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Bakersfield

Bakersfield is a major city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles 110 miles (180 km) to the north and south respectively. In the 2010 census, the city’s population was 347,483, making it the 9th largest city in California and the 51st largest city in the United States. It is also the third largest inland city in California, behind Fresno and Sacramento. The city is currently in a state of rapid growth. Over the 40-year period between 1970 and 2010, it has grown 400% (from 70,000 to 347,000), making it one of the fastest growing cities in California. Bakersfield is the focal point of the larger Bakersfield-Delano Metropolitan Statistic Area (MSA). In 2010, it had a population of 800,458, making it the 63rd largest metropolitan area in United States. The city is also the county seat for Kern County, the third largest county in California by landmass (which encompasses the entire MSA).

Bakersfield was founded by Colonel Thomas Baker in 1869. It was located near (part of it "in") one of the forks of the Kern River, in reclaimed swampland. At one time called Kern Island, the city became known as Bakersfield after Colonel Baker's residence and field, which was used as a stop over for travelers (called Baker’s Field). Located on the Los Angeles to Stockton Road, and its close proximity to mountain passes to the west, south, and east, would later make the city into a transportation hub. Bakersfield was first incorporated in 1873, but was disincorporated three years later. The city reincorporated, which is used as the official incorporation date, on January 11, 1898.

Bakersfield has a very diverse economy. It is the most productive oil producing county, and the fourth most productive agricultural county (by value) in the United States. Other industries include natural gas and other energy extraction, aerospace, mining, petroleum refining, manufacturing, distribution, food processing, and corporate/regional headquarters. In 2010, the Bakersfield MSA had a GMP (Gross Metropolitan Product) of $29.466 billion, making it the 73rd largest metropolitan economy in the United States.