Best Time to Drive from Bakersfield to Santa Clarita

Right now (2:19 pm PDT): about 104 minutes via SR-99 South and I-5 South, usually 102 at this time.

Only 29% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Bakersfield to Santa Clarita by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	100	103	102	103	106	105	106	105	105	104	104	124	125	109	112	109	106
Tue	100	103	103	106	106	106	105	105	104	104	107	114	118	104	106	106	103
Wed	101	105	108	107	106	106	106	104	104	103	103	108	112	106	106	106	103
Thu	101	104	104	108	105	106	105	104	104	105	106	108	124	105	106	108	105
Fri	101	107	107	108	109	112	107	106	107	104	107	116	113	105	104	103	102
Sat	99	101	101	103	105	105	105	103	101	102	103	100	101	101	102	100	100
Sun	100	101	100	100	100	100	102	101	102	101	101	101	103	104	106	103	101

About this drive

On weekdays the 82-mile drive from Bakersfield to Santa Clarita (via SR-99 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 100 minutes and up to 132 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Mondays. The fastest times to leave are before 4 pm or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 105 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 7 pm on Sundays (106 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 46 miles surface streets (68 to 97 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Bakersfield (Truxtun Avenue) to central Santa Clarita (Newhall Avenue) along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Bakersfield to Santa Clarita?

On weekdays, leave before 4 pm or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 100 minutes then, versus up to 132 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Bakersfield to Santa Clarita?

The 82-mile drive usually takes 100 to 132 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 105 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Bakersfield to Santa Clarita?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Mondays is usually slowest, about 132 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-99 South in Bakersfield (11 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (8 miles)

Bakersfield traffic right now · Bakersfield traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clarita to Bakersfield (return trip) · Bakersfield to Los Angeles · Bakersfield to Valencia · Bakersfield to Irvine · Bakersfield to Inglewood

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	100	103	102	103	106	105	106	105	105	104	104	124	125	109	112	109	106
Tue	100	103	103	106	106	106	105	105	104	104	107	114	118	104	106	106	103
Wed	101	105	108	107	106	106	106	104	104	103	103	108	112	106	106	106	103
Thu	101	104	104	108	105	106	105	104	104	105	106	108	124	105	106	108	105
Fri	101	107	107	108	109	112	107	106	107	104	107	116	113	105	104	103	102
Sat	99	101	101	103	105	105	105	103	101	102	103	100	101	101	102	100	100
Sun	100	101	100	100	100	100	102	101	102	101	101	101	103	104	106	103	101

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	100	103	102	103	106	105	106	105	105	104	104	124	125	109	112	109	106
Tue	100	103	103	106	106	106	105	105	104	104	107	114	118	104	106	106	103
Wed	101	105	108	107	106	106	106	104	104	103	103	108	112	106	106	106	103
Thu	101	104	104	108	105	106	105	104	104	105	106	108	124	105	106	108	105
Fri	101	107	107	108	109	112	107	106	107	104	107	116	113	105	104	103	102
Sat	99	101	101	103	105	105	105	103	101	102	103	100	101	101	102	100	100
Sun	100	101	100	100	100	100	102	101	102	101	101	101	103	104	106	103	101

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	100	103	102	103	106	105	106	105	105	104	104	124	125	109	112	109	106
Tue	100	103	103	106	106	106	105	105	104	104	107	114	118	104	106	106	103
Wed	101	105	108	107	106	106	106	104	104	103	103	108	112	106	106	106	103
Thu	101	104	104	108	105	106	105	104	104	105	106	108	124	105	106	108	105
Fri	101	107	107	108	109	112	107	106	107	104	107	116	113	105	104	103	102
Sat	99	101	101	103	105	105	105	103	101	102	103	100	101	101	102	100	100
Sun	100	101	100	100	100	100	102	101	102	101	101	101	103	104	106	103	101