Car hire and driving in Bakersfield
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In United States traffic drives on the right. Picking up at BFL means 8 km (5 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q533806.
Drives from Bakersfield
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield to Visalia | United States | 109 km (68 mi) | about 1 h 29 min |
| Bakersfield to Valencia | United States | 110 km (68 mi) | about 1 h 29 min |
| Bakersfield to Lancaster | United States | 110 km (68 mi) | about 1 h 29 min |
| Bakersfield to Santa Clarita | United States | 117 km (73 mi) | about 1 h 36 min |
| Bakersfield to Palmdale | United States | 121 km (75 mi) | about 1 h 38 min |
| Bakersfield to Simi Valley | United States | 125 km (77 mi) | about 1 h 41 min |
| Bakersfield to Oxnard | United States | 132 km (82 mi) | about 1 h 47 min |
| Bakersfield to Thousand Oaks | United States | 135 km (84 mi) | about 1 h 50 min |
| Bakersfield to Santa Maria | United States | 137 km (85 mi) | about 1 h 51 min |
| Bakersfield to Burbank | United States | 148 km (92 mi) | about 2 h |
| Bakersfield to Glendale | United States | 154 km (95 mi) | about 2 h 5 min |
| Bakersfield to Pasadena | United States | 158 km (98 mi) | about 2 h 8 min |
| Bakersfield to Los Angeles | United States | 163 km (101 mi) | about 2 h 13 min |
| Bakersfield to Tijuana | Mexico | 369 km (230 mi) | about 5 h |
| Bakersfield to Phoenix | United States | 672 km (417 mi) | about 9 h 6 min |
| Bakersfield to Ciudad Juárez | Mexico | 1,232 km (765 mi) | about 16 h 42 min |
| Bakersfield to San Diego | United States | 341 km (212 mi) | about 4 h 38 min |
| Bakersfield to Mexicali | Mexico | 448 km (279 mi) | about 6 h 5 min |
| Bakersfield to San Jose | United States | 338 km (210 mi) | about 4 h 35 min |
| Bakersfield to Chihuahua | Mexico | 1,429 km (888 mi) | about 19 h 22 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Bakersfield?
The right, as everywhere in United States.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.