Taft Heights, California
Taft Heights is a community of 1,291 people in Kern County, California.
Why visit Taft Heights
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 5 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 Heights
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Taft Heights
Taft Heights (formerly, Boust City) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Taft Heights is located 1 mile (1.6 km) west-southwest of Taft, at an elevation of 1,178 feet (359 m). The population was 1,999 at the 2020 census, up from 1,949 at the 2010 census.
From the Wikipedia article Taft Heights, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks5
The Fort
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Fort in Taft, Kern County, California
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes3
History
The place was originally called Boust City in honor of E.J. Boust, an oilman who founded the town.
From the History section of Taft Heights, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship18
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries22
Healthcare1
Map of Taft Heights
62 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 (3 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, 30 miles away.
- South Taft 1 mi east, about 1 min by car
- Ford City 2 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Taft 3 mi east, about 4 min by car
- Buttonwillow 19 mi north, about 31 min by car
- Rosedale 23 mi northeast, about 37 min by car
- Greenacres 26 mi northeast, about 42 min by car
- Pine Mountain Club 27 mi southeast, about 43 min by car
- Shafter 28 mi northeast, about 46 min by car
- Greenfield 28 mi east, about 45 min by car
- Bakersfield 29 mi northeast, about 46 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
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.