You can make San Francisco to Las Vegas in about 9 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 570 miles on I-5, CA-58 and I-15, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving San Francisco
Aim to clear San Francisco before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 283 miles to Bakersfield.
The headline stop on this route is Tehachapi Loop. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Bakersfield
Bakersfield sits about 283 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Calico Ghost Town is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Barstow, the last stretch
Barstow sits about 416 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into Las Vegas
The final 155 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Mojave National Preserve detour; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Tehachapi Loop, Calico Ghost Town and Mojave National Preserve detour, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Bakersfield or Barstow, CA is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along I-5, CA-58 and I-15 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
