Kern County is located at the southeastern end of the Central Valley of California. Los Angeles County and Ventura County are to the south, San Bernardino County is to the east, Tulare and Kings counties are to the north and San Luis Obispo County is to the west. The county seat is Bakersfield. Kern County includes parts of the Mojave Desert and Antelope Valley.

The economy of Kern County is based primarily on agriculture, oil and gas production, Solar power, wind power, and the military. Edward Air Force Base, the Mojave Air and Space Port, and the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station are all located in Kern County.

Cities include Bakersfield, California City, Delano, Ridgecrest, Taft and Tehachapi.

Unincorporated areas include Bear Valley Springs, Boron, Frazier Park, Lake Isabella, Lebec, Mojave, Oildale, Pine Mountain Club, and Rosamond.

Protected areas include Sequoia National Forest, Giant Sequoia National Monument, and Los Padres National Forest.

General aviation airports include the Bakersfield Municipal Airport, the California City Municipal Airport, and the Tehachapi Municipal Airport.

 

Tehachapi

Founded in the 1860s, Tehachapi is a small city in the Tehachapi Mountains within Kern County located between the San Joaquin Valley and the Mojave Desert. The Tehachapi area has become a center for renewable wind energy and obtains more than half of its potable water from unground aquifers.

The Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm is a large-scale wind farm located in Kern County with 3,400 wind turbines. It covers 3,200 acres. The Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm is one of the several wind farms in the area comprising one of California's largest wind resource areas. The Tehachapi wind resource area is the net exporter of electrical power to other areas of the state.

Bear Valley Springs

Bear Valley Springs is a 25,000 acre gate-guarded 3,584 lot community located in the Tehachapi Mountains of Kern County. The community offers 55 miles of scenic hiking and horseback riding trails, three campgrounds, two beautiful lakes, golf, two pools, four tennis courts, volleyball and more. The elevation of the community ranges from 4,121 feet to 6,934 feet above sea level. Four Island Lake is 37.5 acres while Cub Lake is 9.75 acres.

Frazier Park

Frazier Park, established in 1925 in the Los Padres National Forest, is a small unincorporated rural community in the mountains just west of Lebec in Kern County. Its elevation is 4,639 feet above sea level. Santa Clarita is to the south and Bakersfield is to the north.

 

 

Timeline - Kern County