Pixley, California travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

Pixley is a city in Tulare County. With a population of 3,300 (2010) and a dry climate, it shares many of the features found in small towns in the southern part of the Central Valley.

1 sights · 1 things to do · 4 places to eat · 1 places to stay

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Pixley

Pixley National Wildlife Refuge

Pixley Vernal Pools

40 acres containing one of the last remaining sections of seasonal wetlands in the San Joaquin Valley. Open year-round to the general public. Contact Greg Warrick, the Preserve Manager, for access.

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 35°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jan and Mar. (climate data from nearby Hanford)

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 — 39 mi away. Directions
FAT Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Fresno — 61 mi away (major hub). Directions

Pixley is on California State Route 99 and can be reached via SR-99 from Fresno to the north and Bakersfield to the south.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Budget & where to stay

No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.

Sample 1-day itinerary

Day 1

Morning Pixley National Wildlife Refuge
Lunch Burger Planet
Afternoon Pixley Vernal Pools
Dinner Three Brothers Drive-In

Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.

Food for you

Cuisine (tap to filter)

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

Photos

Map

Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.

Understand

History

The town began as a real-estate-speculation in 1884. Frank Pixley was a partner in the Pixley Townsite Company. The company purchased additional land in the vicinity. When the Southern Pacific extended its tracks to the townsite, the town prospered. Special railroad fares were offered to people in other areas of California and as far away as Boston in order to bring potential customers to see the new lands and the investment possibilities near Pixley.

In the early 1890s, Chris Evans and John Sontag robbed a Southern Pacific Railroad train at Pixley.

In 1933, Pixley was one of the towns in California involved in the San Joaquin cotton strike, a labor action by agricultural workers seeking higher wages. A violent clash between strikers and growers left two workers dead and eight wounded. Five thousand workers gathered in Tulare for the dead strikers' funerals, one of the largest agricultural demonstrations in California's history. Eight cotton growers were indicted in the violence against the workers, but were later acquitted.

Get in

By car

Pixley is on California State Route 99 and can be reached via SR-99 from Fresno to the north and Bakersfield to the south.

By bus

TCAT (Tulare County Area Transit) Route 20 provides bus service from Tulare to the north and Delano to the south.

See

See Pixley National Wildlife Refuge

This wildlife refuge is the winter home to up to 6000 sandhill cranes from September to March, with numbers peaking in January. The refuge's habitat also supports a variety of raptors and waterbirds, accessible via a single 1.5-mile loop trail that leads to an overlook of the wetlands. Visitors hoping to see cranes should use their ears as much as their eyes - the cranes have a distinctive call, and will often be found outside of the refuge in nearby fields during daylight hours.

from SR-99 take exit 56 5.7 miles west☎ +1 661 725-2767

Maps Website

Do

Do Pixley Vernal Pools

40 acres containing one of the last remaining sections of seasonal wetlands in the San Joaquin Valley. Open year-round to the general public. Contact Greg Warrick, the Preserve Manager, for access.

☎ +1 661 387-9453

Maps Website