Bakersfield, California

Bakersfield is the county seat of Kern County, California, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 247,057. The city's economy thrives on agriculture, petroleum extraction, and refining. It is one of the fastest growing of the larger cities of the United States. As of 2005 the population is estimated at 307,471 according to local municipal sources. It is California's third largest inland city after Fresno and Sacramento.

Geography

Bakersfield is located at 35°21'26" North, 119°1'54" West (35.357276, -119.031661){{GR|1}}, at 400 feet in elevation. It lies near the southern tip of the San Joaquin Valley, and the southern tip of the Sierra Nevadas are just to the east.

Related Topics:
San Joaquin Valley - Sierra Nevadas

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 296.3 km² (114.4 mi²). 292.9 km² (113.1 mi²) of it is land and 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.14% water.

Related Topics:
United States Census Bureau - Km² - Mi²

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The Kern River (dubbed the "Killer Kern" due to its dangerous swimming conditions) is a river in eastern California in the United States, approximately 155 mi (249 km) long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfield. Fed by snowmelt near Mount Whitney, the river passes through scenic canyons in the mountains and is a popular destination for whitewater rafting and kayaking. It formerly emptied into the now-dry Buena Vista Lake at the southern end of the Central Valley, but it is now entirely diverted for irrigation leaving it with no natural outlet.

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Bakersfield lies approximately 120 miles north of Los Angeles (about a 2 hour drive) and about 300 miles southeast of the state capital, Sacramento (about a 5 hour drive).

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Bakersfield is one of the largest cities in the United States that is not directly linked to an Interstate highway (although Interstate 5 runs just west of it).

Related Topics:
Interstate highway - Interstate 5

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