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County · code 06029

Kern CountyCalifornia

Kern County is a California county established in 1866 as the county seat of Bakersfield. It was created from Los Angeles and Tulare counties and named after the Kern River.

  • Founded1866
  • County seatBakersfield
  • Named forKern River, California
  • Land area8,135 sq mi + 30 sq mi water
  • Population909,235 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped424,125 checked 16 October 2026
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Updated

TulareVenturaLos AngelesKingsSanta BarbaraSan Luis ObispoInyoSan Bernardino Bakersfield Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Kern on the map of California

California has 58 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Alameda CountyAlpine CountyAmador CountyButte CountyCalaveras CountyColusa CountyContra Costa CountyDel Norte CountyEl Dorado CountyFresno CountyGlenn CountyHumboldt CountyImperial CountyInyo CountyKings CountyLake CountyLassen CountyLos Angeles CountyMadera CountyMarin CountyMariposa CountyMendocino CountyMerced CountyModoc CountyMono CountyMonterey CountyNapa CountyNevada CountyOrange CountyPlacer CountyPlumas CountyRiverside CountySacramento CountySan Benito CountySan Bernardino CountySan Diego CountySan Francisco CountySan Joaquin CountySan Luis Obispo CountySan Mateo CountySanta Barbara CountySanta Clara CountySanta Cruz CountyShasta CountySierra CountySiskiyou CountySolano CountySonoma CountyStanislaus CountySutter CountyTehama CountyTrinity CountyTulare CountyTuolumne CountyVentura CountyYolo CountyYuba CountyKern County Kern
Counties of California · Kern highlighted

History

Formed in 1866 from Los Angeles County and Tulare County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Kern County was created on April 2, 1866, from Los Angeles and Tulare counties. Over its history, Kern exchanged land with San Luis Obispo and San Bernardino counties, and gained and lost territory along its borders with Tulare, Inyo, Ventura, and San Bernardino.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1866
    Kern County created Kern created from Los Angeles and Tulare.
    from Los Angelesfrom Tulare
    · Calif. Stats. 1865, 16th sess., ch. 569/pp. 796-798
  2. 1868
    Gained territory Kern gained from Tulare.
    from Tulare
    · Calif. Stats. 1867, 17th sess., ch. 43/p. 40
  3. 1873
    Lost territory Kern lost to Inyo and Tulare. Boundary with Ventura adjusted to run partially on public land survey lines.
    to Inyoto Tulareto Ventura
    · Political Code 1872, 1: secs. 3940-3942/pp. 138-139
  4. 1885
    Exchanged territory Kern exchanged with San Luis Obispo.
    with San Luis Obispo
    · Calif. Stats. 1885, 26th sess., ch. 149/pp. 139-141
  5. 1917
    Lost territory Kern lost to San Bernardino.
    to San Bernardino
    · Calif. Stats. 1917, 42d sess., ch. 205/p. 301
Show all 10 changes (5 more, mostly small adjustments)
  1. 1866
    Kern County created Kern created from Los Angeles and Tulare.
    from Los Angelesfrom Tulare
    · Calif. Stats. 1865, 16th sess., ch. 569/pp. 796-798
  2. 1868
    Gained territory Kern gained from Tulare.
    from Tulare
    · Calif. Stats. 1867, 17th sess., ch. 43/p. 40
  3. 1873
    Lost territory Kern lost to Inyo and Tulare. Boundary with Ventura adjusted to run partially on public land survey lines.
    to Inyoto Tulareto Ventura
    · Political Code 1872, 1: secs. 3940-3942/pp. 138-139
  4. 1885
    Exchanged territory Kern exchanged with San Luis Obispo.
    with San Luis Obispo
    · Calif. Stats. 1885, 26th sess., ch. 149/pp. 139-141
  5. 1917
    Lost territory Kern lost to San Bernardino.
    to San Bernardino
    · Calif. Stats. 1917, 42d sess., ch. 205/p. 301
  6. 1919
    Gained territory Kern gained from Ventura when boundary was adjusted to run on public land survey lines. The California Supreme Court declared this chapter unconstitutional on 19 February 1920, but this particular change appears to have remained in effect; change confirmed in 1923 by reenactment of the 1919 law.
    from Ventura
    · Calif. Stats. 1919, 43d sess., ch. 470, secs. 3923, 3964/pp. 870, 908-909; "Mundell v. Lyons," in Calif. Rpts., 182:289-293; Calif. Laws 1923, 45th sess., ch. 160, secs. 16, 57/pp. 336, 373
  7. 1923
    Boundary clarified Kern boundaries redefined; see 23 July 1919 (no change).
    no change
    · Calif. Laws 1923, 45th sess., ch. 160, secs. 16, 57/pp. 336, 373
  8. 1963
    Exchanged territory Kern exchanged small areas with San Bernardino.
    with San Bernardino
    · Coy, 340, 342; correspondence, California Board of Equalization, 25 July 2002
  9. 1986
    Gained territory Kern gained small area from Ventura.
    from Ventura
    · Minutes of the Board of Supervisors, Kern County, 4 November 1986, ordinance G-4345
  10. 1991
    Gained territory Kern gained from Ventura.
    from Ventura
    · Calif. Stats. 1991-1992, reg. sess., ch. 51/p. 150

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Kern

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Kern by the Census

Population
909,235 2020 Census count
Housing units
301,009 2020 Census count
Land area
8,135 square miles
Water area
30 square miles
People per sq mi
112 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Kern County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about Kern County

When was Kern County founded?
Kern County was founded in 1866, formed from Los Angeles County and Tulare County, and named after Kern River, California.
What is the county seat of Kern County?
The county seat of Kern County is Bakersfield.
Is there an online parcel map for Kern County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 424,125 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Kern County's boundary or name changed?
Kern County was created in 1866 from Los Angeles County and Tulare County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 8 later changes, chiefly involving Ventura County, San Bernardino County and Tulare County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Kern County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door