About Bakersfield

Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about 151sqmi (390km2) near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of the 2020 census was 403,455,[11] making it the 48th-most populous city in the United States of America and the 9th-most populous city in California. The BakersfieldDelano Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Kern County, had a 2020 census population of 909,235, making it the 62nd-largest metropolitan area in the United States.[12] The urban area that includes Bakersfield and areas immediately around the city, such as East Bakersfield, Oildale, and Rosedale, has a population of 570,235.

Bakersfield is a significant hub for both agriculture and energy production. Kern County is the most productive oil-producing county in California[13] and the fourth-most productive agricultural county (by value) in the United States.[14] Industries in and around Bakersfield include natural gas and other energy extraction, mining, petroleum refining, distribution, food processing, and corporate regional offices.[15] The city is the birthplace of the country music genre known as the Bakersfield sound.

Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of Native American settlements dating back thousands of years.[16] Upon Spanish arrival, present-day Bakersfield was inhabited by the Yowlumne, a Yokuts people.[17] Yowlumne accounts indicate that the village of Woilu was situated in the bounds of the present city.[18]
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