Bakersfield : California

History
Settled in 1858, Bakersfield is a city of almost 300,000 people. Bakersfield is the 13th largest city in California. The metropolitan Bakersfield area has a population over 450,000 people.

Bakersfield is located in inland Southern California, an hour and fifty minutes north of Los Angeles.
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County. The community was named after Col. Thomas Baker, founder who later died in a typhoid epidemic. The community is in the Pacific Standard time zone. Bakersfield is on the Kern River, in the San Joaquin Valley.

It is home to California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield College, aUC Merced campus and extensive adult education facilities. Bakersfield is also linked to the UCLA medical school though its six area hospitals.

Climate
Bakersfield has a warm Southern California climate. January is the coolest month of the year with average daily temperatures of 57 degrees Fahrenheit. July is the hottest month of the year with an average daily temperature of 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Bakersfield receives an average of just under six inches of rain a year.

Land area: 113.1 square miles

Elevation: 408 feet

Latitude: 35.36 N,

Longitude: 119.03 W

Population: 295,536 (as on July 2005)

Attractions

It is within two hours of Pacific Ocean beaches, mountains, and the Giant Sequoia National monument. Bakersfield is home to one of the fastest flowing rivers west of the Mississippi, the Kern River, where white water rafters enjoy the great outdoors. Others enjoy leisurely walking, biking and roller skating activities along the Kern River Parkway with its 12-foot wide bike path that meanders alongside the Kern River. The Parkway extends nearly 20 miles along the banks of the Kern River, starting at the California Living Museum northeast of town and ending near Cal State Bakersfield.

Local festivals include:
· Kern County Fair