California · United States
Where to stay in Bakersfield
Bakersfield is a city in California, United States, home to about 403,000 people.
- Best months
- March to May, October and November
- Nearest airport
- BFL8 km · Meadows Field
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/Los Angeles
- Language
- Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian
About
About Bakersfield
Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about 151 sq mi (390 km2) near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region.
Bakersfield is one of the fastest growing larger cities in the United States. Bakersfield has a population of approximately 323,000 and a metropolitan area of approximately a half million. Bakersfield is also the birthplace of Korn, one of the best selling and most popular heavy metal bands of the last 25 years. Bakersfield has also produced its share of American football players such as Joey Porter, Frank Gifford, and David Carr. Bakersfield is a very conservative, religious city compared to most of the state. Bakersfield has a hot desert climate.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Bakersfield
See
- Bakersfield Sign
- California Living Museum
- Kern County Museum
- Bakersfield Museum of Art
- Buena Vista Museum of Natural History
Do
This city will never be a premier tourist destination, but there are things to do. Ethnic food and culture festivals - including Scottish, Indian, Basque, and Greek - occur in the spring and summer.
- Murray Family Farms
- Dignity Health Arena, Theater and Convention Center
- Fox Theater
- CSUB Jazz Events
- Bakersfield Speedway
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Bakersfield
3 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Padre Hotel | 1928 | 0.4 km |
| The Padre Hotel | 0.3 km | |
| Bakersfield Inn | 3.0 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Bakersfield
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Bakersfield are March to May, October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 35 °C; February is the wettest, with about 38 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Bakersfield: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Meadows Field (BFL), about 7.5 km from the city centre in a straight line; Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA, 129 km) and Santa Maria Public Airport Captain G Allan Hancock Field (SMX, 141 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
Bakersfield is a car-based city with poor mass transit options, so driving your own car or renting one is probably wise. However, if you are intrepid and determined to save money, the city bus can be used.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
BFL · Meadows Field
SBA · Santa Barbara Municipal Airport
SMX · Santa Maria Public Airport Captain G Allan Hancock Field
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Bakersfield
Eat
There are numerous chain restaurants throughout the city and in its shopping centers, but there are also plenty of delicious local places to sample. Good Basque food is easy to find. Bakersfield has what is most likely the largest single cluster of Basque restaurants in California. --try Benji's, The Pyrenees or Woolgrowers. Italian food fans might enjoy Rosa's, Luigi's, or Uricchio's. There are several Thai restaurants that have opened in the last couple of years, while Japanese and Indian cuisines are popular as well.
Drink
Bakersfield's bar and club scene is primarily centered in the downtown area around the intersection of 19th St & Eye St, but most microbreweries are bit further out. There is a Brewery Trail with prizes after checking in at a few breweries.
Stay safe
Bakersfield is a relatively safe city with a murder rate that has been mostly on the decline since 2005. Most of the homicides happen within area code 93307. Property theft and drug activity have seen a sharp increase within the city and there are certain parts of the city that are dangerous even during the daytime. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive (formerly named Lakeview Ave, and turns into Cottonwood Rd), Union Ave, parts of East Bakersfield and areas surrounding the Kern County fairgrounds and South High School are plagued by gang violence and can be very dangerous.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Bakersfield: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Bakersfield?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Bakersfield are March to May, October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 35 °C; February is the wettest, with about 38 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Bakersfield?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Meadows Field (BFL), about 7.5 km from the city centre in a straight line; Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA, 129 km) and Santa Maria Public Airport Captain G Allan Hancock Field (SMX, 141 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Bakersfield?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Bakersfield
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.