Bakersfield

Bakersfield, California

The American city of Bakersfield is located in California's Kern County. It serves as both Kern County's County seat and largest city. Near the southernmost point of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region, the city has a total area of around 151 square miles (390 km2). According to the 2020 census, Bakersfield has a population of 403,455, ranking it as the 48th most populated city in the United States and the ninth most populous city in California. With a population of 909,235 according to the 2020 census, the Bakersfield-Delano Metropolitan Statistical Region—which covers the entirety of Kern County—ranked as the 62nd-largest metropolitan area in the country. There are 570,235 people living in the urban area, which comprises Bakersfield and regions close by including East Bakersfield, Oildale, and Rosedale.

Bakersfield is an important center for the production of both food and energy. In terms of value, Kern County is fourth in the nation for agricultural productivity and first in California for oil production. Natural gas and other energy extraction, mining, petroleum refining, distribution, food processing, and corporate regional offices are among the industries in and around Bakersfield. The Bakersfield sound, a subgenre of country music, was created in this city.

Geography

The southernmost point of the Sierra Nevada is just to the east of Bakersfield, which is located near the southern "horseshoe" end of the San Joaquin Valley. The Kern Canyon entrance, at the foot of the Greenhorn Mountain Range, and the Sequoia National Forest are all inside the municipal limits. The famed Tejon Ranch is located in the southern Tehachapi Mountains, which rise more than a mile vertically. The San Andreas Fault and the Carrizo Plain National Monument are located behind the Temblor Range, which is located to the west. About 35 miles (56 km) across the valley floor separate Bakersfield from the Temblor Range.

The city has a total area of 143.6 square miles (372 km2), of which 142.2 square miles (368 km2) are land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) are water (1.01%), according to the United States Census Bureau.

The city had a total area of 114.4 sq mi (296 km2) at the time of the 2000 Census, of which 113.1 sq mi (293 km2) were land and 1.3 sq mi (3.4 km2) were covered by water (1.14%).

I-5 and State Route 99 will take you from Bakersfield to Los Angeles in about two hours, and State Route 99 will take you from Bakersfield to Sacramento in about four hours (about a 4-hour drive on State Route 99).

Along Alfred Harrell Highway in northeast Bakersfield is where you'll find Hart Memorial Park.

Climate

Bakersfield experiences hot, dry summers and mild winters with chilly/cold evenings due to its hot, arid climate (Köppen BWh). The city receives little rain, 6.36 inches (161.5 mm) on average annually, with the majority of it falling in the winter. There are about 191 clear days in Bakersfield each year. Due to its environment, Bakersfield is a good place to grow a variety of crops, including citrus and almonds as well as carrots.

The summers in Bakersfield are extremely hot, with long periods of hot weather, 112 days with highs of 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher per year (on average between April 18 and October 13), 36 days with highs of 100 °F (37.8 °C) or higher (on average between June 2 and September 19), and 0.9 days with highs of 110 °F (43.3 °C) or higher. In some years, there can be significant seasonal temperature variation, with highs occasionally falling below 80 °F (26.7 °C) in June as well as triple digit levels in May (rarely April) and October. Except for the sporadic monsoons, which may bring mild rain, May through September are normally dry months. Winters have cool/cold evenings and warm daytime temperatures. Frost and/or severe fog, which frequently accompany reduced visibility and cause delays at many schools, typically occur in the winter.

Occasionally, winters will produce a layer of fog that is quite dense. In Bakersfield, the density of the fog and the frequency of "fog days" have been rapidly declining due to years of protracted drought and the quick building of many new communities nearby, although locations outside the city continue to endure dense fog. The formal time window for tule fog formation is almost five months long, spanning several dates between November 1 and March 31. In many Bakersfield neighborhoods, you may see the urban heat island effect, which is most noticeable in the summer and winter. There can be nighttime temperature fluctuations of up to 7 °F (4 °C) between neighborhoods on the border of the city boundaries and rural Kern County locations. These places are closer to the downtown and along the 99-freeway corridor. Ten mornings a year, on average (between December 14 and January 24), have freezing lows, while the coldest night of the year normally has a minimum temperature of 30 °F, or 1.1 °C.

On the valley floor, snow is uncommon, though frost is possible. The city received up to 6 inches (15 cm) of snow on January 25, 1999, with 3 inches (7.6 cm) falling at the airport. On July 28, 1908, the temperature reached a record high of 118 °F (47.8 °C), and on January 3, 1908, it dropped to a record low of 12 °F (11.1 °C). The highest monthly rainfall, 5.82 inches (147.8 mm), occurred in December 2010; the highest 24-hour rainfall, 2.29 inches (58.2 mm), occurred on February 9, 1978. The wettest "rain year" measured 14.73 inches (374.1 mm) from July 1997 to June 1998, and the driest was 2.26 inches from July 1933 to June 1934 (57.4 mm).

Economy

Kern County's two core industries, agriculture and oil, have been tied to Bakersfield's historical and primary industry. The US county with the most oil production in 2013 was Kern County. The San Joaquin Valley's very prolific Kern County is one of the top five agriculturally productive counties in the country. Grapes, oranges, almonds, carrots, alfalfa, cotton, and roses are among Kern County's principal agricultural products. Both the corporate and regional headquarters of businesses operating in these sectors are located in the city.

Manufacturing and distribution are expanding industries in Bakersfield. Due to Bakersfield's affordable property and accessibility to international ports in both Los Angeles and Oakland, many businesses have relocated there. Due to Bakersfield's and Kern County's business-friendly laws, including not imposing municipal utility or inventory taxes, other businesses have established regional offices and non-oil/agricultural businesses. The largest ice cream facility in the world, central vacuums, highway paint, and stock racing vehicles are among the goods produced in the city.

The largest city in California with the lowest sales tax is Bakersfield, where it is set at the 7.25% legal minimum.

Sports

None of the five major sports leagues—NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, or MLS—have a team from Bakersfield. Los Angeles is home to the closest professional sports teams, who are well-liked in Bakersfield. The Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League and the Bakersfield Train Robbers baseball team are two minor league professional sports teams that play in the city (Pecos League). The Bakersfield Blaze baseball team, which played in the California League, formerly called it home but disbanded following the 2016 campaign. The Bakersfield Jam of the D-League (basketball) relocated to Prescott Valley, Arizona, as a third minor league franchise in 2016. The Basketball League will welcome the Bakersfield Magic as an expansion franchise in 2022.

Additionally, Bakersfield is home to two institutions with thriving sporting departments. The Bakersfield Renegades are the varsity sports team for Bakersfield Institution, a community college that offers 19 varsity sports, with football being the most well-known. It participates in the California Community College Athletic Association's Western State Conference, which it competes in. The Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners are the varsity athletic department of California State University, Bakersfield. They support 15 sports, with basketball being the most popular. It participates in NCAA Division I competition as a Big West Conference member.

Colby Lewis of the MLB Texas Rangers and Stephen Neal of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots both call Bakersfield home. A number of NFL players still have some sort of connection to Bakersfield, including Joey Porter, David, and Derek Carr.

A number of motor racing venues are close to Bakersfield. A paved 1/2-mile oval (at Kern County Raceway Park) has taken the place of Mesa Marin Raceway, a NASCAR-affiliated oval track that was destroyed in 2004. Current racing sports include drag strip (at Famoso Raceway), dirt (at Bakersfield Speedway), road course (at Buttonwillow Raceway), and drag strip (at Famoso Raceway). Additionally, a 0.3-mile dirt track has opened on the grounds of Kern County Raceway Park. At Lake Ming, the national jet boat association hosts drag racing. Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Rick Mears, winner of the 2007 Daytona 500, and 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick are all from Bakersfield.

There are numerous venues in Bakersfield for a wide range of sports. The Mechanics Bank Arena (formerly the Centennial Garden), which organizes musical performances, theatrical productions, and sporting events, is one of the most prominent and adaptable. Additionally, Bakersfield has venues where tournament games can be played. There are 24 full-size light soccer grounds at the Kern County Soccer Field. Bakersfield Sports Village building is also ongoing. It will contain 16 baseball diamonds, 6 football fields, and 16 soccer fields once it is finished.

Education

Mrs. Thomas Baker's school, established in 1863 at the Baker residence (near modern-day 19th and N streets), and a Catholic parochial school created in Havilah by Reverend Father Daniel Dade, in 1865, were two of the first schools established in Kern County (then the county seat).

Norris School was founded in 1880. Local farmer William Norris donated the property for this school. Its single classroom could accommodate between thirteen and twenty students during the 1880s. The largest elementary school district in the state is Bakersfield City School District (BCSD). Kern County Union High School, Bakersfield's first high school, debuted in 1893. After World War II, it was renamed Bakersfield High School.

The first campus of Bakersfield College, which opened in 1913 and moved in 1956 to its current position overlooking the Panorama Bluffs in northeast Bakersfield, was situated near the intersection of California Avenue and F Street. 16,000 people are enrolled in Bakersfield College. The Kern High School District, the largest high school district in the state, has continuously grown to accommodate a burgeoning baby-boomer population after World War II. It now includes nineteen campuses and more than 35,000 students.

In Bakersfield, a college that is a part of the California State University system was established in 1965. About 10,000 people attend California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) was an NCAA Division II sports powerhouse, with some sports, such as wrestling (Pac-10), competing at the Division I level. The Big West Conference will welcome CSUB as a Division I sports institution in 2020. In 1982, Santa Barbara Business College's Bakersfield campus was established.

Population

California's Kern County contains the city of Bakersfield. It serves as Kern County's County seat as well. It will have 420,246 residents in 2023, making it the 46th-largest city in the United States and the 9th-largest city in California. The population of Bakersfield has grown by 4.16% from the most recent census, which showed a population of 403,455 in 2020, and is now rising at a pace of 1.35% year. With a total length of more than 151 miles, Bakersfield has 2,806 residents per square mile.

With a poverty rate of 22.67% and an average family income of $83,985, Bakersfield is a city. The median monthly cost of rent in recent years has been, and the median value of a home is. In Bakersfield, the average age is 31.9 years for women and 30 years for men.

Two intriguing facts exist regarding Bakersfield's population. According to numerous surveys, it has one of the lowest proportions of adults with bachelor's degrees when compared to other metropolitan regions, making it one of the least educated metro areas in the nation. With almost 33% of residents classified as obese, the city was listed as one of the most obese metro areas in the US, above the national average of 26.5%.

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