McFarland, California
McFarland is a city of 14,222 people in Kern County, California, founded in July 18, 1957.
Why visit McFarland
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 6 parks and trails, 8 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Browning Road Park and Sherwood Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 97°F; December lows average 37°F.
Weather in McFarland
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About McFarland
McFarland (formerly, Hunt and Lone Pine) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California, United States. It is located 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Bakersfield and 6.5 miles (10 km) south of Delano, at an elevation of 354 feet (108 m). The population of McFarland was 14,161 at the 2020 census, up from 12,707 at the 2010 census.
From the Wikipedia article McFarland, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes8
Taco Bell
Fast food · Tex-Mex · 0.5 mi
51 West Sherwood Avenue, McFarland
Mo-Th 08:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-01:00; Su 08:00-24:00
Where to stay1
History
In the early 1900s, an educator named James Boyd McFarland moved to the Anaheim area from Zanesville, Ohio, to try his hand at real estate and walnut farming.
McFarland visited Kern County in 1907 and was impressed with the land's crop-growing potential near a community called Hunt's Siding, which was a small agriculture and livestock-based community that served about 50 families. With help from Bakersfield real estate businessman William Laird, McFarland bought 50 acres at the location of what is now McFarland.
The first post office opened in 1908. The town was founded in 1909 (and later became incorporated in 1957). McFarland grew tremendously during the Great Depression of the 1930s, then the population tapered off during World War II.
In 1950, the Highway 99 expressway and later freeway (then U.S. Route 99), the major corridor of the Central Valley, was constructed, which ended up dividing the town into an east side and west side. McFarland was incorporated as a city in the summer of 1957. The name honors J.B. McFarland, the city's founder.
In 2009 the city re-established its police force after decades of relying on the Kern County Sheriff.
From the History section of McFarland, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 0.7 mi
309 6th Street, McFarland
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries14
Mcfarland High School Early College
School · 0.5 mi
259 West Sherwood Ave., Mcfarland
Healthcare1
Map of McFarland
39 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 38°F | 1.4 in | 0.2 in |
| Feb | 63°F | 41°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 69°F | 45°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 49°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 83°F | 56°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 92°F | 62°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 97°F | 68°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 96°F | 66°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 91°F | 62°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 80°F | 53°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 66°F | 42°F | 0.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 57°F | 37°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Delano (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Kern County has had 28 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2024-07-27: Borel Fire (Fire)
- 2023-11-21: Tropical Storm Hilary (Hurricane)
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2021-08-25: French Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Shafter Airport (MIT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Delano 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Wasco 9 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- Shafter 13 mi south, about 21 min by car
- Earlimart 16 mi north, about 25 min by car
- Rosedale 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- Oildale 20 mi southeast, about 32 min by car
- Greenacres 21 mi south, about 33 min by car
- La Cresta 23 mi southeast, about 37 min by car
- Bakersfield 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- East Bakersfield 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- McFarland, Kern County, California. Homes in McFarland shacktown., Dorothea Lange, Public domain
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