Kings

Formed March 22, 1893 (55^th county)

Kings County (152,488), Hanford (58,013)

The Modern style courthouse replaced the 1896 stately structure that was the county courthouse.  The current courthouse is located at Kings County Drive and South Street.  The 1976 five-building design was provided by Kaiser Engineers.  Hanford has been the only county seat.  Kings County was not created until March 22, 1893 from Tulare County as the 55^th county.  The county was named for the Kings River.  Hanford was named for James Hanford, treasury of the Central Pacific Railroad. 

Kings County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, controller, and treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Seven Superior Court Judges, clerk, and counsel serve Kings County (judicial.)  The county is located just south of Fresno, California in south central California.  The county center is 25 miles Southwest of Hanford nearer Stratford.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Fresno, Tulare, Kern, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey counties.  The Kings River is in the top part of the county.  A watering can facing east is the best description of the county.  Hanford is in the extreme northeast corner of the county.  Hanford is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 38.0% of the county population.  

The area of the county is 1390 square miles.  It is 35 out of 58 in the state.  It ranks 33 out of 58 in population in the state.  It has a density of 109.7 persons per square mile making it 30 out of 58 in the state.  Kings County has 79.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 transits from Fresno County, north, into Kern County, south.  This county is in the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Lemoore