 2026

Origin

Bakersfield, CA

Evening in Bakersfield on Friday

Local time

6:59 PM

PDT

Current temp

77°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Cambria, CA

Evening in Cambria on Friday

Local time

6:59 PM

PDT

Current temp

52°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

25 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 52m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

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 Cambria, CA covers 137 miles and takes about 2h 52m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Truxtun Avenue, CA 58, Westside Parkway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 68.5 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 $31.49 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.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

The drive from Bakersfield, CA to Cambria, CA is easy. At 2h 52m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

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

The route from Bakersfield, CA to Cambria, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Cambria, CA to Bakersfield, CA

Plan the drive back the other way.

137 mi 2h 51m

Explore more options from Bakersfield, CA or browse trips ending in Cambria, CA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.