Current time in Bakersfield, CA
Pacific Time UTC−8 · IANA zone America/Los_Angeles
Time zone details
| Time zone | Pacific Time (PT) |
|---|---|
| Standard time | PST, UTC−8 (early Nov – mid Mar) |
| Daylight time | PDT, UTC−7 (mid Mar – early Nov) |
| DST clock change | Forward 1 h, 2nd Sunday of March · Back 1 h, 1st Sunday of November |
| Sunrise today | — |
| Sunset today | — |
| Day length | — |
| Coordinates | 35.37° N, 119.02° W |
Time difference from Bakersfield
| City | Local time now |
|---|---|
| New York | +3 h |
| Chicago | +2 h |
| Denver | +1 h |
| Phoenix | +1 / 0 h |
| Anchorage | −1 h |
| Honolulu | −2 / −3 h |
Like Los Angeles and Fresno, Bakersfield follows the Pacific Time Zone clock.
About time in Bakersfield
Bakersfield is the seat of Kern County at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, where Highway 99 and I-5 funnel toward the Tehachapi and Tejon passes on the road south to Los Angeles.
Kern County has long ranked among the top oil-producing counties in the United States, and its fields — including the giant Midway-Sunset and Kern River operations — run continuous shifts, so a good share of Bakersfield's workforce clocks in and out at hours far from nine-to-five.
Agriculture sets the other schedule here: Kern County growers ship citrus, grapes, almonds, and carrots nationwide, and refrigerated trucking out of Bakersfield is planned around a three-hour deficit against East Coast delivery windows.
Time in cities near Bakersfield
| City | Distance | Local time now |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 101 mi | Pacific Time |
| Fresno, CA | 104 mi | Pacific Time |
| Long Beach, CA | 120 mi | Pacific Time |
| Anaheim, CA | 123 mi | Pacific Time |
| Santa Ana, CA | 130 mi | Pacific Time |
| Riverside, CA | 134 mi | Pacific Time |
| Irvine, CA | 135 mi | Pacific Time |
| San Jose, CA | 209 mi | Pacific Time |
More places: all California cities · Pacific Time Zone · every US city
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Bakersfield in?
Bakersfield is in the Pacific Time Zone (PT). It observes Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC−8) in winter and Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC−7) from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November.
What is the time difference between Bakersfield and New York?
New York is 3 hours ahead of Bakersfield in every month of the year, since both cities apply daylight saving time on the same dates. Noon in Bakersfield is 3:00 PM in New York.
Does Bakersfield observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Clocks move forward one hour at 2:00 AM on the second Sunday of March and back one hour at 2:00 AM on the first Sunday of November. In 2026 the changes fall on March 8 and November 1.