Kern County, California is a large and diverse county located in the southern Central Valley. With an area of 8,132 square miles, it is the third largest county in the state. Due to its size and rural make-up, as well as its isolated position between Los Angeles and San Francisco, transportation options are limited but available for those who need them.
Public transportation in Kern County includes buses run by two regional transit providers: Golden Empire Transit (GET) and SouthWest Coaches. GET runs throughout Bakersfield and provides public transport to nearby towns such as Wasco and McFarland. SouthWest Coaches runs between Tehachapi, Mojave, Lancaster/Palmdale and Santa Clarita. Additionally, two Amtrak passenger trains serve the county; the San Joaquin train runs from Bakersfield to Oakland while the Pacific Surfliner runs from Bakersfield to San Diego. For those traveling by car, Interstate 5 serves as the main artery through Kern County running north–south along the western edge of the county connecting it with other major cities like Los Angeles and Fresno. Highway 99 is another major transportation route which travels east–west through the center of Kern County, passing through many of its major cities including Bakersfield
The typical American commute has been getting longer each year since 2010. The average one-way commute in Kern County takes 23.4 minutes. That's shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
How people in Kern County get to work:
- 79.2% drive their own car alone
- 12.8% carpool with others
- 3.2% work from home
- 0.9% take mass transit