Trip from Quincy, CA to Bakersfield, CA

Drive Time

8h 20m

Distance

420.6 mi

677 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$97

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 22 min
4 AM
8h 13m ★
6 AM
8h 20m
8 AM
8h 35m
10 AM
8h 26m
12 PM
8h 24m
3 PM
8h 26m
5 PM
8h 35m
8 PM
8h 16m

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

Downtown Bakersfield, CA, CA

Bakersfield, CA

Stephen Leonardi

Trip Overview

The drive from Quincy, CA to Bakersfield, CA covers 420.6 miles and takes about 8h 20m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on CA 99, Feather River Highway, Golden State Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 150.3 miles on CA 99. At current regular gas prices, budget about $97.40 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

210.3 miles from Quincy, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 25m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 8h 20m highway drive covering 420.6 miles, with most of the trip on CA 99 and Feather River Highway. The longest continuous stretch is about 150.3 miles on CA 99.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 32 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
CA 99 is the longest continuous segment at about 150.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 99 and Feather River Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 107.5 miles in near CA 70.

Route Complexity 10/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 19 significant decision points across 420.6 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 107.5 miles (CA 70): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 143.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 144.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 19 key points

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

6
107.5 mi into trip | ~2h 26m in | CA 70

Keep slight right at fork onto CA 70

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
143.8 mi into trip | ~3h 8m in

Take the exit toward US 50: South Lake Tahoe, San Francisco

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 518 Toward US 50: South Lake Tahoe, San Francisco
6
144.2 mi into trip | ~3h 9m in

Keep slight left at fork toward US 50 East: Fresno

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 518 Toward US 50 East: Fresno
8
146.4 mi into trip | ~3h 12m in | I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway toward I 80 Business East, CA 99 South: Reno, Fresno

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 80 Business East, CA 99 South: Reno, F...
8
417.5 mi into trip | ~8h 15m 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

Towns Along This Route

Between Quincy, CA and Bakersfield, CA, road signs point toward San Francisco and Fresno.

San Francisco

143.8 mi in | ~3h 8m

Fresno

146.4 mi in | ~3h 12m | via I 80 Business

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
CA 99 150.3 mi 2h 49m
Feather River Highway 80.1 mi 1h 48m
Golden State Highway 66.3 mi 1h 11m
South Sacramento Freeway 56.4 mi 1h 5m
CA 70 30.2 mi 36m
State Highway 70 9.7 mi 14m
Westside Freeway 6.2 mi 7m
Golden State Freeway 5.2 mi 5m
Longest stretch: CA 99 — 150.3 mi, about 2h 49m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Railway Avenue

288 ft · 19 sec · Railway Avenue
2

Turn left onto CA 70; CA 89

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Lawrence Street
3

Turn slight right onto CA 70; CA 89

0.3 mi · 45 sec · Crescent Street
4

Continue on CA 70; CA 89

9.7 mi · 14 min · State Highway 70
5

Continue on CA 70

23 mi · 34 min · Feather River Highway
6

Turn straight onto CA 70

57 mi · 1 hr 13 min · Feather River Highway
Use the straight lane.
7

Continue on CA 70

11 mi · 12 min · CA 70
8

Continue on CA 70

1.5 mi · 3 min · CA 70
Use the straight lane.
9

Turn right onto 5th Street

0.2 mi · 31 sec · 5th Street
10

Turn left onto CA 70

4.2 mi · 5 min · E Street
11

Keep slight right at fork onto CA 70

18 mi · 20 min · CA 70
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Merge onto CA 99

4.9 mi · 5 min · Bernie Richter Memorial Highway
13

Continue on CA 99

7.7 mi · 8 min · Golden State Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Merge onto I 5

6.2 mi · 7 min · Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 27 sec
Exit 518 Toward US 50: South Lake Tahoe, San Francisco Use the slight right lane.
16

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 32 sec
Exit 518 Toward US 50 East: Fresno
17

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 518 Toward US 50 East: Fresno
18

Merge onto US 50; I 80 Business

1.2 mi · 1 min · Capital City Freeway
19

Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business

0.3 mi · 18 sec · Capital City Freeway
Toward I 80 Business East, CA 99 South: Reno, Fresno Use the slight right lane.
20

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 34 sec
Toward CA 99 South: Fresno Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21

Merge onto CA 99

56 mi · 1 hr 5 min · South Sacramento Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22

Keep slight left at fork onto CA 99

109 mi · 2 hr 5 min · CA 99
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23

Keep slight left at fork onto CA 99

41 mi · 44 min · CA 99
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24

Keep slight left at fork onto CA 99

59 mi · 1 hr 2 min · Golden State Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25

Continue on CA 99

5.2 mi · 5 min · Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26

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.
27

Take the exit

475 ft · 13 sec
28

Continue on Golden State Road

0.1 mi · 11 sec · Golden State Road
29

Enter roundabout onto Chester Avenue

193 ft · 3 sec · Chester Avenue
30

Continue on Chester Avenue

0.9 mi · 1 min · Chester Avenue
31

Turn left onto Truxtun Avenue

122 ft · 7 sec · Truxtun Avenue
32

Arrive at destination

Truxtun Avenue

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.

This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 210.3 miles from Quincy, CA, or about 4h 25m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 150.3 miles.

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 93 miles or 2h 7m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 210.3 miles or 4h 25m 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 210.3 miles or 4h 25m

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 7h 14m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bakersfield, CA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Quincy, 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 Quincy, CA

Aim for roughly 210 miles and 4.2 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Bakersfield, CA

Aim for roughly 210 miles and 4.2 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 93 miles from Quincy, CA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on CA 99 for about 150.3 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 210.3 mi from Quincy, CA · 4h 25m into the drive

Downtown Roseville, CA, CA

Mid-route town

Overnight candidate

Roseville, CA

210 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 Roseville, CA

Overnight Options

Night 1

Roseville, CA

210 mi · about 4.2h in

A practical overnight split lands near Roseville, CA after about 210 miles or 4.2 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Chico, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 93 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Manteca, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 210.3 miles from Quincy, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before CA 99 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 150.3 miles.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 210 miles or 4.2 hours on the road.

Arriving in Bakersfield, CA

The final approach into Bakersfield, 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 Bakersfield, CA.

On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Bakersfield, CA with some flexibility left in the schedule.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$97.40 one way

$194.80 round trip

$5.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 147 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.07 $100.45 $200.89
premium $6.24 $103.38 $206.76
diesel $5.64 $93.44 $186.89

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$97

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$227–$337

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 147.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $44 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 126.2 1 $44.16 $20.19
Efficient EV 105.2 1 $36.80 $16.82
EV Truck/SUV 168.2 2 $58.88 $26.92

Gas CO2

147 kg

EV CO2

49 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.

Forecast data refreshed 2 days ago

Origin

Quincy, CA

Late night in Quincy on Monday

Local time

5:53 AM

PDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bakersfield, CA

Late night in Bakersfield on Monday

Local time

5:53 AM

PDT

Current temp

53°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.

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

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

8 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

8h 20m on the road

This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Quincy, CA to Bakersfield, CA covers 420.6 miles and takes about 8h 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are CA 99, Feather River Highway, Golden State Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 210 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 210.3 miles from Quincy, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $97.40 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 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 19 significant decision points across 420.6 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 107.5 miles (CA 70): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 143.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 144.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Between Quincy, CA and Bakersfield, CA, road signs point toward San Francisco and Fresno.

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