Delano, California | |
|---|---|
| City of Delano | |
.jpg) Delano entry signage on State Route 99 | |
 Seal | |
 Location of Delano in Kern County, California. | |
  Delano Location in the United States Show map of California Delano Delano (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:35°46′08″N119°14′49″W / 35.76889°N 119.24694°W /35.76889; -119.24694[1] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Kern |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Incorporated | April 13, 1915[2] |
| Named after | Columbus Delano |
| Government | |
| • City Council |
|
| • State Senator | Melissa Hurtado (D)[4] |
| • State Assembly | Jasmeet Bains (D)[5] |
| • U. S. Congress | David Valadao (R)[6] |
| Area | |
• Total | 14.77 sq mi (38.25 km2) |
| • Land | 14.71 sq mi (38.11 km2) |
| • Water | 0.054 sq mi (0.14 km2) 0.35% |
| Elevation | 315 ft (96 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 51,428 |
| • Density | 3,494.6/sq mi (1,349.29/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 93215, 93216 |
| Area code | 661 |
| FIPS code | 06-18394 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1652697,2410317 |
| Website | www |
Delano (/dəˈleɪnoʊ/də-LAY-noh) is a city inKern County, California, United States. Delano is located about 30 miles (48 km) north-northwest ofBakersfield[8] at an elevation of 315 feet (96 m).[1] The population was 51,428 in 2020, down from 53,041 in 2010. It is Kern County's second-largest city after Bakersfield.
Agriculture is Delano's major industry. The area is particularly well known as a center for the growing oftable grapes.[9] Delano is also home to two California state prisons,North Kern State Prison andKern Valley State Prison. TheVoice of America once operated one of its largest, most powerful shortwave broadcast facilities at a station outside Delano at35°45′15″N119°17′7″W / 35.75417°N 119.28528°W /35.75417; -119.28528. The Voice of America ceased broadcasts in October 2007, citing a changing political mission, reduced budgets, and changes in technology.[10]
Delano's two school districts currently operate eight elementary schools, three middle schools, three comprehensive high schools and two alternative high schools. The city has its ownpolice department and contracts with theKern County Fire Department for fire services, EMS services are privately provided by local company, Delano Ambulance Service.
Delano was founded on July 14, 1869,[11][12] as arailroad town, not because the railroad passed through the town but because the railroad coming south fromSan Francisco terminated at Delano. The name was officially given by theSouthern Pacific Railroad in honor ofColumbus Delano,[13] at the time theSecretary of the Interior (1870–1875)[14] for the United States. The first post office opened in 1874.[8] Delano incorporated in 1913.[8]
The town started with a boom. With Delano as the southern terminus of the railroad, it became the headquarters for hundreds of workmen who were building the railroad into town, and who eventually built the railroad into Bakersfield the following year. Meanwhile, the merchandise that formerly was trucked south from Visalia to Bakersfield and then to Walker Pass, or perhaps Tejon Pass, en route toLos Angeles, now coming via freight from the south, east and west, was likewise trucked in by ox or mule team. Great loads of bullion were delivered here from the mines in the mountains. Delano became the northern terminus for the passenger stages that ran south to Bakersfield and Los Angeles. The fare from Bakersfield to Delano was $7.00.
Delano was a major hub of farm worker organization efforts andChicano political movements. Filipino immigrantsPhilip Vera Cruz andLarry Dulay Itliong were instrumental in shaping the direction of thefarm worker movement in the 1950s.[15] On September 8, 1965, Larry Itliong and other Filipino leaders led the predominantlyFilipino Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) in a "walk off" from table grape farms, now known as theDelano grape strike. The strikers' goal was to improve farm workers' wages and working conditions. The National Farm Workers' Association (NFWA), a largelyHispanic union led byCesar Chavez, joined the strike within a week. During the strike, the two groups joined forces and formed theUnited Farm Workers of America (UFW). By 1970, the UFW won a contract with major grape growers across California.
Major farm employers in Delano includeWonderful Citrus, Columbine Vineyards, Munger Farms, Lucich Farms, and Hronis. Other major employers include Adventist Health Hospital Delano,Walmart,The Home Depot,Vallarta Supermarkets,Delano Joint Union High School District,Delano Union Elementary School District, and the North Kern-South Tulare Hospital District.[16]
According to the city's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[17] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kern Valley State Prison | 1,670 |
| 2 | North Kern State Prison | 1,396 |
| =3 | Delano Union Elementary School District | 900 |
| =3 | Paramount Citrus | 900 |
| 5 | Adventist Health Delano | 670 |
| 6 | Delano Joint Union High School District | 475 |
| 7 | Walmart | 300 |
| 8 | Vallarta Supermarkets | 255 |
| 9 | City of Delano | 210 |
| 10 | Delano District Skilled Nursing Facility | 184 |
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.8 square miles (38 km2); over 99% of which is land.
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Delano's climate is typical of theSan Joaquin Valley. It is located within adesert climatic zone withMediterranean features. The city receives 7.51 in (191 mm) of rainfall annually, mainly in the winter.[19] The weather is hot and dry during the summer and cool and damp in winter.[20] Frequent winter ground fog known regionally astule fog can obscure vision. Record temperatures range between 115 °F (46 °C) (2006) and 14 °F (−10 °C) (1990).[citation needed]
| Climate data for Delano, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2000–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 76 (24) | 86 (30) | 91 (33) | 97 (36) | 105 (41) | 109 (43) | 116 (47) | 108 (42) | 108 (42) | 100 (38) | 85 (29) | 82 (28) | 116 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 68.7 (20.4) | 75.5 (24.2) | 81.7 (27.6) | 89.3 (31.8) | 98.5 (36.9) | 105.5 (40.8) | 106.5 (41.4) | 104.7 (40.4) | 101.8 (38.8) | 91.8 (33.2) | 80.0 (26.7) | 68.1 (20.1) | 107.9 (42.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 56.0 (13.3) | 62.8 (17.1) | 69.2 (20.7) | 75.0 (23.9) | 83.1 (28.4) | 92.2 (33.4) | 97.3 (36.3) | 96.5 (35.8) | 90.7 (32.6) | 79.6 (26.4) | 66.3 (19.1) | 57.2 (14.0) | 77.2 (25.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.9 (8.3) | 51.9 (11.1) | 57.0 (13.9) | 62.1 (16.7) | 69.3 (20.7) | 77.0 (25.0) | 82.5 (28.1) | 81.0 (27.2) | 76.1 (24.5) | 66.1 (18.9) | 54.4 (12.4) | 47.0 (8.3) | 64.3 (17.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 37.7 (3.2) | 40.9 (4.9) | 44.8 (7.1) | 49.1 (9.5) | 55.5 (13.1) | 61.8 (16.6) | 67.6 (19.8) | 65.5 (18.6) | 61.6 (16.4) | 52.6 (11.4) | 42.5 (5.8) | 36.7 (2.6) | 51.4 (10.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 29.9 (−1.2) | 32.8 (0.4) | 35.5 (1.9) | 39.1 (3.9) | 47.5 (8.6) | 52.2 (11.2) | 60.7 (15.9) | 59.7 (15.4) | 52.3 (11.3) | 43.5 (6.4) | 33.4 (0.8) | 28.2 (−2.1) | 26.9 (−2.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 20 (−7) | 25 (−4) | 28 (−2) | 33 (1) | 38 (3) | 47 (8) | 43 (6) | 51 (11) | 46 (8) | 35 (2) | 24 (−4) | 21 (−6) | 20 (−7) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.40 (36) | 1.32 (34) | 1.39 (35) | 0.62 (16) | 0.38 (9.7) | 0.09 (2.3) | 0.04 (1.0) | 0.00 (0.00) | 0.04 (1.0) | 0.37 (9.4) | 0.67 (17) | 1.19 (30) | 7.51 (191.4) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.51) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 6.8 | 6.1 | 5.6 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 5.9 | 35.9 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Source 1: NOAA[21] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020)[22] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 805 | — | |
| 1930 | 2,632 | 227.0% | |
| 1940 | 4,573 | 73.7% | |
| 1950 | 8,717 | 90.6% | |
| 1960 | 11,913 | 36.7% | |
| 1970 | 14,559 | 22.2% | |
| 1980 | 16,491 | 13.3% | |
| 1990 | 22,762 | 38.0% | |
| 2000 | 38,824 | 70.6% | |
| 2010 | 53,041 | 36.6% | |
| 2020 | 51,428 | −3.0% | |
| The "1920" population is for 1928; U.S. Decennial Census[23] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[24] | Pop 2010[25] | Pop 2020[26] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 3,556 | 3,980 | 2,391 | 9.16% | 7.50% | 4.65% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,997 | 4,007 | 2,695 | 5.14% | 7.55% | 5.24% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 88 | 154 | 155 | 0.23% | 0.29% | 0.30% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 5,902 | 6,436 | 7,079 | 15.20% | 12.13% | 13.76% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 12 | 22 | 35 | 0.03% | 0.04% | 0.07% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 86 | 77 | 118 | 0.22% | 0.15% | 0.23% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 599 | 452 | 502 | 1.54% | 0.85% | 0.98% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 26,584 | 37,913 | 38,453 | 68.47% | 71.48% | 74.77% |
| Total | 38,824 | 53,041 | 51,428 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The2020 United States census reported that Delano had a population of 51,428. The population density was 3,494.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,349.3/km2). The racial makeup of Delano was 14.0%White, 5.4%African American, 2.0%Native American, 14.5%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 50.0% fromother races, and 14.0% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 74.8% of the population.[27]
The census reported that 83.7% of the population lived in households, 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 15.9% were institutionalized.[27]
There were 11,113 households, out of which 55.7% included children under the age of 18, 52.4% were married-couple households, 7.6% werecohabiting couple households, 25.4% had a female householder with no partner present, and 14.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 10.7% of households were one person, and 5.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.88.[27] There were 9,467families (85.2% of all households).[28]
The age distribution was 26.0% under the age of 18, 11.3% aged 18 to 24, 32.7% aged 25 to 44, 21.1% aged 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 135.8 males.[27]
There were 11,572 housing units at an average density of 786.4 units per square mile (303.6 units/km2), of which 11,113 (96.0%) were occupied. Of these, 56.5% were owner-occupied, and 43.5% were occupied by renters.[27]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 34.0% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 27.1% spoke only English at home, 62.3% spokeSpanish, 0.4% spoke otherIndo-European languages, 9.4% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.8% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 63.1% were high school graduates and 8.2% had a bachelor's degree.[29]
The median household income was $61,817, and theper capita income was $19,266. About 14.0% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line.[30]
TheDelano Union School District operates eight elementary schools and three middle schools. TheDelano Joint Union High School District provides three comprehensive high schools, a continuation high school,[31] and an adult education center.[31]
Bakersfield College, acommunity college, serves the community of Delano and the rural communities of northern Kern and southernTulare counties with a satellite campus at the Delano Center, approximately 35 miles north of the main campus inBakersfield, California.
_(2012-01-29).jpg)
The Delano Area Rapid Transit (DART) provides fixed route bus service on four routes and demand responsive public transportation service (Dial-A- Ride) to the residents of Delano and the immediate county area surrounding the city within the boundaries of State Route 43 to the west, County Line Road to the north, Pond Road to the south, and Kyte Avenue to the east.[33]
TheDelano Municipal Airport is an uncontrolled airfield with a 5,651-foot runway and light aviation services, and is open to the public. There is no scheduled airline service, but the airport serves a variety of other significant users. Many military, air charter, air ambulance, and other flying services operate from the airport on a regular basis.[34]
The Cinco De Mayo Fiesta celebrates Mexican culture with live entertainment and a carnival at Memorial Park. This four-day celebrations commemoratesCinco de Mayo.[35]
Delano is home to the Annual Philippine Weekend festival which celebrates Filipino Culture through performing arts and cultural activities. The festival aims to continue the preservation of the art and history of the Philippines.[36] The festival includes a porkadobo cook-off, grand parade, barrio fiesta, basketball tournament, cultural entertainment, live performance, dance and singing contest, andbingo.
September 16 Celebration
Harvest Holidays off with a golf tournament, softball tournament and10k run. The Grand Marshal and Queenbarbecue is held on Saturday after the Kiddie Parade. Furthermore, the city of Delano, in addition to the Delano Union Elementary School District, host the Harvest Holidays Kiddie Parade, which allows the young ones to be the stars for a day as they wave to the crowds down Main Street. The four day event ends with carnival rides, games, food, and music at Memorial Park.[35]
Christmas Parade[35]
The nearbySequoia National Forest includes a vast number ofGiant Sequoia groves, impressivegranite monoliths, scenic canyons and meadows. The Tule Elk State Reserve provides protection to theTule elk which in the past were in danger of extinction. Lake Woollomes is a popular location. TheKern National Wildlife Refuge is nearby. The Shirley Meadows Ski Area, located onGreen Horn Mountain provides skiing opportunities. The nearbyKern River andIsabella Lake are popular during the summer.[37]
The city of Delano has thirteen parks for families and children to enjoy.[38]
Delano has foursister cities, as designated bySister Cities International:[39]
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
