Kern

Formed April 2, 1866 (49^th county)

Kern County (909,244), Bakersfield (404,440)

The glass and steel structure is a skyscraper in downtown Bakersfield.  The courthouse was built in 1959.  Havilah had a courthouse built in 1866.  Bakersfield has had two previous courthouses, 1876 and 1912.  A Justice Building was added in 1978 and an Administrative Center was added in 1989.  Ernest L. McCoy is the courthouse architect.  Kern County was formed on April 2, 1866 from parts of Los Angeles and Tulare counties as the 49^th county.  Edward M. Kern, topographer who accompanied explorer John C. Fremont, was the source for the county’s name.  Bakersfield was named for its founder Colonel Thomas Baker.  The Modern style courthouse is located at Truxton and Chester avenues.  California State Highway 99 Business is 12 blocks east of the courthouse. 

Kern County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, controller, and treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Thirty-six Superior Court Judges, clerk, and counsel serve Kern County (judicial.)  Kern County is in south central California.  Los Angeles, California is southeast of the county.  The county center is 19.8 miles Southeast of Bakersfield nearer Oildale.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Tulare, Inyo, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Kings counties.  The county is a fat rectangle with a large extension on the northwest.  Bakersfield is slightly north of the county’s center.  Bakersfield is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 44.5% of the county population.  This county is in the Bakersfield Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The area of the county is 8142 square miles.  It is 3 out of 58 in the state.  It ranks 11 out of 58 in population in the state.  It has a density of 111.7 persons per square mile making it 28 out of 58 in the state.  Kern County has 66.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 crosses northwest to south, Kings County to Los Angeles County.  United States Highway 395 comes in at the northeast corner from Inyo County and goes out to the east into San Bernardino County.