Bakersfield Commute Time Map & Patterns

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You 8/20/26, 3:57 PM
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Commute Time Burden in Bakersfield: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Bakersfield spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 172 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.

That is 13% less time on the road than the California average of 23.6 minutes each way, a difference of 3.0 minutes.

Bakersfield holds about 1.0% of California's population but accounts for roughly 0.9% of its total commuting time.

Working from home just 2 days a week in Bakersfield would save about 69 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,131 at the same national wage assumption used above.

Area One-Way Commute Daily Round-Trip Yearly Time Spent Estimated Yearly Cost Local Road Traffic (VPD)
Bakersfield 20.6 min 41.2 min 172 hrs/yr $5,327 3,675
California 23.6 min 47.2 min 197 hrs/yr $6,099 2,449
United States 22.5 min 44.9 min 187 hrs/yr $5,803 1,355

The estimated yearly cost applies a single national rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area - treat it as a rough estimate, not a paycheck figure. Local road traffic counts, vehicles per day on non-highway roads, come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.

Bakersfield Commute Map

On average, it takes 20.6 minutes to get to work in Bakersfield. That's 8% shorter than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

The most common departure window is 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM , followed by 06:00 AM – 06:29 AM .

Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 6.9% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 90.4%
  • Worked at Home: 6.9%
  • Other: 1.0%
  • Walked: 0.8%
  • Public Transportation: 0.6% unusually low
  • Bicycle: 0.1% unusually low
  • Taxi: < 0.1%
  • Motorcycle: < 0.1%

Public Transportation commuting is unusually low in Bakersfield: 5.2 times less than the California average (0.6% vs 3.2%).

Bicycle commuting is unusually low in Bakersfield: 5.7 times less than the California average (0.1% vs 0.7%).

Few people walk or bike to work in Bakersfield: just 1.0%, 3.2 times below the California average of 3.1%.

How does Bakersfield's commute time compare?

Metric Bakersfield California US Average
Avg. Commute Time 20.6 min 23.6 min 22.5 min
Departure Window 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
Secondary Departure Window 06:00 AM – 06:29 AM 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home 6.9% 15.5% 13.4%
Walked 0.8% 2.4% 2.4%
Public Transit 0.6% 3.2% 3.5%

The average commute time in Bakersfield is 20.6 minutes, shorter than the 23.6 minutes in California.

0.6% commute by public transit, lower than the 3.2% in California. 0.8% commute by walking, lower than the 2.4% in California.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Bakersfield, California.

What is the financial impact of commuting in Bakersfield, California?

Commuters here spend an estimated 172 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $5,327 at a typical national wage. That's 13% less than the typical California commuter spends.

What are the busiest morning travel hours in Bakersfield, California?

Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Bakersfield, California. Leaving before or after this window is the single easiest way to avoid the heaviest local congestion, though 06:00 AM – 06:29 AM also sees a secondary bump.

Do people use public transit in Bakersfield, California?

Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 0.6% of commuters use it versus 3.2% in California, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.