Drive Time
9h 13m
Distance
464.9 mi
748 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$63
one way
Photo: Stephen Leonardi
The drive from Bakersfield, CA to Susanville, CA covers 464.9 miles and takes about 9h 13m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
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 $63.15 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
232.4 miles from Bakersfield, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 36m into the drive .
Expect a 9h 13m drive with frequent turns across 464.9 miles of local and secondary 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.
Step-by-step road directions between Bakersfield, CA and Susanville, CA.
Start on Truxtun Avenue
Continue on Truxtun Avenue
Turn right onto Chester Avenue
Enter the roundabout and take exit 4 toward Golden State Road
Exit the roundabout onto Golden State Road
Take the ramp straight
Merge slight left onto Golden State Avenue
Merge slight left onto Golden State Freeway
Continue on Golden State Highway
Take the exit slight right toward Avenue 7
Merge slight left
Keep slight right to continue on Northbound California State Route 99
Continue on Golden State Highway
Continue on Old U.S. Route 99E
Keep slight left
Take the exit slight right toward US 50 West, US 50 East: San Francisco, South Lake Tahoe
Keep slight left to continue on US 50 West: San Francisco
Continue on Capital City Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward I 5: Los Angeles, Redding
Keep slight right to continue on I 5 North: Redding
Keep slight left to continue on I 5: Redding
Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Golden State Highway
Continue on Bernie Richter Memorial Highway
Keep slight right to continue on CA 70 North: Marysville, Oroville
Turn right onto 5th Street
Turn left onto B Street
Continue straight
Keep slight left
Merge slight left
Take the exit slight right toward CA 32: Orland, Chester
Turn right onto Deer Creek Highway
At the end of the road, turn right onto State Highway 36 East
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route
Exit the roundabout
Turn right onto Foss Street
Arrive at your destination
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.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 102 miles or 2h 1m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 232.4 miles or 4h 36m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 232.4 miles or 4h 36m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 8h 2m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Susanville, CA than in the middle of the route.
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.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Bakersfield, CA
Aim for roughly 232 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Susanville, CA
Aim for roughly 232 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 232.4 mi from Bakersfield, CA · 4h 36m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
232 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Chico, CANight 1
232 mi · about 4.6h in
A practical overnight split lands near Chico, CA after about 232 miles or 4.6 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 102 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 232.4 miles from Bakersfield, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 232 miles or 4.6 hours on the road.
The final approach into Susanville, 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 Susanville, CA.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Susanville, CA with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$63.15 one way
$126.29 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.85 | $70.47 | $140.93 |
| premium | $4.15 | $75.96 | $151.92 |
| diesel | $3.75 | $68.64 | $137.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$63
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$193–$303
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 162.7 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $49 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 139.5 | 1 | $48.81 | $22.32 |
| Efficient EV | 116.2 | 1 | $40.68 | $18.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 186 | 2 | $65.09 | $29.75 |
Gas CO2
163 kg
EV CO2
54 kg (67% 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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Morning in Bakersfield on Saturday
Local time
6:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
53°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Morning in Susanville on Saturday
Local time
6:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
63°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
50°F
Chico, CA
232 mi in
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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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