Kern County, California

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 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. American era 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. 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, The details of these false accusations are covered extensively in the 2008 documentary Witch Hunt, narrated by Sean Penn. ==Geography==

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (0.4%) is covered by 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: • East beyond the southern slope of the Sierra Nevada range into the Mojave Desert, and includes parts of the Indian Wells Valley and Antelope Valley • West from the Sierra across the floor of the San Joaquin Valley to the eastern edge of the Temblor Range, part of the Coast Ranges • South over the ridge of the Tehachapi Mountains Air quality 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. 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. 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 and 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 • Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge • Carrizo Plain National Monument (part) • César E. Chávez National Monument • Giant Sequoia National Monument (part) • Kern National Wildlife Refuge • Los Padres National Forest (part) • Sequoia National Forest (part) ==Demographics==

Kern County was the 11th-largest county by population in California. The center of population of California is located in Kern County, in the town of Buttonwillow. 2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 909,235. The median age was 32.8 years. 28.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.9 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 40.9% White, 5.5% Black or African American, 2.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.1% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 30.2% from some other race, and 16.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 54.9% of the population. There were 281,498 households in the county, of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. 2000 census According to the 2000 United States census, 661,645 people, 208,652 households, and 156,489 families resided in the county. The population density was . The 231,564 housing units had an average density of . 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. 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 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 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. Bakersfield has its own fire department, the Bakersfield Fire Department. Sheriff The Kern County Sheriff's Office 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 police 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 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. 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, 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. 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. In the United States House of Representatives, Kern County is split between , , and . State In the State Assembly, Kern County is split between the following four Assembly districts: • • , and • . In the State Senate, Kern County is split between , and . 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. Philip Peters of District 1 currently serves as chair. As of December 17, 2024, they are: • District 1, Philip Peters. • District 2, Chris Parlier • District 3, Jeff Flores. • District 4, David Couch. • District 5, Leticia Perez. ==Crime and public safety==

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. Fire 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 . 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 Office 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 . 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". 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. 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. 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. 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 rates ==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 Agriculture has long been one of the county's biggest industries. There are about 1,938 farms, at an average size of (however 41% are smaller than ), being the primary employment of 63% of operators. with production greater than annually. (See also almond in California.) Pistachio is another important employer in the county. (See also Pistachio in California and boscalid in California.) The Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) is a major insect pest in the county, including in Kern County's citrus groves. (See also Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter in California.) Petroleum , 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. 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 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 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, FlixBus, 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 and 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. ==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: • KBAK-TV (CBS) • KBFX-TV (FOX) • KERO-TV (ABC) • KGET-TV (NBC/CW) California City, Ridgecrest, and other areas in the Mojave Desert regions of eastern Kern County may instead receive Los Angeles stations. ==Communities==

Cities • Arvin • Bakersfield (county seat) • California City • Delano • Maricopa • McFarland • Ridgecrest • Shafter • Taft • Tehachapi • Wasco Census-designated places • Alta Sierra • Bakersfield Country Club • Bear Valley Springs • Bodfish • Boron • Buttonwillow • Casa Loma • Cherokee Strip • China Lake Acres • Derby Acres • Di Giorgio • Dustin Acres • East Bakersfield • Edison • Edmundson Acres • Edwards AFB • El Adobe • Fellows • Ford City • Frazier Park • Fuller Acres • Glennville • Golden Hills • Greenacres • Greenfield • Inyokern • Johannesburg • Keene • Kernville • Lake Isabella • Lake of the Woods • Lamont • Lebec • Lost Hills • McKittrick • Mettler • Mexican Colony • Mojave • Mountain Mesa • Mountain Meadows • North Edwards • Oildale • Olde Stockdale • Old River • Onyx • Pine Mountain Club • Pumpkin Center • Randsburg • Rosamond • Rosedale • Smith Corner • South Taft • Squirrel Mountain Valley • Stallion Springs • Stebbins • Tarina • Taft Heights • Tupman • Valley Acres • Weedpatch • Weldon • Wofford Heights • Woody Unincorporated communities • Actis • Aerial Acres • Bealville • Bena • Caliente • Canebrake • Cantil • Cawelo • Claraville • Edwards • Famoso • Grapevine • Gypsite • Havilah • Indian Wells • Keyesville • Loraine • Midoil • Miracle Hot Springs • Missouri Triangle • Monolith • Old Garlock • Old West Ranch • Panama • Pentland • Pond • Reward • Rio Bravo • Riverkern • Sageland • Saltdale • Sand Canyon • South Lake • Spicer City • Twin Oaks • Wheeler Ridge • Willow Springs • Wonder Acres 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 ==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 ==In popular culture==

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 also==