Tehachapi, California
Tehachapi is a city of 11,946 people in Kern County, California, founded in 1876.
Why visit Tehachapi
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails, 51 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include BeeKay Theatre, Hitching Post, Errea House and Tehachapi Railroad Depot.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; December lows average 31°F.
Weather in Tehachapi
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Tehachapi
Tehachapi ( ; Kawaiisu: Tihachipia, meaning "hard climb") is a city in Kern County, California, United States, in the Tehachapi Mountains, at an elevation of 3,970 feet (1,210 m), between the San Joaquin Valley and the Mojave Desert. Tehachapi is 35 miles (56 km) east-southeast of Bakersfield, and 20 miles (32 km) west of Mojave. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10 square miles (26 km2). As of the 2020 census, Tehachapi had a population of 12,939.
From the Wikipedia article Tehachapi, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks8
Errea House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in California, United States
Tehachapi Railroad Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Railway station in Tehachapi, the United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
Restaurants and cafes51
Kohnen's Country Bakery
Bakery · 0.7 mi
125 West Tehachapi Boulevard, Tehachapi
Fr-Tu 06:00-18:00; We-Th off
4 Seasons Cafe
Restaurant · 0.8 mi
160 West Tehachapi Boulevard, Tehachapi
Tu-Su 11:00-20:00
One Fine Day Cafe
Cafe · 0.8 mi
117 East F Street, Tehachapi
Sa,Su,Tu,We 08:00-17:00
Pacinos Pizzeria Entertainment Pasta
Restaurant · Italian · 1.4 mi
1100 West Tehachapi Boulevard
Red House BBQ
Restaurant · Barbecue · 0.9 mi
426 E Tehachapi Blvd, Tehachapi
Midori Sushi
Restaurant · Japanese · 0.8 mi
498 West Tehachapi Boulevard, Tehachapi
Perfetto's Italian Bistro
Restaurant · Italian · 0.9 mi
206 South Green Street, Tehachapi
39 more on the map.
History
The Kawaiisu people (also Nuwu ("people" in Kawaiisu), or Nuooah) are the Native American tribe whose homeland was the Tehachapi Valley, and seasonally the southern Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert, for thousands of years.
One possibility for the origin of the name Tehachapi comes from the Kawaiisu language. It may be derived from the word for "hard climb" or tihachipia, according to the Tomi-Kahni Resource Center. The settlement has been formerly known and spelled as: Tehachapai; Tehachapa; Tehachepi; Tehachipi; and Summit Station. According to Yokuts informant Wahumchah, recorded by anthropologist Frank Forrest Latta, Tehachapi derives from a Yokuts-Ute amalgam, from Yokuts taheech[e] "oak-covered flat" + Ute pah' "water" (cl. Pah-ute, lit. 'Water Ute'). On an 1864 map of California, the name appears as Taheechepah.
The original settlement in the Tehachapi Valley, once called Williamsburg or 'Tehichipa', was founded in the 1860s. Now known as ‘Old Town’, it was located four miles west of present-day downtown Tehachapi and was an important station on the road linking the San Joaquin Valley with Southern California. It is now registered as California Historical Landmark #643 for being the oldest settlement in the Tehachapi Valley.
From the History section of Tehachapi, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay9
Churches and places of worship14
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging9
Pilot Travel Center
Gas station · 2.0 mi
1668 East Tehachapi Boulevard, Tehachapi
Schools, colleges and libraries15
Tehachapi Independent Learning Academy
School · 1.0 mi
126 South Snyder Ave., Tehachapi
Healthcare5
Map of Tehachapi
127 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52°F | 32°F | 2.4 in |
| Feb | 53°F | 31°F | 3.0 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 34°F | 2.0 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 37°F | 0.8 in |
| May | 69°F | 44°F | 0.4 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 52°F | 0.1 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 58°F | 0.3 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 56°F | 0.1 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 50°F | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 43°F | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 36°F | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 51°F | 31°F | 2.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Tehachapi 4 Se (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
Tehachapi Municipal Airport (TSP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- Arvin 22 mi west, about 35 min by car
- Rosamond 23 mi southeast, about 37 min by car
- Lamont 28 mi west, about 45 min by car
- East Niles 31 mi northwest, about 50 min by car
- California City 33 mi east, about 52 min by car
- Potomac Park 33 mi northwest, about 53 min by car
- Hillcrest 33 mi northwest, about 53 min by car
- East Bakersfield 34 mi northwest, about 55 min by car
- Lancaster 35 mi southeast, about 56 min by car
- Bakersfield 36 mi northwest, about 59 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
- 2009-0726-CA-Tehachapi-Depot, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
- 2009-0726-CA-Tehachapi-ErreaHouse, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
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