Why visit Taft
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 3 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Fox Theatre, Twentyfive Hill, The Fort and West Kern Oil Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 99°F; January lows average 40°F.
Weather in Taft
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Taft
Taft (formerly Moron, Moro, and Siding Number Two) is a city in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California, United States. Taft is located 32 miles (51 km) west-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 955 feet (291 m). The population was 8,546 at the 2020 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.3 square miles (39.6 km2).
From the Wikipedia article Taft, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks6
The Fort
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Fort in Taft, Kern County, California
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes3
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History
The town began as Siding Number Two on the Sunset Railroad. According to a display at the West Kern Oil Museum, local residents asked the Southern Pacific Railroad if the station could be named Moro when the rails arrived in about 1900, but a railroad official declined because the name would be too easily confused with the coastal town of Morro Bay. Instead, the railroad directed the station be called Moron, a word which as yet had no association with lack of intelligence (cf. Spanish word for hillock, morón). Pictures of local businesses, including the Moron Pharmacy, hang in the museum.
After a fire burned much of the town, the name was changed to Taft in honor of William Howard Taft.
Taft was once a sundown town that posted "No Colored Allowed" signs.
From the History section of Taft, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship24
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries27
Healthcare1
Map of Taft
76 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 40°F | 1.1 in | 0.1 in |
| Feb | 63°F | 44°F | 1.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Mar | 70°F | 48°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 76°F | 50°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 84°F | 56°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 93°F | 60°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 99°F | 68°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 98°F | 66°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 92°F | 62°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 81°F | 54°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 67°F | 47°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 41°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Taft (2 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, 29 miles away.
- South Taft 2 mi west, about 3 min by car
- Taft Heights 3 mi west, about 4 min by car
- Ford City 3 mi northwest, about 5 min by car
- Buttonwillow 20 mi north, about 31 min by car
- Rosedale 22 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- Pine Mountain Club 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Greenacres 25 mi northeast, about 40 min by car
- Greenfield 25 mi northeast, about 41 min by car
- Bakersfield 27 mi northeast, about 43 min by car
- Shafter 27 mi northeast, about 44 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, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- 2010-1230-Taft-TheFort, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
- Taft Correctional Institution (3601002428), brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Taft Vetran's Park 4, Rnda1$, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Taft Vetran's Park 2, Rnda1$, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Taft Vetran's Park 1, Rnda1$, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Taft Vetran's Park 3, Rnda1$, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Taft Vetran's Park, Rnda1$, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Buteo regalis 453202622, Cricket Raspet, CC BY 4.0
- Kern West Oil Museum, Konrad Summers from Santa Clarita (Valencia) , California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Weather Prophet Rock - Kern West Oil Museum (3355739462), Konrad Summers from Santa Clarita (Valencia) , California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kern West Oil Museum (3354873631), Konrad Summers from Santa Clarita (Valencia) , California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wooden Derick - Kern West Oil Museum (3355730344), Konrad Summers from Santa Clarita (Valencia) , California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- The Burning of the Sky, Justin Vidamo, CC BY 2.0
- ISS062-E-57769 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS019-E-20721 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-57766 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-59790 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS019-E-20978 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS019-E-20720 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-57768 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-57767 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS019-E-20979 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS028-E-29332 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Lakeview Gusher pit - panoramio, Eric Polk, CC BY 3.0
- Lakeview Gusher historical marker - panoramio, Eric Polk, CC BY 3.0
- Lakeview Gusher Site - panoramio, Eric Polk, CC BY 3.0
- Geology of Southern California (3600191191), brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Geology of Southern California (3601001598), brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
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