Editing Taft, California

{{Short description|City in California, United States}}
{{for|the community in Plumas County formerly with this name|Cromberg, California}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Taft, California
|settlement_type          = [[List of municipalities in California|City]]
|motto                    = "Energized For The Future "
|named_for                = [[William Howard Taft]]
|image_skyline            = 2010-1230-Taft-TheFort.jpg
| image_blank_emblem      = City of Taft logo.png
| blank_emblem_size       = 120px
|image_caption            = The Fort, a replica of [[Sutter's Fort]] in [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]], is on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].
|image_seal               =
|image_map                = Kern_County_California_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Taft_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Kern County, California|Kern County]] and the state of [[California]]
| pushpin_map            = USA California#USA#North America
| pushpin_map_caption    = Location in the United States
| pushpin_relief = 1
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{USA}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|California}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in California|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Kern County, California|Kern]]
|government_type          =
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Dave Noerr<ref>{{Cite web |title=City Council |url=http://www.cityoftaft.org/pView.aspx?id=5998&catid=561 |access-date=January 5, 2015 |publisher=Taft, CA |archive-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730033906/http://www.cityoftaft.org/pView.aspx?id=5998&catid=561 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|leader_title1            = [[California's 16th State Senate district|State senator]]
|leader_name1             = {{Representative|casd|16|fmt=sleader}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Representing California's 16th Senate District |url=http://fuller.cssrc.us/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121034227/https://fuller.cssrc.us/ |archive-date=November 21, 2018 |access-date=October 25, 2017 |website=Senator Jean Fuller}}</ref>
|leader_title2            = [[California's 34th State Assembly district|Assemblymember]]
|leader_name2             = {{Representative|caad|34|fmt=sleader}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Assemblyman Vince Fong |url=https://ad34.asmrc.org/ |access-date=October 25, 2017 |website=California State Assembly |archive-date=October 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026053954/https://ad34.asmrc.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|leader_title4            = [[California's 23rd congressional district|U.S. Rep.]]
|leader_name4             = {{Representative|cacd|23|fmt=usleader}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 4, 2012 |title=Our District, 23rd District of California |url=https://kevinmccarthy.house.gov/about/our-district |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407015755/https://kevinmccarthy.house.gov/about/our-district |archive-date=April 7, 2020 |access-date=October 25, 2017 |website=Kevin McCarthy}}</ref>
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = November 7, 1910<ref>{{Cite web |title=California Cities by Incorporation Date |url=http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103002921/http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc |archive-date=November 3, 2014 |access-date=August 25, 2014 |publisher=California Association of [[Local Agency Formation Commission]]s |format=Word}}</ref>
<!-- Area------------------>
| unit_pref               = Imperial
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{Cite web |title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_06.txt |access-date=July 1, 2020 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-date=August 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826171103/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_06.txt |url-status=live }}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi        = 15.26
| area_land_sq_mi         = 15.26
| area_water_sq_mi        = 0.00
| area_total_km2          = 39.53
| area_land_km2           = 39.53
| area_water_km2          = 0.00
| area_water_percent      = 0
|elevation_ft             = 955
|elevation_m              = 291
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="US Census Bureau 2020 Taft, CA Population">{{cite web |title=US Census Bureau |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Taft%20city,%20California |website=www.census.gov |access-date=30 August 2024 |archive-date=August 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240830044357/https://data.census.gov/all?q=Taft%20city,%20California |url-status=live }}</ref>
|population_total         = 8546
|population_metro         =
|population_density_sq_mi = auto
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|PST]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|coordinates              = {{coord|35|08|33|N|119|27|23|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name="gnis">{{Cite GNIS|1661543|Taft}}</ref>
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 93268
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|area_code                = [[Area code 661|661]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = {{FIPS|06|77574}}
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature IDs
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS 4|1661543}}, {{GNIS 4|2412026}}
|website                  = {{URL|www.cityoftaft.org}}
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
|population_density_km2   = 
}}

'''Taft''' (formerly '''Moron''', '''Moro''', and '''Siding Number Two''')<ref name="CGN" /> is a city in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the [[San Joaquin Valley]], in [[Kern County, California]]. Taft is located {{convert|32|mi|km|0}} west-southwest of [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield]],<ref name="CGN">{{California's Geographic Names|1114}}</ref> at an elevation of {{Convert|955|feet|}}.<ref name="gnis" /> The population was 9,327 at the 2010 census. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|15.1|mi2|km2|1|sp=us}}.

It was named for [[President of the United States|President]] [[William Howard Taft]] in 1909.<ref>Capace, Nancy (1999). ''Encyclopedia of California''. North American Book Dist LLC. Page 449. {{ISBN|9780403093182}}.</ref>

==History==
The town began as Siding Number Two on the Sunset Railroad.<ref name="CGN" /> According to a display at the West Kern Oil Museum, local residents asked the [[Southern Pacific Transportation Company|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, California|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]], [[wikt:morón|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]].<ref name="CGN" />

Taft was once a [[sundown town]] that posted "No Colored Allowed" signs.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 15, 1975 |title=Calif. Town Chases Blacks Out, and Few People Seem to Mind |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29384956/ |work=[[Arizona Daily Star]] |location=Tucson, Arizona |page=2E |via=Newspapers.com |quote=Many residents came here from the South. Taft once was known as a 'sundown town,' meaning blacks weren't welcome. 'Although the "no colored allowed" signs are down now, there is still a lot of resentment,' said Police Chief McKee. |agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Loewen |first=James W. |author-link=James W. Loewen |title=Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism |date=2005 |publisher=[[The New Press]] |isbn=978-1-62097-454-4 |location=New York City |pages=344, 430}}</ref>

===Oil industry===
[[File:Wooden Derick - Kern West Oil Museum (3355730344).jpg|thumb|1917 wooden [[derrick]]. This oil well produced into the 1980s, and the operator then donated the old derrick and three acres of land to found the '''West Kern Oil Museum.''']]
[[File:Taft oil well blow-out in Kern County, ca. 1920 (CHS-2498).jpg|thumb|upright|Taft oil well blow-out at a  Standard Oil well,  ca. 1920. Around 20,000 barrels of oil were spilled.]]

Taft is situated in a major [[petroleum]] and [[natural gas]] production region in California and is one of the few remaining towns in the United States which exist exclusively because of nearby oil reserves. The discovery of oil in the region occurred in the late 19th century near [[Maricopa, California|Maricopa]], {{Convert|7|mile||2|spell=in}} south of Taft. Many other oil and gas accumulations were discovered around Taft during the early-to-mid-20th century, notably the Midway field (near [[Fellows, California]]), the Sunset field (later found to be part of the same trend, accounting for the modern combined name of [[Midway-Sunset Oil Field|Midway-Sunset]]), and the [[Buena Vista Oil Field|Buena Vista]]. The town is built directly between these two huge fields. The operational activities within these fields, as well as the [[Elk Hills Oil Field]], [[South Belridge Oil Field]], [[North Belridge Oil Field]], [[Cymric Oil Field]], and [[McKittrick Oil Field]] north of Taft, have been the economic lifeblood of the town for over 100 years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beason |first=Tyrone |date=November 10, 2019 |title=In this California 'Trump country' town, folks hear the impeachment talk, but it feels a world away |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-11-10/trump-country-taft-california-impeachment |access-date=November 10, 2019 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

The super-giant Midway-Sunset field has produced nearly {{convert|4000000000|oilbbl}} of [[crude oil]], most of it heavy gravity (13-14 degrees [[API gravity|API]]). Enhanced oil recovery operations in the form of steam production and injection have been used on the thick viscous crude oil of the Midway-Sunset field since the mid-to-late-1960s. The reservoirs of the Midway-Sunset field are composited layers of mostly unconsolidated sandstones of late [[Miocene]] age, shallowly buried. The shallow burial depth and ideal nature of the sandstones make them almost perfectly suited for steam injection. As a result, the amount of oil that can be recovered has greatly increased.

[[Standard Oil]], later the [[Standard Oil Company of California]] (modern [[Chevron Corporation|Chevron]]), made Taft its corporate operational headquarters. At one time, it is reported that as many as 6,000 inhabitants of Taft were employed by Standard Oil. The hub of this activity was "11-C Camp", so named due to its [[survey township]] location in section 11 and designated "township C" by Standard's mapping department. The infrastructure to run a large oil and gas company included: a rail spur from the line running through Taft, steel and timber for derrick construction and maintenance, pipe, valves, numerous offices, an expansive and highly specialized machine shop, supply shops, the car and truck fleet on one side of the Main Street; bunkhouses for workers, and fourteen blocks on four streets of company homes for employees on the other side.  11-C Camp also included a playground, baseball field, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a cook-house open to the public, landscaped grounds, a clubhouse with a television, pool and card tables, and an ice-cream stand. The huge complex gradually closed down over a period of many years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bittle |first=Jake |date=May 15, 2024 |title=Inside a California oil town's divisive plan to survive the energy transition |url=https://grist.org/energy/taft-california-kern-county-carbon-capture/ |access-date=May 15, 2024 |website=Grist |language=en-us |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515084512/https://grist.org/energy/taft-california-kern-county-carbon-capture/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1968, Standard Oil of California moved its accounting and finance offices to [[Concord, California]]. In the late 1980s, the machine shop was closed and auctioned, signaling the end of the 11-C Camp era. The houses were moved outside the camp into a new neighborhood.

Many other oil companies had operations in the area, including larger companies such as [[Royal Dutch Shell|Shell]], [[Texaco]], [[Exxon]], [[Mobil Oil|Mobil]], [[Gulf Oil|Gulf]], and [[ARCO]], as well as smaller operations (but with a large local presence), such as [[Santa Fe Snyder|Santa Fe Energy]], [[Berry Petroleum Company|Berry Petroleum]], Tannehill, M.H. Whittier, and lately [[Plains Exploration & Production]]. In the mid-1990s, according to California's Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), there were 68 operating companies working the [[Midway-Sunset Oil Field|Midway-Sunset field]] alone. While the names of most of these companies have changed, due to mergers, acquisitions, and liquidations, the production activities have been continuous.

In the early days of oil exploration and production, long before the advent of modern blowout preventions, gushers were the norm. Although there were many, the [[Lakeview Gusher]] gushed more than any, producing {{convert|100000|oilbbl}} of oil per day at its peak. In all, the Lakeview No.1 produced about {{Convert|9000000|oilbbl||spell=in}} of oil (a very respectable cumulative production for a single well in this area). The well and its State historical marker can be found along the Petroleum Club road, just off [[California State Route 33|SR 33]] south of town.

===Recent history===
Taft was also the site of a military airfield, [[Gardner Army Airfield]], which was used to train pilots during [[World War II]]. After the base was closed, its abandoned airstrip served as a clandestine [[dragstrip]] for many years.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kimble |first=Lise |date=October 24, 2014 |title=Named After: Famoso Raceway |url=https://www.bakersfield.com/bakersfield_life/named-after-famoso-raceway/article_73115a27-0713-5e74-83dc-e25763ea63f1.html |access-date=November 15, 2020 |work=The Bakersfield Californian |language=en}}</ref>

The railroad—originally built to export crude oil and import drinking water—is gone, but the area still has a significant oil industry presence.

A [[private prison]], [[Taft Correctional Institution]], operated by [[Management & Training Corporation]] under contract to the [[U.S. Bureau of Prisons]], is located on Cadet Road south of town.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CI Taft |url=http://www.bop.gov/locations/ci/taf/ |publisher=Federal Bureau of Prisons |access-date=January 2, 2015 |archive-date=January 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102021135/http://www.bop.gov/locations/ci/taf/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> There is a large, modern [[Taft Union High School|high school]] serving area students. The West Kern Oil Museum, at 1168 Wood Street, has vast holdings, including pumps, fire apparatus, trucks, a historic wooden derrick, photos, models, and extensive displays of local history back to Indian times. The town's newspaper, the ''Midway Driller'', was reputed to be the oldest daily newspaper in California. About 2005, the ''Daily Midway Driller'' became the ''Midway Driller'' and is now published on Tuesdays and Fridays. The town's second weekly newspaper, the ''[[Taft Independent]]'', began publication on July 4, 2006.

The city owns a {{convert|46|acre||adj=mid| former BNSF railroad property}} in the center of town which features the West Kern Oilworker's Monument, a {{Convert|37|feet|}} tall bronze sculpture that features several human figures displayed on an oil derrick by artist [[Benjamin Victor (sculptor)|Benjamin Victor]] that was paid for with donations from local residents, visitors and several oil companies.{{r|taftindependent}} The railroad property is part of a redevelopment project that the city is using to attract new businesses, housing and commercial office space.

== Geography ==

=== Climate ===
Taft has a [[desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BWh''),<ref>Peel, M. C., Finlayson, B. L., and McMahon, T. A.: [//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Americas_K%C3%B6ppen_Map_original_colors.png Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification], Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 11, 1633–1644, 200 7.</ref> with long, hot, dry summers, and brief, cool, moist winters. Rainfall averages only {{convert|5.39|in|0|abbr=on}} annually, mostly falling during winter and spring. Typically, no rain falls from June through September. The year with the most rainfall is 1998, with {{convert|17.61|in|0|abbr=on}}. The year with the least rainfall is 2007, with {{convert|1.93|in|0|abbr=on}}. The most rainfall in one month was {{convert|6.96|in|mm}}, in February 1998. The most rainfall in one day was {{convert|1.48|in|mm}}, on May 6, 1998. Taft averages 112.7 days with highs above {{Convert|90|F||1}} and 6.2 days with lows below {{Convert|32|F|}}. The highest recorded temperature in Taft is {{Convert|112|F||1}} on July 11, 2008. The lowest recorded temperature in Taft is {{Convert|24|F||1}} on December 23, 1998.<ref name= WRCC/>

{{Weather box|location = Taft, California (1994–2012 normals)
|single line = Y |collapsed =
|Jan record high F =  79
|Feb record high F =  84
|Mar record high F =  94
|Apr record high F =  97
|May record high F = 107
|Jun record high F = 108
|Jul record high F = 112
|Aug record high F = 111
|Sep record high F = 107
|Oct record high F = 100
|Nov record high F =  91
|Dec record high F =  80
|year record high F= 112
|Jan high F = 57.8
|Feb high F = 62.2
|Mar high F = 69.6
|Apr high F = 75.2
|May high F = 84.2
|Jun high F = 91.8
|Jul high F = 98.4
|Aug high F = 97.3
|Sep high F = 91.8
|Oct high F = 79.6
|Nov high F = 66.1
|Dec high F = 58.4
|year high F= 77.7
|Jan low F = 41.0
|Feb low F = 44.0
|Mar low F = 47.3
|Apr low F = 49.7
|May low F = 56.1
|Jun low F = 60.5
|Jul low F = 67.2
|Aug low F = 65.0
|Sep low F = 61.4
|Oct low F = 53.9
|Nov low F = 46.3
|Dec low F = 40.9
|year low F= 52.8
|Jan record low F = 26
|Feb record low F = 28
|Mar record low F = 29
|Apr record low F = 30
|May record low F = 40
|Jun record low F = 44
|Jul record low F = 42
|Aug record low F = 52
|Sep record low F = 45
|Oct record low F = 35
|Nov record low F = 26
|Dec record low F = 24
|year record low F= 24
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.07
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.29
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.75
|Apr precipitation inch =  .5
|May precipitation inch =  .37
|Jun precipitation inch =  .03
|Jul precipitation inch =    0
|Aug precipitation inch =  .01
|Sep precipitation inch =  .06
|Oct precipitation inch =  .28
|Nov precipitation inch =  .38
|Dec precipitation inch = .65
|year precipitation inch= 5.39
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 8
|Feb precipitation days = 7
|Mar precipitation days = 5
|Apr precipitation days = 4
|May precipitation days = 2
|Jun precipitation days =  0
|Jul precipitation days =  0
|Aug precipitation days = 0
|Sep precipitation days = 1
|Oct precipitation days = 2
|Nov precipitation days = 4
|Dec precipitation days = 6
|source 1 = TAFT, CALIFORNIA: Period of Record General Climate Summary<ref name="WRCC">{{Cite web |title=Taft General Climate Summary - WRCC |url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca8752 |access-date=July 14, 2014 |publisher=[[Western Regional Climate Center]] |archive-date=May 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170527103732/http://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca8752 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|date=July 2014}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1920= 3317
|1930= 3442
|1940= 3205
|1950= 3707
|1960= 3822
|1970= 4285
|1980= 5316
|1990= 5902
|2000= 6400
|2010= 9327
|2020= 8546
|estyear=2019
|estimate=9272
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">{{Cite web |date=May 24, 2020 |title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html |access-date=May 27, 2020 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-date=January 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121072736/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{Cite web |title=Census of Population and Housing |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |access-date=June 4, 2015 |publisher=Census.gov |archive-date=April 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426102944/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

===2010===
[[File:2010-1230-Taft-FoxTheatre.jpg|thumb|right|The Fox Theatre, downtown Taft.]]
The [[2010 United States Census]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Taft city |url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0677574 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715040518/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0677574 |archive-date=July 15, 2014 |access-date=July 12, 2014 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref> reported that Taft had a population of 9,327. The population density was {{convert|617.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Taft was 7,388 (79.2%) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 396 (4.2%) [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 118 (1.3%) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 93 (1.0%) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 65 (0.7%) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1,023 (11.0%) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 244 (2.6%) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3,353 persons (35.9%).

The Census reported that 6,372 people (68.3% of the population) lived in households, 123 (1.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 2,832 (30.4%) were institutionalized.

There were 2,254 households, out of which 914 (40.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,119 (49.6%) were [[marriage|opposite-sex married couples]] living together, 289 (12.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 178 (7.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 176 (7.8%) [[POSSLQ|unmarried opposite-sex partnerships]], and 9 (0.4%) [[same-sex partnerships|same-sex married couples or partnerships]]. 543 households (24.1%) were made up of individuals, and 246 (10.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83. There were 1,586 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (70.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.32.

The population was spread out, with 1,844 people (19.8%) under the age of 18, 1,041 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 3,521 people (37.8%) aged 25 to 44, 2,136 people (22.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 785 people (8.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 186.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 219.0 males.

There were 2,525 housing units at an average density of {{convert|167.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}, of which 1,375 (61.0%) were owner-occupied, and 879 (39.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.8%. 3,847 people (41.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 2,525 people (27.1%) lived in rental housing units.

===2000===
[[File:2010-1230-Taft-CityHall.jpg|thumb|right|Taft City Hall]]
According to the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov/ |access-date=January 31, 2008 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |archive-date=December 27, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> of 2000, there were 6,400 people, 2,233 households, and 1,565 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|422.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,478 housing units at an average density of {{convert|163.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 83.16% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 1.97% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.84% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 1.27% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.44% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 10.39% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.94% from two or more races. 15.55% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 2,233 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.5 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,861, and the median income for a family was $42,468. Males had a median income of $47,000 versus $26,838 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $17,564. About 13.1% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
[[File:2010-1230-Taft-UHS.jpg|right|thumb|[[Taft Union High School]]]]
[[File:2010-1230-Taft-LincolnJHS.jpg|thumb|right|Lincoln Junior High School]]
[[Taft City School District]] operates elementary and junior high schools:
* Jefferson Elementary School
* Parkview Elementary School
* Conley Elementary School
* Taft Primary School
* Roosevelt Elementary School
* Lincoln Junior High School

[[Taft Union High School]] is the local high school.

[[Taft College]] is the community college.

==Government==
{{expand section|date=December 2021}}

===Law enforcement===
The '''Taft Police Department''' employs 16 sworn officers, 12 civilian employees, and 2 volunteers. It operates its own jail.

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Taft, CA.jpg|right|thumb|Welcome to Taft sign.]]
[[File:Kern West Oil Museum.jpg|thumb|West Kern Oil Museum, old [[pumpjack]] and [[fire engine]] ]]
In October 2010 Taft had its 100-year birthday.

Every five years during October, Taft holds a birthday celebration. This event began as a parade and civic luncheon, commemorating Taft's 20th birthday in November 1930. These celebrations were held every five years until World War II, during which time none were held.

After the war, in 1946, the celebrations began again and the Taft District [[Chamber of commerce|Chamber of Commerce]] made them permanent. A contest was held to choose a name for the event, and "Oildorado" was chosen, having been submitted by W.A. Poff.

Oildorado is a week long celebration honoring the history of Taft as a place of oil production and exploration. There are several oilfield-type skill contests, including: welding, pipe threading and fitting, rod wrenching, various skill tests with a backhoe, and at least as late as 1965 a regular well-pulling contest with local well-servicing rigs and crews. Owing to safety and probably liability issues, the well-pulling contests ceased.

Additionally, there is a [[beauty pageant]] where an Oildorado Queen is selected, a facial hair growing contest, talent shows, [[barbecue]]s, street fairs, parades, and in 2005, motocross races. People usually dress in [[cowboy boots]] and a [[cowboy hat]] throughout the week.

It is also customary for all men to grow facial hair during this time. If a man does not grow facial hair, he must pay for a permit and wear a [[bolo tie]] or lapel pin called a Smooth Puss Badge. If he is caught clean-shaven without his badge, he may be arrested by the [[Posse (law enforcement)|Posse]], a group of men dressed in western garb, sporting pistols and rifles filled with blanks and, of course, facial hair. The man will be placed in a jail truck called "The Hoosegow" and driven around town for an hour for all to see. Warrants may also be purchased to have somebody else arrested and placed in The Hoosegow.<ref>{{Cite web |title=人気WEBサービスの要因分析 |url=http://www.oildoradodays.com/ |access-date=July 18, 2016 |archive-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730034322/http://www.oildoradodays.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Posse is overseen by the Grand Marshal. The group patrols the streets, schools, and businesses and engages in make-believe shootouts with the Bandits (the Wooden Nickel Gang), who customarily wear bandanna masks on their faces.

Other staples of this week-long celebration include [[wooden nickel]]s, dinner theatres, classic car shows, and [[rodeo]]s.

==Attractions==
[[File:Superbloom at Carrizo 2017.jpg|thumb|Superbloom in the [[Temblor Range]] in 2017, [[Carrizo Plain National Monument]]]]
Taft is the nearest town of any size to the [[Carrizo Plain National Monument]], which is located about an hour west. Note that the shortest route (per Google Maps) has dirt sections and isn't recommended for standard passenger cars. Like many dirt roads in the area, it is impassable after heavy rains.

The Temblor Recreation Area in the [[Temblor Range]], property of the [[Bureau of Land Management]], is less than 3 miles Southwest of Taft.

==Transportation==
Taft is located at the junction of [[California State Route 33]] and [[California State Route 119]].

The City of Taft operates Taft-Maricopa Area Transit, with buses serving Taft and [[Maricopa, California|Maricopa]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=StackPath |url=https://www.cityoftaft.org/pview.aspx?id=5385&catid=562 |access-date=January 17, 2022 |archive-date=January 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117164135/https://www.cityoftaft.org/pview.aspx?id=5385&catid=562 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Kern Transit]] operates intercity transportation between Taft and Bakersfield.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kern Transit &#124; Route 120 |url=https://kerntransit.org/routes/route-120/ |access-date=January 17, 2022 |archive-date=January 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182944/https://kerntransit.org/routes/route-120/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Taft-Kern County Airport]] is located at the east edge of town and is a favorite for parachutists in Kern County and the South San Joaquin Valley.

== Notable people ==
* [[Sam Andrew]], artist and founding member and guitarist of [[Big Brother and the Holding Company]], born in Taft<ref name="andrew">{{Cite news |last=Keepnews |first=Peter |date=February 16, 2015 |title=Sam Andrew, Guitarist for Big Brother and the Holding Company, Dies at 73 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/17/arts/music/sam-andrew-guitarist-for-big-brother-and-the-holding-company-dies-at-73.html |access-date=March 19, 2015 |work=New York Times |location=New York City |archive-date=March 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324165841/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/17/arts/music/sam-andrew-guitarist-for-big-brother-and-the-holding-company-dies-at-73.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Bill Bagnall]], editor and publisher, member of [[Motorcycle Hall of Fame]]
* [[Jordan Belfort]], businessman and convicted felon, "Wolf of Wall Street"; not originally from Taft, spent time at [[Taft Correctional Institution]]
* [[Jeanne Cooper]], actress
* [[Loren Cunningham]], co-founder of [[Youth With A Mission]]
* [[Dennis Fimple]], actor
* [[Leon Goldman (1904–1975)|Leon Goldman]], [[San Francisco]]-based surgeon and father of [[Dianne Feinstein]]
* [[Ronald Graham|Ron Graham]], mathematician, juggler
* [[Billy Nelson (athlete)|Billy Nelson]], 2008 Olympian, track & field
* [[Tracy Rogers]], NFL football player
* [[Ryan Shuck]], guitarist
* [[Benjamin Victor (sculptor)|Benjamin Victor]], sculptor<ref name="taftindependent">{{Cite news |date=April 3, 2009 |title=Oilworkers Monument Groundbreaking |url=http://www.taftindependent.com/News/ViewArticle/894 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315163032/http://www.taftindependent.com/News/ViewArticle/894 |archive-date=March 15, 2010 |access-date=August 18, 2010 |publisher=The Taft Independent}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
* ''[[25 Hill]]''
* ''[[Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman (1993 film)|Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman]]''
* ''[[The Best of Times (1986 film)|The Best of Times]]''. A movie, starring Robin Williams and Kurt Russell, set in Taft.
* ''[[Five Easy Pieces]]''. The main character of the 1970 movie, Robert Eroica Dupea (portrayed by [[Jack Nicholson]]), lives in a small house on the corner of Philippine Street and 5th Ave with his girlfriend Rayette Dipesto. 
* ''[[A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night]]''
* ''[[Meteor (miniseries)|Meteor]]''
* ''No Breaks''. A 1976 film detailing the town's attempts to break the world record for longest loaf of bread and longest submarine sandwich in the ''[[Guinness Book of World Records]]'', which it did successfully.
* ''[[Thelma & Louise]]''
* ''[[Too Young to Die?]]''
* ''[[Robbers (The 1975 song)#Music video|Robbers]]'' by [[The 1975]]. A music video directed by Tim Matti in 2014. The video depicts a couple who rob a shop to obtain money to "fund their alcohol and drug addiction."
* ''[[John Dies at the End]]''. A 2012 film based on the book of the same name written by David Wong, which features many of Taft's iconic Center Street scenes.
* ''[[Break Up (1998 film)|Break Up]]''. A 1998 film starring Kiefer Sutherland and Bridget Fonda.
* ''[[Today (The Smashing Pumpkins song)|Today]]''. A 1993 music video by [[The Smashing Pumpkins]]; opens with [[Billy Corgan]] sitting on the curb outside Wilson's Taft Hardware store.
* ''[[California's Gold]]'', Episode 609<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 8, 1995 |title=Oil – California's Gold (609) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University |url=https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/1995/11/08/oil-californias-gold-609/ |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=September 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929150437/https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/1995/11/08/oil-californias-gold-609/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''[[California's Gold]]'', Episode 13002<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 8, 2010 |title=Oil Workers – California's Gold (13002) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University |url=https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/2010/11/08/oil-workers-californias-gold-13002/}}</ref>
* ''Oildorado - Road Trip with [[Huell Howser]]'' Episode 137<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 25, 2006 |title=Oildorado – Road Trip with Huell Howser (137) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University |url=https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/2006/09/25/oildrorado-road-trip-137/}}</ref>
*  "There Will Be Blood," based on Upton Sinclair's [["Oil!"]] blogs.chapman.edu/Huell-Howser-archives/2009/01/25/oildorado-137
the town of Taft is mentioned and though the time period of the film appears to be 1907, the town is referred to as "TAFT" rather than "Moron" by Eil Sunday [[Paul Dano]].  The exact years of the film "There Will Be Blood" appears to be the era between 1903 and 1910, given the age progression of Daniel Plainview's [[Daniel Day-Lewis]] son Henry W. Plainview; the characters are roughly derived from the composite characters of James Arnold "Dad" Ross and Jimmy "Bunny" Ross, Jr.  While Eli and Paul Sunday are based on Eli and his sister Ruth from the 1926 novel.

==See also==
* [[List of sundown towns in the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Taft, California}}
{{wikivoyage|Taft}}
* {{Official website}}
* [http://www.taftchamber.com/ Taft District Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.westkern-oilmuseum.org/ West Kern Oil Museum web page]

{{Cities of Kern County, California}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1910 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Cities in Kern County, California]]
[[Category:Incorporated cities and towns in California]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1910]]
[[Category:Sundown towns in California]]