Best Time to Drive from Santa Clarita to Bakersfield

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 107 minutes via SR-99 North and I-5 North, usually 100 at this time.

Only 24% 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 Santa Clarita to Bakersfield 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	101	102	106	111	113	113	112	122	118	114	115	118	115	106
Tue	100	105	105	101	103	104	108	112	116	117	119	114	107	107	109	108	100
Wed	100	106	105	101	102	104	107	111	115	116	116	114	108	108	109	109	102
Thu	100	106	105	102	103	104	107	113	115	116	117	116	110	107	110	107	101
Fri	101	107	104	102	105	107	111	117	122	132	126	126	111	108	107	109	103
Sat	99	103	102	102	102	104	104	103	103	102	101	100	99	100	101	102	100
Sun	100	100	99	100	100	100	101	102	104	104	104	104	108	110	109	107	101

About this drive

On weekdays the 82-mile drive from Santa Clarita to Bakersfield (via SR-99 North and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 100 minutes and up to 132 minutes, when leaving around 2 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 11:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 114 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Sundays (110 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 46 miles surface streets (68 to 89 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Clarita (Newhall Avenue) to central Bakersfield (Truxtun 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 Santa Clarita to Bakersfield?

On weekdays, leave before 11:30 am or after 8 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 Santa Clarita to Bakersfield?

The 82-mile drive usually takes 100 to 132 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 114 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clarita to Bakersfield?

Leaving around 2 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 132 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (12 miles) · SR-99 North in Bakersfield (9 miles)

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

Santa Clarita to Bakersfield over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Bakersfield to Santa Clarita (return trip) · Santa Clarita to Los Angeles · Santa Clarita to Santa Monica · Santa Clarita to Pasadena · Santa Clarita to Long Beach · Santa Clarita to West Covina · Santa Clarita to Burbank · Santa Clarita to Glendale · Santa Clarita to Van Nuys · Santa Clarita to Torrance · Santa Clarita to LAX · Santa Clarita to Hollywood

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	101	102	106	111	113	113	112	122	118	114	115	118	115	106
Tue	100	105	105	101	103	104	108	112	116	117	119	114	107	107	109	108	100
Wed	100	106	105	101	102	104	107	111	115	116	116	114	108	108	109	109	102
Thu	100	106	105	102	103	104	107	113	115	116	117	116	110	107	110	107	101
Fri	101	107	104	102	105	107	111	117	122	132	126	126	111	108	107	109	103
Sat	99	103	102	102	102	104	104	103	103	102	101	100	99	100	101	102	100
Sun	100	100	99	100	100	100	101	102	104	104	104	104	108	110	109	107	101

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	100	103	102	101	102	106	111	113	113	112	122	118	114	115	118	115	106
Tue	100	105	105	101	103	104	108	112	116	117	119	114	107	107	109	108	100
Wed	100	106	105	101	102	104	107	111	115	116	116	114	108	108	109	109	102
Thu	100	106	105	102	103	104	107	113	115	116	117	116	110	107	110	107	101
Fri	101	107	104	102	105	107	111	117	122	132	126	126	111	108	107	109	103
Sat	99	103	102	102	102	104	104	103	103	102	101	100	99	100	101	102	100
Sun	100	100	99	100	100	100	101	102	104	104	104	104	108	110	109	107	101

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	100	103	102	101	102	106	111	113	113	112	122	118	114	115	118	115	106
Tue	100	105	105	101	103	104	108	112	116	117	119	114	107	107	109	108	100
Wed	100	106	105	101	102	104	107	111	115	116	116	114	108	108	109	109	102
Thu	100	106	105	102	103	104	107	113	115	116	117	116	110	107	110	107	101
Fri	101	107	104	102	105	107	111	117	122	132	126	126	111	108	107	109	103
Sat	99	103	102	102	102	104	104	103	103	102	101	100	99	100	101	102	100
Sun	100	100	99	100	100	100	101	102	104	104	104	104	108	110	109	107	101