Origin
McFarland, CA
Afternoon in McFarland on Friday
Local time
4:12 PM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from McFarland, CA to Bakersfield, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
25.6 mi
41 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
McFarland, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Bakersfield, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
McFarland to Bakersfield is 25.6 miles and takes about 29 minutes via Golden State Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive keeps you within California's Pacific Coast region for its entirety. Expect a local driving experience with numerous turns, making it feel more like navigating between towns than a long-haul journey. It's a straightforward trip, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B quickly without much fuss.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 29m. Total distance: 25.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (20%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route is characterized by its 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, meaning you'll be making frequent adjustments rather than settling into a long highway cruise. With only 20% of the drive on a highway, most of your time will be spent on local roads, including Golden State Highway, Golden State Freeway, and Golden State Avenue. The longest stretch without a turn is 16.8 miles on Golden State Highway, offering a brief period of consistent travel before you encounter more intersections. You'll likely experience a dynamic driving experience, shifting between quicker highway sections and slower, more involved local road navigation.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Golden State Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 16.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 2nd Street.
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 25.6 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 (2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West Sherwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (CA 99 / Golden State Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
2nd Street
Turn right onto 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Sherwood Avenue
Turn left onto West Sherwood Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CA 99 / Golden State Highway
Merge onto CA 99 / Golden State Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
22.5 mi into trip
|
~24m 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
24.6 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
Chester Avenue
Enter roundabout onto Chester Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Golden State Highway | 16.8 mi | 18m |
| Golden State Freeway | 5.2 mi | 5m |
| Golden State Avenue | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Chester Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| 2nd Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Golden State Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Sherwood Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Truxtun Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Golden State Highway
— 16.8 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between McFarland, CA and Bakersfield, CA.
1
Start on West Kern Avenue
21 ft
·
3 sec
·
West Kern Avenue
2
Turn right onto 2nd Street
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
2nd Street
3
Turn left onto West Sherwood Avenue
370 ft
·
9 sec
·
West Sherwood Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward CA 99 South
5
Merge onto CA 99
17 mi
·
18 min
·
Golden State Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.88 one way
$11.77 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $6.06 | $12.13 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.23 | $12.45 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.65 | $11.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.69 | $1.23 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.58 | $1.64 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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 Friday
Local time
4:12 PM
PDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
29m 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 McFarland, CA to Bakersfield, CA covers 25.6 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Golden State Highway, Golden State Freeway, Golden State Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.8 miles from McFarland, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.88 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 25.6 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.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West Sherwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (CA 99 / Golden State Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from McFarland, CA to Bakersfield, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include César E. Chávez National Monument.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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