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Kern County, California

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Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235.<ref name="quickfacts"/> Its county seat is Bakersfield.<ref name="GR6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, metropolitan statistical area. The county spans the southern end of the Central Valley. Covering Template:Convert, 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 petroleum extraction. Also, a strong aviation, space, and military industry is present, 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.<ref name="2020Hispanic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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HistoryEdit

Indigenous EraEdit

Native Americans lived in this region for hundreds of years: Chumash, tribes grouped together under the settler name Yokuts, and others.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Spanish eraEdit

Spain claimed the area in 1769. Entering from Grapevine Canyon to the south in 1772, Commander Don Pedro Fages became the first European known 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.<ref>Hubert Howe Bancroft, History of California. The History Company, Publishers. San Francisco, 1886. pp. 532–536.</ref>

American eraEdit

File:Havilah CA Courthouse Museum.JPG
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. it was never officially organized prior to 1859, though, 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.<ref>1865-1866 Calif. Stats., Chap. 569, § 3</ref>

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.Template:Citation needed

In 1899, the discovery well of the Kern River Oil Field was dug by hand,<ref name=Historic /> and soon the towns of Oil City, Oil Center, and Oildale came into existence.<ref name=Historic />

EtymologyEdit

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.

EarthquakesEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:More citations needed section 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 Template:Convert 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 unreinforced 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.

Abuse trialsEdit

Between 1983 and 1986, several ritual sex ring child-abuse cases occurred in Kern County, resulting in numerous long prison sentences, all of which were overturned—some of them decades later, because the prosecutors had coerced false testimonies from the purported child victims.<ref name="Mean Justice's Dirty Secrets, Rolling Stone Magazine">Truth In Justice Template:Webarchive. Accessed January 28, 2008.</ref> The details of these false accusations are covered extensively in the 2008 documentary Witch Hunt, narrated by Sean Penn.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 

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GeographyEdit

File:Kern County, California – Map (cropped).png
Map of Kern County

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (0.4%) is covered by water.<ref name="GR1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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 qualityEdit

File:PM 25 Kern County Bakersfield over time.jpg
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, it is a non-attainment area for particulates.<ref>Particulate Matter (PM-10) Nonattainment Area/State/County Report, September 16, 2010 [1]</ref> Air pollution caused by particulates is "in the unhealthy range an average of 40 days a year, according to the American Lung Association's 2018 State of the Air Report.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

VegetationEdit

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.<ref>The Wasmann Journal of Biology (1967) University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, v.25</ref> Whitethorn is a prominent example of chaparral species on the rocky slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the Inner Coastal Ranges.<ref>Arthur Sampson (1963) California Range Brushlands and Browse Plants, ANR Publications, 162 pages Template:ISBN</ref> California buckeye is a notable tree found in both chaparral and forests and whose southern range terminates in Kern County.<ref>C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Aesculus californica, Globaltwitcher.com, ed. N. Strömberg Template:Webarchive</ref>

National protected areasEdit

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DemographicsEdit

Template:See also

Template:US Census population

According to the 2020 United States census, Kern County's population was 909,235.<ref name="quickfacts"/> It was the 11th-largest county by population in California.<ref>California State Association of Counties Template:Webarchive</ref> The center of population of California is located in Kern County, in the town of Buttonwillow.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2020 censusEdit

Kern County, California – Racial and ethnic composition
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% 1990 % 2000 % 2010 Template:Partial
White alone (NH) 340,892 327,190 323,794 279,600 62.72% 49.45% 38.56% 30.75%
Black or African American alone (NH) 28,851 37,845 45,377 46,776 5.31% 5.72% 5.40% 5.14%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 5,620 5,885 5,893 5,197 1.03% 0.89% 0.70% 0.57%
Asian alone (NH) 14,879 21,177 33,100 44,257 2.74% 3.20% 3.94% 4.87%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) N/A 728 995 1,127 N/A 0.11% 0.12% 0.12%
Other race alone (NH) 1,240 989 1,472 4,557 0.23% 0.15% 0.18% 0.50%
Mixed/multiracial (NH) N/A 13,795 15,967 28,563 N/A 2.08% 1.90% 3.14%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 151,995 254,036 413,033 499,158 27.97% 38.39% 49.19% 54.90%
Total 543,477 661,645 839,631 909,235 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

According to the 2020 United States census:<ref name="2020 Census">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 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.)

2011Edit

Places by population, race, and incomeEdit

2010Edit

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. Hispanics or Latinos 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.<ref>Template:USCensus2010CA</ref>

2000Edit

According to the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR8">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> of 2000, 661,645 people, 208,652 households, and 156,489 families resided in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The 231,564 housing units had an average density of Template:Convert. 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. About 38.4% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race; 8.4% were of German, 7.2% American, and 5.7% Irish ancestry, according to the census, and 66.8% spoke English, 29.1% Spanish, and 1.0% Tagalog as their first language.

Of the 208,652 households, 42.2% had children under 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 not families. About 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.50.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

In the county, the age distribution was 31.9% under 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 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 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 18 and 10.5% of those 65 or over.

Arts and cultureEdit

Kern County is associated with the Bakersfield sound. The Buck Owens Crystal Palace is located in Bakersfield.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Metropolitan statistical areaEdit

The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Kern County as the Bakersfield, CA metropolitan statistical area.<ref name=OMB_13-01>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name=PopEstCBSA>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=PopEstCSA>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Government, policing, and politicsEdit

GovernmentEdit

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.

SafetyEdit

FireEdit

File:Kern County Fire Department Logo.png
Logo of the Kern County Fire Department

The Kern County Fire Department 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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

SheriffEdit

The Kern County Sheriff provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner services for the entire county of around 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, with 15 sheriff substations for the widespread county.

Municipal policeEdit

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

Politics and voter registrationEdit

Cities by population and voter registrationEdit

FederalEdit

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. The county is also a Republican stronghold at the state level, with Jerry Brown being the last Democrat to win the county in a gubernatorial election in 1978. Kern remains the only county in Southern California that consistently votes Republican in recent elections. While Republican margins in the county had been shrinking, with Donald Trump's 10.2% margin of victory in 2020 being the smallest since Gerald Ford's 6.7% majority in 1976, Trump regained his margins in 2024 and even surpassed previous performances, with his 21% margin being the best since George Bush in 2004. Some constituencies in Kern County in particular some of the most widely contested in California, and the United States as of the early 2020s,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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. The cities of Maricopa, Ridgecrest, Taft, and Tehachapi 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 including 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 rest of the unincorporated areas of Kern County is seen as strongly Republican.

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In the United States House of Representatives, Kern County is split between Template:Representative, Template:Representative, and Template:Representative.

StateEdit

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

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In the State Senate, Kern County is split between Template:Representative, and Template:Representative.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On November 4, 2008, Kern County voted 75.29% in favor of Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

CountyEdit

Kern County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors. Jeff Flores of District 3 currently serves as chairman. As of August 2, 2024, they are:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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

Crime and public safetyEdit

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Fire protection within the county is provided by the Kern County Fire Department. Law enforcement within the county is provided by the Kern County Sheriff's Department.

FireEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The Kern County Fire Department (KCFD) is an agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the county of Kern, California, USA. Over 625 permanent employees and 100 extra help employees protect an area which spans over Template:Convert. KCFD provides fire protection services for over 500,000 citizens living in the unincorporated areas of Kern County and the cities of Arvin, Delano, Maricopa, McFarland, Ridgecrest, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi and Wasco. This agency is contracted to provide dispatch services for the California City Fire Department. Over 546 uniformed firefighters are stationed in 46 fire stations throughout the county.

Sheriff's OfficeEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The Kern County Sheriff's Department is the agency responsible for law enforcement within the county of Kern. The department provides law enforcement within the county, maintains the jails used by both the county and municipal cities, and provides search and rescue. The department contains over 1,200 sworn deputies and civilian employees. Its jurisdiction contains all of the unincorporated areas of Kern County, approximately Template:Convert. The department headquarters is located at 1350 Norris Road in Bakersfield. There are 15 additional substations located throughout the county. The metro patrol area is divided into four regions: north, south, east, and west.

In 2009, the district attorney claimed "the highest per capita prison commitment rate of any major California county." Kern County contains multiple state and federal prisons, including two private prisons. The county is among the most prolific with the death penalty, assigning death penalty sentences in 26 cases since 1976. In 2015 Kern County policemen from all departments killed more people per capita than any other American county. Because of the very harsh local criminal justice system, Kern County has been dubbed "the most punitive authoritarian jurisdiction on the west coast" and "Oklahoma of the west".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2015, it was revealed that the Kern County Sheriff's office engaged in a longstanding program of attempted cash payoffs to women who had accused deputies of sexual assault. In the same year, a civil lawsuit filed by a survivor of a sexual assault committed by Kern County Sheriff's deputy Gabriel Lopez was settled for $1 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Kern County had the most deaths per capita in the US by police shooting per an article published in The Guardian on December 1, 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2015 to the date of publication of the article, there have been 13 deaths by police shootings in a county of less than 875,000 population, or 0.016 per thousand persons. By comparison, during the same period of time in New York City, a population 10 times the size with a police force more than 20 times the size, there were 9 such deaths.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Cities by population and crime ratesEdit

EconomyEdit

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.<ref name="Rio Tinto Borax home page">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} Rio Tinto Borax. Accessed July 3, 2007.</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> Kern County is home to the Tehachapi Energy Storage Project, which was commissioned in 2014.<ref name="International">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Aerospace and militaryEdit

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.<ref>Hoover, p. 134</ref> Kern County is also the home of the first inland spaceport in the United States, the Mojave Spaceport.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

AgricultureEdit

This has long been one of the county's biggest industries.<ref name="Almond-facts" /> Between 2012 and 2013 the produced value of ag products increased 6%, to a total of $6.8 billion.<ref name="Almond-facts" /> 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.<ref name="Almond-facts" /> This is one of the highest-producing locations in the United States for vegetables, and also for watermelons.<ref name="VRIC" /> Vegetables are estimated to total $320 million every year.<ref name="VRIC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There are about 1,938 farms, at an average size of Template:Convert (however 41% are smaller than Template:Convert), being the primary employment of 63% of operators.<ref name="Almond-facts" />

Major producer of almonds<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with production greater than Template:Convert annually.<ref name="Almond-facts" /> That is third of all the counties, 16% of the state's production.<ref name="Almond-facts">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (See also almond in California.)

Pistachio is another important employer here.<ref name="res-middle-of-state" /> The Michailides & Avenot group finds severe boscalid resistance in isolates of Alternaria alternata pathogenic on pistachio here.<ref name="res-middle-of-state" /> They find extensive such resistance in a swathe from the center down into the central southern part of the state, but especially here.<ref name="res-middle-of-state">Template:Cite journal</ref> (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.<ref name="gwss">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (See also Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter in California.)

PetroleumEdit

Template:As of, Kern is California's top oil-producing county, with 78% of the state's 56,653 active oil wells and 71% of oil production.<ref name="oil-production">Template:Cite FTP</ref><ref>Hsu, Tiffany (January 30, 2015) "Plunging oil prices choke off boom in Bakersfield" Los Angeles Times</ref> The county produced 144.5 million barrels of oil in 2015, accounting for about 4% of overall U.S. oil production.<ref name="oil-production" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Discovery and developmentEdit

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.<ref name=Historic>Hoover, p.128</ref> Oil was refined here even before the establishment of the county.<ref name=Historic /> The Buena Vista Petroleum Company was organized and incorporated in 1864.<ref name=Historic /> Soon thereafter a refinery was built that operated until April 1867 when work ceased because of high freight charges.<ref name=Historic />

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="Conservation p. 2"> California Department of Conservation, Oil and Gas Statistics, Annual Report, December 31, 2006, p. 2</ref> 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.<ref name="Hluza">Hluza, A.G. Calloway Area of Fruitvale Oil Field: California Division of Oil and Gas, Summary of Operations. 1961. Vol. 47 No. 2. 5-6</ref><ref>DOGGR (2009), 63</ref>

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.Template:Citation needed

Petroleum todayEdit

The county today contributes more than three-quarters of all the oil produced onshore in California.<ref name="Conservation p. 2" /> Some of the large oil fields in Kern County which are still active include:

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TransportationEdit

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Major highwaysEdit

Public transportationEdit

AirportsEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Meadows Field is the only airport in the county served by scheduled commercial passenger flights.

RecreationEdit

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 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway. 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.

MediaEdit

MagazinesEdit

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

NewspapersEdit

TV stationsEdit

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.

CommunitiesEdit

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

CitiesEdit

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Census-designated placesEdit

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Unincorporated communitiesEdit

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Former placesEdit

Population rankingEdit

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Kern County.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

† 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

EducationEdit

School districts include:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} - Text list</ref>

Unified: Template:Div col

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Secondary:

Elementary: Template:Div col

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In popular cultureEdit

The 2015 Disney film McFarland, USA, starring Kevin Costner, is based on the cross-country team in the city of McFarland, California, which is located in northern Kern County.

See alsoEdit

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NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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Further readingEdit

External linksEdit

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