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Kern County
DowntownBakersfield.jpg
2009-0726-CA-NationalChavezCenter.jpg
Fort Tejon Barracks from CO Qtrs.JPG
F-35 at Edwards.jpg
MidwaySunsetWells.jpg
Images, from top down, left to right: Downtown Bakersfield, Cesar E. Chavez National Monument, Fort Tejon barracks, an F-35 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, the Midway-Sunset Oil Field
Seal of Kern County, California.png
Seal
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
Country United States
State California
Incorporated April 2, 1866; 158 years ago (1866-04-02)
Named for Kern River and Edward Kern
County seat Bakersfield
Largest city Bakersfield (population)
California City (area)
Incorporated cities 11
Government
 • Type Council–Administration
 • Body Board of Supervisors
Area
 • Total 8,163 sq mi (21,140 km2)
 • Land 8,132 sq mi (21,060 km2)
 • Water 31 sq mi (80 km2)
Highest elevation
8,755 ft (2,669 m)
Lowest elevation
206 ft (63 m)
Population
 • Total 909,235
 • Density 111.385/sq mi (43.0060/km2)
Gross Domestic Product
 • Total US$43.822 billion (2022)
Time zone UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area code 661, 760
FIPS code 06-029
GNIS feature ID 2054176
Congressional districts 20th, 22nd, 23rd

Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield.

Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county spans the southern end of the Central Valley. Covering 8,161.42 square miles (21,138.0 km2), it ranges west to the southern slope of the Coast Ranges, and east beyond the southern slope of the eastern Sierra Nevada into the Mojave Desert, at the city of Ridgecrest. Its northernmost city is Delano, and its southern reach extends to just beyond Frazier Park, and the northern extremity of the parallel Antelope Valley.

The county's economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction. There is also a strong aviation, space, and military presence, such as Edwards Air Force Base, the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, and the Mojave Air and Space Port.

With a population that is 54.9% Hispanic as of 2020, Kern is California's third-most populous majority-Hispanic county and the sixth-largest nationwide.

History

Indigenous Era

Native Americans lived in this region for hundreds of years: Chumash, tribes grouped together under the settler name Yokuts, and others.

Spanish era

Spain claimed the area in 1769. Entering from Grapevine Canyon to the south in 1772, Commander Don Pedro Fages became the first European to set foot in the area.

The Battle of San Emigdio took place in Kern County in March 1824. The Chumash Native Americans of Mission Santa Barbara rebelled against the Mexican government and its taking over mission property and ejecting the natives. The battle occurred in the canyon where San Emigdio Creek flows down San Emigdio Mountain and the Blue Ridge, south of Bakersfield near today's Highway 166. Mexican forces from Monterey were commanded by Carlos Carrillo and the conflict was a low-casualty encounter, with only four Native Americans being killed and no Mexicans. The surviving Native Americans were pacified and brought back to Santa Barbara in June 1824 after a pursuit and negotiation in which many were allowed to keep their arms for the return march over the mountains.

American era

Havilah CA Courthouse Museum
The Havilah Court building was restored in the 1970s and now serves as a museum. Photo circa 2007.

In the beginning, what was to become Kern County was dominated by mining in the mountains and in the desert. In 1855 the California legislature attempted to form a county in the area by giving the southeastern territory of Tulare County on the west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Buena Vista County. However, it was never officially organized prior to 1859, when the enabling legislation expired. The south of Tulare County was later organized as Kern County in 1866, with additions from Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. Its first county seat was the mining town of Havilah, in the mountains east of Bakersfield and north of Tehachapi.

Settlers considered the flat land of the valley inhospitable and impassable at the time due to swamps, lakes, tule reeds and diseases such as malaria. This changed when residents started draining land for farming and constructing canals, most dug by hired Chinese laborers. Within 10 years the valley surpassed the mining areas as the economic power of the county, and as a result the county seat was moved from Havilah to Bakersfield in 1874.

In 1899, the discovery well of the Kern River Oil Field was dug by hand and soon the towns of Oil City, Oil Center and Oildale came into existence.

Etymology

The county derives its name from the Kern River, which was named for Edward Kern, cartographer for General John C. Frémont's 1845 expedition, which crossed Walker Pass. The Kern River was originally named Rio Bravo de San Felipe by Father Francisco Garcés when he explored the area in 1776.

Earthquakes

Throughout recorded history, severe earthquakes have struck Kern County, including the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake.

On July 21, 1952, an earthquake occurred with the epicenter about 23 miles (37 km) south of Bakersfield. It measured 7.3 on the moment magnitude scale and killed 12 people. In addition to the deaths, it was responsible for hundreds of injuries and more than $60 million in property damage. The main shock was felt over much of California and as far away as Phoenix, Arizona and Reno, Nevada. The earthquake occurred on the White Wolf Fault and was the strongest to occur in California since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Tehachapi suffered the greatest damage and loss of life from the earthquake, though its effects were widely felt throughout central and southern California. The event had a significant aftershock sequence that persisted into July and August with the strongest coming on August 22, an M5.8 event with a maximum perceived intensity of VIII (Severe) and resulted in two additional deaths and an additional $10 million in property damage. Repercussions of the sequence of earthquakes were still being felt in the heavily damaged downtown area of Bakersfield well into the 1990s as city leaders attempted to improve safety of the surviving non-reinforced masonry buildings.

Following the event, a field survey was conducted along the fault zone with the goal of estimating the peak ground acceleration of the shock based on visually evaluating rock formations and other indicators. Ground disturbances that were created by the earthquakes were also surveyed, both in the valley and in the foothills, with both vertical and horizontal displacements present in the epicenter area. The motion records that were acquired from the event were significant, and a reconnaissance report was recognized for its coverage of the event, and its setting a standard for similar engineering or scientific papers.

Geography

Kern County, California – Map (cropped)
Map of Kern County

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 8,163 square miles (21,140 km2), of which 8,132 square miles (21,060 km2) is land and 31 square miles (80 km2) (0.4%) is water. It is the third-largest county by area in California. The tallest peak in the county is Sawmill Mountain with an elevation of 8822 ft. Its area is nearly the size of the state of New Hampshire; it extends:

Air quality

PM 25 Kern County Bakersfield over time
Particulate pollution in Kern County varies with the seasons.

Kern County suffers from severe air pollution. Particulates cause poor visibility, especially in the winter. Western Kern County lies in the San Joaquin Valley and the topography traps pollutants. Although the topography is not as unfavorable in eastern Kern County, eastern Kern County is a non-attainment area for particulates. Air pollution caused by particulates is "in the unhealthy range an average of 40 days a year, according to the American Lung Association's (ALA) 2018 State of the Air Report.

Vegetation

Chaparral comprises a considerable portion of the natural area within Kern County; the species diversity within these chaparral habitats, however, is considerably less than in many other regions of California. Whitethorn is a prominent example of chaparral species on the rocky slopes of the Sierra Nevada as well as the Inner Coastal Ranges. California Buckeye is a notable tree found in both chaparral and forests and whose southern range terminates in Kern County.

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1870 2,925
1880 5,601 91.5%
1890 9,808 75.1%
1900 16,480 68.0%
1910 37,715 128.9%
1920 54,843 45.4%
1930 82,570 50.6%
1940 135,124 63.6%
1950 228,309 69.0%
1960 291,984 27.9%
1970 329,162 12.7%
1980 403,089 22.5%
1990 543,477 34.8%
2000 661,645 21.7%
2010 839,631 26.9%
2020 909,235 8.3%
2023 (est.) 913,820 8.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

According to the 2020 United States Census, Kern County's population was 909,235. It was the eleventh-largest county by population in California. The center of population of California is located in Kern County, in the town of Buttonwillow.

2020 census

Kern County, California - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 323,794 279,600 38.56% 30.75%
Black or African American alone (NH) 45,377 46,776 5.40% 5.14%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 5,893 5,197 0.70% 0.57%
Asian alone (NH) 33,100 44,257 3.94% 4.87%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 995 1,127 0.12% 0.12%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 1,472 4,557 0.18% 0.50%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 15,967 28,563 1.90% 3.14%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 413,033 499,158 49.19% 54.90%
Total 839,631 909,235 100.00% 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

According to the 2020 United States Census:

  • Hispanic (54.9%)
  • White Non-Hispanic (30.8%)
  • Black (5.5%)
  • Asian (5.1%)
  • Two or more races (16.1%)
  • Indigenous (2.0%)
  • Some other race (30.2%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics may be counted in any race.)

2011

Places by population, race, and income

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Kern County had a population of 839,631. The racial makeup of Kern County was 499,766 (59.5%) White, 48,921 (5.8%) African American, 12,676 (1.5%) Native American, 34,846 (4.2%) Asian, 1,252 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 204,314 (24.3%) from other races, and 37,856 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 413,033 persons (49.2%); 43.4% of Kern County residents are of Mexican heritage, 1.0% Salvadoran, 0.5% Colombian, and 0.4% Guatemalan.

2000

According to the 2000 United States Census of 2000, there were 661,645 people, 208,652 households, and 156,489 families residing in the county. The population density was 81 people per square mile (31 people/km2). There were 231,564 housing units at an average density of 28 units per square mile (11 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 61.6% White, 6.0% Black or African American, 3.4% Asian, 1.5% Native American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 23.2% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. 38.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.4% were of German, 7.2% American and 5.7% Irish ancestry, according to the census. 66.8% spoke English, 29.1% Spanish and 1.0% Tagalog as their first language.

There were 208,652 households, out of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.50.

In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 31.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.3 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,446, and the median income for a family was $39,403. Males had a median income of $38,097 versus $25,876 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,760. About 16.8% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.8% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Kern County is associated with the Bakersfield sound. The Buck Owens Crystal Palace is located in Bakersfield.

Metropolitan statistical area

The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Kern County as the Bakersfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The United States Census Bureau ranked the Bakersfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area as the 63rd most populous metropolitan statistical area and the 68th most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012.

Government, policing, and politics

Government

Kern County is a California Constitution-defined general law county and is governed by an elected Board of Supervisors. The Board consists of five members, elected by districts, who serve four-year staggered terms. The county government provides countywide services such as elections and voter registration, some law enforcement, jails, vital records, property records, tax collection, public health, and social services. In addition, the County serves as the local government for all unincorporated areas.

Safety

Fire

Kern County Fire Department Logo
Logo of the Kern County Fire Department

The Kern County Fire Department (KCFD) provides fire protection and emergency response services for the unincorporated areas of the county, as well as the cities of Arvin, Delano, Maricopa, McFarland, Ridgecrest, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi and Wasco.

Bakersfield has its own fire department, the Bakersfield Fire Department.

Sheriff

The Kern County Sheriff provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner services for the entire county of approximately 900,000 in population. It provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county and by contract to certain municipalities. The main Sheriff's office and station is at Bakersfield. There are 15 sheriff substations for the widespread county.

Municipal police

Municipal police departments in the county are: Bakersfield, population 384,000; Delano, 54,000; Ridgecrest, 29,000; Wasco (sheriff contract city), 28,000; Arvin, 21,000; Shafter, 20,000; McFarland, 15,000; California City, 14,671; Tehachapi, 13,000; Taft, 9,327; Maricopa (sheriff contract city), 1,200.

Politics and voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration

Federal

Kern is a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democratic candidate for president to win a majority in the county was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Kern remains the only county in Southern California that consistently votes Republican in recent elections. However, Republican margins in the county have shrunk recently, with Donald Trump's 10.2% margin of victory in 2020 being the smallest since Gerald Ford's 6.7% majority in 1976. This makes constituencies in Kern County in particular some of the most widely contested in California, and the United States as of the early 2020s, with the 2022 race for the 22nd US House district being close, and the 26th Senate District having one of the tightest margins in electoral history, with incumbent Democrat Melissa Hurtado retaining her seat by 13 votes.

Democratic strength is concentrated in the small agricultural towns in the San Joaquin Valley portion of the county, such as Arvin, Delano, McFarland, Shafter and Wasco. Unincorporated communities close to agricultural areas, such as Lamont and Lost Hills, are Democratic strongholds. The eastern and southern parts of Bakersfield, along with unincorporated East Bakersfield have also become reliably Democratic. Republican strength is found in the foothill, mountain and high desert communities of the county. Cities like Maricopa, Ridgecrest and Taft are Republican strongholds. Along with the northern parts of Bakersfield, the wealthy unincorporated area of Rosedale and working-class Oildale are also seen as being strongly Republican. Cities like California City and the western areas of Bakersfield are seen as competitive in most elections. Bakersfield as a whole is seen as being competitive with a Republican lean. The remainder of the unincorporated areas of Kern County are seen as strongly Republican.

United States presidential election results for Kern County, California
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 164,484 53.88% 133,366 43.68% 7,442 2.44%
2016 129,584 53.07% 98,689 40.42% 15,890 6.51%
2012 126,618 56.99% 89,495 40.28% 6,076 2.73%
2008 134,793 57.65% 93,457 39.97% 5,558 2.38%
2004 140,417 66.49% 68,603 32.49% 2,154 1.02%
2000 110,663 60.70% 66,003 36.20% 5,642 3.09%
1996 92,151 53.77% 62,658 36.56% 16,582 9.67%
1992 80,762 45.05% 60,510 33.75% 37,991 21.19%
1988 90,550 61.48% 55,083 37.40% 1,660 1.13%
1984 94,776 65.03% 49,567 34.01% 1,401 0.96%
1980 72,842 59.65% 41,097 33.65% 8,182 6.70%
1976 58,023 52.29% 50,567 45.57% 2,371 2.14%
1972 71,686 60.14% 41,937 35.18% 5,570 4.67%
1968 53,990 46.61% 49,284 42.55% 12,558 10.84%
1964 45,014 41.18% 64,174 58.71% 120 0.11%
1960 52,800 50.43% 51,440 49.13% 465 0.44%
1956 46,220 51.31% 43,533 48.33% 322 0.36%
1952 46,497 55.13% 37,240 44.16% 602 0.71%
1948 24,464 41.60% 33,029 56.16% 1,318 2.24%
1944 20,730 43.96% 26,205 55.56% 226 0.48%
1940 19,445 37.30% 32,202 61.78% 479 0.92%
1936 8,345 24.20% 25,726 74.61% 408 1.18%
1932 7,011 25.11% 19,634 70.32% 1,275 4.57%
1928 14,692 62.67% 8,541 36.43% 212 0.90%
1924 8,646 46.08% 3,159 16.84% 6,958 37.08%
1920 7,079 49.01% 6,095 42.20% 1,270 8.79%
1916 5,611 35.11% 9,566 59.86% 804 5.03%
1912 67 0.62% 5,569 51.73% 5,129 47.65%
1908 2,270 45.60% 2,215 44.50% 493 9.90%
1904 2,359 51.61% 1,724 37.72% 488 10.68%
1900 1,692 45.17% 1,960 52.32% 94 2.51%
1896 1,430 43.80% 1,763 54.00% 72 2.21%
1892 992 39.47% 1,266 50.38% 255 10.15%
1888 910 41.46% 1,229 55.99% 56 2.55%
1884 598 42.02% 798 56.08% 27 1.90%
1880 463 40.94% 661 58.44% 7 0.62%


In the United States House of Representatives, Kern County is split between California's 20th congressional district, represented by Democrat Jimmy Panetta, California's 22nd congressional district, represented by Republican Devin Nunes, and California's 23rd congressional district, represented by Republican Kevin McCarthy.

State

In the State Assembly, Kern County is split between the following four Assembly districts:

In the State Senate, Kern County is split between the 14th Senate District, represented by Republican Andy Vidak, and the 16th Senate District, represented by Republican Jean Fuller.

On November 4, 2008, Kern County voted 75.29% in favor of Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.

County

Kern County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors. Jeff Flores of District 3 currently serves as chairman. As of 2023, they are:

  • District 1, Philip Peters.
  • District 2, Zack Scrivner.
  • District 3, Jeff Flores.
  • District 4, David Couch.
  • District 5, Leticia Perez.

Economy

The county has a large agricultural base and is a significant producer of oil, natural gas, hydro-electric power, Biomass, solar power, and wind power. Kern is noted for minerals, including gold, borate, and kernite. The largest open pit mine in California, which mines borax, is at Boron. As of October 1, 2016, Kern County contains nearly 25% of California's in-state renewable energy production, including 1,785 MW of solar power and 3,310 MW of wind power. Kern County is home to the Tehachapi Energy Storage Project, which was commissioned in 2014.

Aerospace and military

Department of Defense facilities include Edwards Air Force Base and China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station. As home to Edwards Air Force Base the Air Force's main flight test facility, Kern has been the site of many milestones, including the first supersonic flight and the first landing of the Space Shuttle. The base has brought prosperity to the railroad towns of Mojave and Rosamond. Kern County is also the home of the first inland spaceport in the United States, the Mojave Spaceport.

Agriculture

This has long been one of the county's biggest industries. Between 2012 and 2013 the produced value of ag products increased 6%, to a total of $6.8 billion. Grape is 31%, almond is 17%, milk is 13%, citrus is 11%, cattle + calves and pistachio are both 7%, carrots are only 6% (but that's 80% of carrots for the entire United States), hay is 4%, and cotton and potatoes are both 2%, of that. This is one of the highest-producing locations in the United States for vegetables, and also for watermelons. Vegetables are estimated to total $320 million every year. There are about 1,938 farms, at an average size of 1,202 acres (486 ha) (however 41% are smaller than 50 acres (20 ha)), being the primary employment of 63% of operators.

Major producer of almonds with production greater than 100 million pounds (45,000 t; 50,000 short tons) annually. That is third of all the counties, 16% of the state's production. (See also almond in California.)

Pistachio is another important employer here. The Michailides & Avenot group finds severe boscalid resistance in isolates of Alternaria alternata pathogenic on pistachio here. They find extensive such resistance in a swathe from the center down into the central southern part of the state, but especially here. (See also Pistachio in California and boscalid in California.)

The Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) is a major insect pest in this county, including in this county's citrus groves. (See also Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter in California.)

Petroleum

As of 2015, Kern is California's top oil-producing county, with 78% of the state's 56,653 active oil wells and 71% of oil production. The county produced 144.5 million barrels of oil in 2015, accounting for about 4% of overall U.S. oil production.

Discovery and development

Oil development began with the 1894 discovery of the Midway-Sunset Oil Field, now the third-largest in the United States, in the southwestern portion of Kern County near Maricopa. The 1899 discovery along the Kern River was a breakthrough in oil production. Oil was refined here even before the establishment of the county. The Buena Vista Petroleum Company was organized and incorporated in 1864. Soon thereafter a refinery was built that operated until April 1867 when work ceased because of high freight charges.

The 1910 Lakeview Gusher was the largest recorded oil strike in U.S. history. The well spewed approximately nine million barrels for 18 months before workers finally were able to cap it.

Other big oil fields in southwestern Kern County discovered early in the 20th century include the Buena Vista, the South Belridge and the Cymric fields. The latter is the fastest-growing field in California in terms of barrels produced per year. Later large fields include the Kern River Oil Field, the fifth-largest in the U.S., the adjacent Kern Front Oil Field, the Mount Poso Oil Field in the lower foothills of the Sierra north-northeast of Bakersfield and the Fruitvale Oil Field, which underlies much of the city of Bakersfield, along and north of the Kern River.

On July 22, 2009, Occidental Petroleum announced it had discovered the equivalent of 150 million to 250 million barrels of oil in Kern County, which the company called the largest oil discovery in California in 35 years. The find added about 10 percent to California's known reserves. Occidental's Ray Irani said it is likely that more oil would be found in the areas outside the initial six wells that tapped the discovery. Occidental has not revealed the exact location of the find, two-thirds of which is natural gas. BNET, an industry web publication, said the find would add to the company's 708 million barrels of proven reserves in California.

Petroleum today

The county today contributes more than three-quarters of all the oil produced onshore in California. Some of the large oil fields in Kern County which are still active include:

  • Buena Vista Oil Field
  • Cymric Oil Field
  • Edison Oil Field
  • Elk Hills Oil Field
  • Fruitvale Oil Field
  • Kern Front Oil Field
  • Kern River Oil Field
  • Lost Hills Oil Field
  • McKittrick Oil Field
  • Midway-Sunset Oil Field
  • Mountain View Oil Field
  • Mount Poso Oil Field
  • North Belridge Oil Field
  • Round Mountain Oil Field
  • South Belridge Oil Field

Transportation

Major highways

  • I-5 (CA).svg Interstate 5
  • US 395 (1961 cutout).svg U.S. Route 395
  • California 14.svg State Route 14
  • California 33.svg State Route 33
  • California 41.svg State Route 41
  • California 43.svg State Route 43
  • California 46.svg State Route 46
  • California 58.svg State Route 58
  • California 65.svg State Route 65
  • California 99.svg State Route 99
  • California 119.svg State Route 119
  • California 155.svg State Route 155
  • California 166.svg State Route 166
  • California 178.svg State Route 178
  • California 184.svg State Route 184
  • California 202.svg State Route 202
  • California 204.svg State Route 204
  • California 223.svg State Route 223

Public transportation

  • Arvin Transit is the local municipal bus operator in and around Arvin.
  • Delano Area Rapid Transit is the local municipal bus operator in Delano.
  • Golden Empire Transit is the local bus operator in and near Bakersfield.
  • Kern Transit provides countywide intercity bus service, including connections to Lancaster.
  • Taft Area Transit is the local municipal bus operator in and around Taft.
  • Kern County is also served by Greyhound and Orange Belt Stages buses and Amtrak trains, based at Bakersfield station.

Airports

Meadows Field is the only airport in the county served by scheduled commercial passenger flights.

  • California City Municipal Airport, California City. (FAA: L71)
  • Delano Municipal Airport, Delano. (IATA: DLO)
  • Inyokern Airport, Inyokern. (IATA: IYK)
  • Kern Valley Airport, Kernville. (FAA: L05)
  • Lost Hills Airport, Lost Hills. (FAA: L84)
  • Meadows Field, Bakersfield, an international and general aviation airport. (IATA: BFL)
  • Mojave Airport, Mojave. (IATA: MHV)
  • Shafter Airport (Minter Field), Shafter. (IATA: MIT)
  • Taft Airport, Taft. (FAA: L17)
  • Tehachapi Municipal Airport, Tehachapi. (IATA: TSP)
  • Wasco Airport, Wasco. (FAA: L19)

Recreation

Outdoor recreational activities include horseback riding, water skiing (Lake Isabella, Lake Buena Vista, Lake Ming, and private ski ranches). Off-roading and other motorsports take place at Jawbone Canyon, California City, Randsburg, Willow Springs, Buttonwillow, Bakersfield Speedway, Famoso Raceway, and the half-mile Kern County Raceway Park. Hunting, paintball, white-water rafting, kayaking (Kern River), snow skiing (Shirley Meadows and Mount Pinos), shooting ranges (5 Dogs Range), hiking, biking (trails, paths, and roads), camping and fishing are also part of the recreational culture.

Media

Magazines

  • Bakersfield Life Magazine, Kern County
  • Bakersfield Magazine, Kern County
  • Kern County Family Magazine, Kern County

Newspapers

  • The Bakersfield Californian, Kern County
  • Mountain Enterprise, southwest Kern mountains area
  • Mojave Desert News, California City and east Kern desert area
  • The Daily Independent, Ridgecrest, China Lake, and The Indian Wells Valley
  • The Kern Valley Sun, Kern Valley area
  • Kern River Courier, Kern Valley area
  • Tehachapi News, Tehachapi
  • Taft Midway Driller, Taft
  • Taft Independent, Taft
  • The Delano Record, Delano

TV stations

Kern County is served by stations based in Bakersfield, including:

California City, Ridgecrest, and other areas in the Mojave Desert regions of eastern Kern County may instead receive Los Angeles stations.

Communities

Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The County Total
Population
White African
American
Native
American
Asian Pacific
Islander
other
races
two or
more races
Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
Kern County 839,631 499,766 48,921 12,676 34,846 1,252 204,314 37,856 413,033
Incorporated
city
Total
Population
White African
American
Native
American
Asian Pacific
Islander
other
races
two or
more races
Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
Arvin 19,304 10,247 192 240 155 6 7,655 809 17,892
Bakersfield 347,483 197,349 28,368 5,102 21,432 478 77,686 17,068 158,205
California City 14,120 9,188 2,150 132 367 59 1,431 793 5,385
Delano 53,041 19,304 4,191 501 6,757 30 20,307 1,951 37,913
Maricopa 1,154 958 1 27 16 2 112 38 232
McFarland 12,707 5,433 236 171 84 6 6,330 447 11,625
Ridgecrest 27,616 21,387 1,113 341 1,209 143 1,836 1,587 4,941
Shafter 16,988 8,150 219 198 111 19 7,645 646 13,634
Taft 9,327 7,388 396 118 93 65 1,023 244 3,353
Tehachapi 14,414 9,426 1,297 206 238 21 2,725 501 5,466
Wasco 25,545 12,579 1,951 283 180 12 9,714 826 19,585
Census-designated
place
Total
Population
White African
American
Native
American
Asian Pacific
Islander
other
races
two or
more races
Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
Bear Valley Springs 5,172 4,776 74 46 57 3 89 127 399
Bodfish 1,956 1,758 4 50 13 3 49 79 189
Boron 2,253 1,746 162 49 47 4 141 104 406
Buttonwillow 1,508 534 36 11 10 0 890 27 1,183
Cherokee Strip 227 84 0 4 0 0 117 22 187
China Lake Acres 1,876 1,601 35 29 16 7 84 104 265
Derby Acres 322 289 0 1 0 0 23 9 36
Dustin Acres 652 539 4 9 1 0 71 28 129
Edmundson Acres 279 108 5 3 1 0 143 19 225
Edwards Air Force Base 2,063 1,518 165 16 99 10 96 159 355
Fellows 106 94 1 5 0 0 2 4 11
Ford City 4,278 2,735 28 153 36 32 1,113 181 1,971
Frazier Park 2,691 2,297 16 31 22 3 212 110 528
Fuller Acres 991 607 13 12 1 0 329 29 768
Golden Hills 8,656 7,235 129 124 120 15 670 363 1,674
Greenacres 5,566 4,612 49 116 70 8 511 200 1,119
Greenfield 3,991 2,512 71 63 45 1 1,112 187 2,263
Inyokern 1,099 930 14 24 25 2 49 55 116
Johannesburg 172 152 2 2 8 0 0 8 8
Keene 431 385 2 10 8 0 16 10 47
Kernville 1,395 1,257 1 19 7 0 33 78 82
Lake Isabella 3,466 3,069 6 96 18 7 73 197 339
Lake of the Woods 917 820 3 18 11 0 34 31 123
Lamont 15,120 6,677 130 230 72 9 7,351 651 14,293
Lebec 1,468 1,152 14 46 17 0 148 91 395
Lost Hills 2,412 132 5 1 17 1 2,232 24 2,354
McKittrick 115 101 1 1 0 0 7 5 9
Mettler 136 74 0 0 0 0 43 19 109
Mexican Colony 281 162 0 15 0 0 93 11 227
Mojave 4,238 2,381 638 54 53 19 867 226 1,592
Mountain Mesa 777 687 7 16 6 2 27 32 77
North Edwards 1,058 847 43 26 20 1 60 61 179
Oildale 32,684 27,463 255 590 316 30 2,635 1,395 6,301
Onyx 475 406 4 9 0 0 16 40 30
Pine Mountain Club 2,315 2,079 29 25 45 0 58 79 231
Randsburg 69 62 0 4 2 0 0 1 2
Rosamond 18,150 11,294 1,476 221 658 66 3,258 1,177 6,230
Rosedale 14,058 11,695 208 159 389 24 997 586 2,495
Smith Corner 524 227 10 3 2 3 263 16 440
South Taft 2,169 1,404 21 55 5 11 596 77 931
Squirrel Mountain Valley 547 509 2 9 1 0 13 13 22
Stallion Springs 2,488 2,239 30 26 32 7 79 75 285
Taft Heights 1,949 1,602 15 35 11 0 220 66 441
Tupman 161 149 0 0 0 0 2 10 12
Valley Acres 527 428 1 10 1 0 42 45 121
Weedpatch 2,658 1,212 8 78 14 0 1,237 109 2,484
Weldon 2,642 2,375 5 82 11 1 53 115 217
Wofford Heights 2,200 2,037 6 41 10 1 26 79 156
Other
unincorporated areas
Total
Population
White African
American
Native
American
Asian Pacific
Islander
other
races
two or
more races
Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined) 138,644 81,305 5,079 2,730 1,907 141 41,670 5,812 82,746

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Former places

  • Adobe Station
  • Glenburn

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Kern County.

county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2020 Census)
1 Bakersfield City 403,455
2 Delano City 51,428
3 Oildale CDP 36,135
4 Ridgecrest City 27,959
5 Wasco City 27,047
6 Rosamond CDP 20,961
7 Shafter City 19,953
8 Arvin City 19,495
9 Rosedale CDP 18,639
10 California City City 14,973
11 McFarland City 14,161
12 Lamont CDP 14,049
13 Tehachapi City 12,939
14 Golden Hills CDP 9,578
15 Taft City 8,546
16 Bear Valley Springs CDP 5,592
17 Greenacres CDP 5,496
18 Mojave CDP 4,699
19 Ford City CDP 4,348
20 Lake Isabella CDP 3,573
21 Greenfield CDP 3,447
22 Stallion Springs CDP 3,139
23 Frazier Park CDP 2,592
24 Pine Mountain Club CDP 2,422
25 Lost Hills CDP 2,370
26 Weldon CDP 2,303
27 Wofford Heights CDP 2,213
28 Weedpatch CDP 2,206
29 Edwards AFB CDP 2,135
30 South Taft CDP 2,100
31 Boron CDP 2,086
32 Bodfish CDP 2,008
33 Taft Heights CDP 1,999
34 China Lake Acres CDP 1,757
35 Kernville CDP 1,549
36 Buttonwillow CDP 1,337
37 Lebec CDP 1,239
38 North Edwards CDP 1,054
39 Maricopa City 1,026
40 Inyokern CDP 988
41 Fuller Acres CDP 917
42 Mountain Mesa CDP 823
43 Lake of the Woods CDP 790
44 Squirrel Mountain Valley CDP 760
45 Dustin Acres CDP 677
46 Smith Corner CDP 594
47 Valley Acres CDP 504
48 Keene CDP 469
49 Onyx CDP 457
50 Derby Acres CDP 301
51 Edmundson Acres CDP 296
52 Mexican Colony CDP 283
53 Cherokee Strip CDP 206
54 Tupman CDP 177
55 Johannesburg CDP 113
56 McKittrick CDP 102
57 Mettler CDP 90
58 Fellows CDP 52
59 Randsburg CDP 45

Education

School districts include:

Unified:

  • El Tejon Unified School District
  • Maricopa Unified School District
  • McFarland Unified School District
  • Mojave Unified School District
  • Muroc Joint Unified School District
  • Sierra Sands Unified School District
  • Southern Kern Unified School District
  • Tehachapi Unified School District

Secondary:

  • Delano Joint Union High School District
  • Kern High School District
  • Taft Union High School District
  • Wasco Union High School District

Elementary:

  • Arvin Union School District
  • Bakersfield City School District
  • Beardsley Elementary School District
  • Belridge Elementary School District
  • Blake Elementary School District
  • Buttonwillow Union Elementary School District
  • Caliente Union Elementary School District
  • Delano Union Elementary School District
  • Di Giorgio Elementary School District
  • Edison Elementary School District
  • Elk Hills Elementary School District
  • Fairfax Elementary School District
  • Fruitvale Elementary School District
  • General Shafter Elementary School District
  • Greenfield Union School District
  • Kernville Union Elementary School District
  • Lakeside Union School District
  • Lamont Elementary School District
  • Linns Valley-Poso Flat Union School District
  • Lost Hills Union Elementary School District
  • Maple Elementary School District
  • McKittrick Elementary School District
  • Midway Elementary School District
  • Norris Elementary School District
  • Panama-Buena Vista School District
  • Pond Union Elementary School District
  • Richland Union School District
  • Rio Bravo-Greeley Union Elementary School District
  • Rosedale Union Elementary School District
  • Semitropic Elementary School District
  • South Fork Union School District
  • Standard Elementary School District
  • Taft City School District
  • Vineland Elementary School District
  • Wasco Union Elementary School District

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Kern para niños

kids search engine
Kern County, California Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.