Overview
McKittrick is a small town that focused on oil and gas development located in Kern County in California's San Joaquin Valley.
1 sights · 1 places to eat
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about McKittrick
McKittrick Brea Pit
The Brea Pit is the site of a huge fossil find of pre-historic creatures trapped in tar (brea is Spanish for pitch or tar). The site is a California Historic Landmark and is marked by a plaque.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Feb–May, Oct–Nov. Summer highs reach about 98°F; winter lows dip to about 36°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jan and Mar. (climate data from nearby Buttonwillow)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BFL Meadows Field, Bakersfield — 33 mi away. Directions
- SMX Santa Maria Public Airport Captain G Allan Hancock Field, Santa Maria — 55 mi away. Directions
- FAT Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Fresno — 102 mi away (major hub). Directions
CA-33 bisects the town. CA-58 also runs through town.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Food for you
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
McKittrick is a tiny settlement mostly known for being the only place to eat on the 70 miles (112 km) of CA-33 between Avenal and Taft. The town sits in the middle of a massive oil field and many of the oil workers will stop here to get food.
Get in
CA-33 bisects the town. CA-58 also runs through town.
See
See McKittrick Brea Pit
The Brea Pit is the site of a huge fossil find of pre-historic creatures trapped in tar (brea is Spanish for pitch or tar). The site is a California Historic Landmark and is marked by a plaque.
Buy
Shop 33 & E
This convenience store serves a wide array of food items that get rave reviews from those who stop in.
Eat
Eat McKittrick Hotel
Despite the name, McKittrick Hotel is an eatery. The biggest draw to this establishment is the bar that is completely covered floor to ceiling in pennies.
Go next
- Buttonwillow - Located northeast of McKittrick on Highway 58, this town offers additional lodging options and services and is home to the Buttonwillow Tree, a state landmark that gave the town its name.
- Carrizo Plain National Monument. Take CA-58 west for 18 miles, turn left on San Diego Creek Rd/Soda Lake Rd. This remote national monument is home to the largest remaining native grassland in California. During wet years it boasts spectacular wildflowers in the spring, and Soda Lake is an important wintering area for waterfowl when precipitation is sufficient to flood the seasonal lakebed. The park is also home to Painted Rock, a Native American site that has been adorned with pictographs over thousands of years. Services are extremely limited, with just a small visitor center, two primitive campgrounds, and a handful of marked trails available.
- Taft - Located southeast of McKittrick on Highway 33, Taft is an oil town that offers food, gas, and lodging services. Taft is also home to the West Kern Oil Museum and a replica of Sutter's fort that was built in 1940 as a Depression-era project.
Nearby
Buttonwillow
City / town · 7 listings · 13 mi away
Carrizo Plain National Monument
Park · 6 listings · 14 mi away
Taft
City / town · 12 listings · 16 mi away
Maricopa
City / town · 6 listings · 21 mi away
Lost Hills
City / town · 2 listings · 22 mi away
Wasco
City / town · 5 listings · 25 mi away
McFarland
City / town · 3 listings · 34 mi away
Bakersfield
City / town · 39 listings · 34 mi away
My experience
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