Delano, California

Delano (də-LAY-noh), California is located at an elevation of just over 300 feet along U.S. Highway 99 at the north end of Kern County, within the vast San Joaquin Valley. The topography of the area is level to gently rolling countryside. Annual rainfall is usually under 10 inches. Freezing temperatures are uncommon before November or after March. Delano is the second largest city in Kern County, which in turn is the third largest county in California, after San Bernardino and Inyo Counties. Tulare County, home to Sequoia National Park, borders Delano on the north. Bakersfield, the largest city in Kern County, is located about 31 miles to the south-southeast of Delano. Delano is known for its affordable housing, opportunities for recreation, and diverse population. Area cost of living is below the national average and well below the cost of living for many of California’s major metropolitan areas.

Delano enjoys mild winters, very warm summers, and abundant sunshine. State and federal water projects provide the area with abundant water supplies for irrigation. Delano is centrally located in one of the world’s most productive agricultural areas. In fact, Delano is surrounded by farmland, most of which is irrigated. The Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District operates in the area and serves over 450 landowners through 172 miles of pressurized pipes. The source of the irrigation water is the Friant Dam and Millerton Lake behind it, located on the San Joaquin River in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains twenty-five miles northeast of Fresno. Delano is known as a table grape growing region. Other important area commodities include almonds, corn, pistachios, nursery crops, citrus, dairy, carrots, cattle, alfalfa, beekeeping, eggs & egg products, potatoes, pomegranates, garlic, cotton, tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. One of the world’s largest citrus packinghouses is located in Delano, with a 600,000-square-foot processing and packing facility and storage warehouse with 17 shipping docks. Agriculture is Delano’s major industry and employs more workers than any other industry.

Several expansive logistics warehouses are located in Delano. Delano has a state-designated enterprise zone that provides businesses with hiring credits, sales and use tax credits, and investment credits. Parts of Delano are located in a HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) Zone. The HUB Zone Empowerment Contracting Program stimulates economic development and creates jobs by providing Federal contracting preferences to small businesses. Kern Valley State Prison and North Kern State Prison are major area employers. Delano Municipal Airport, which first opened in 1940, is adjacent an industrial park. Hangars are available for rent at the airport. San Joaquin Helicopters Heliport is located in Delano. A business license is required for all businesses operating within the city limits of Delano.

Bakersfield College has a Delano campus. Delano Joint Union High School District, and Delano Union School District, with over 6,000 students, are major area employers. The education services industry is the second largest employer in Delano.

Adventist Health Delano is a major area employer. The healthcare industry is the third largest industry in Delano.

Located on the site of what was once the largest freshwater wetland in the Western United States, the 11,249-acre Kern National Wildlife Refuge provides refuge for migratory waterfowl and wading birds. Pixley National Wildlife Refuge is a short distance to the north in Tulare County. The 6,389-acre refuge contains approximately 300 acres of managed wetlands. It also has some of the last remaining significant areas of southern San Joaquin Valley grassland habitat. Area rivers include the Kern, Tule, Kaweah, and Kings Rivers. 65.5 miles of the Kings River and 123.1 miles of the Kern River are designated as wild under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The Kings River traverses the second deepest canyon in North America. The North Fork of the Kern River is one of the steepest and wildest whitewater rivers in the United States. Nearby Sequoia National Forest, which covers more than 1.1 million acres, features giant sequoia groves, granite monolith dooms, majestic canyons and meadows, and over 1,147 miles of hiking trails. Nearby Lake Woollomes—which is an equalizing reservoir for the Friant-Kern Canal, which in turn is used for irrigating agricultural land in the area—features a picnic area, fishing, swimming, and boating. Another area attraction, a short distance to the north in Tulare County, is Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, which preserves Allensworth, an early 20^th century town founded by African-Americans. The Tachi Palace Casino Resort is in nearby Lemoore. The Eagle Mountain Casino is located in nearby Porterville.

The Mayor and City Council members are elected “at large”—meaning that they do not represent separate districts. Delano has its own police department. The Kern County Fire Department provides fire services for Delano. Local government is a major area employer. City boards and commissions include the Oversight Board, Planning Commission, Community Law Enforcement Liaison Broad, and the Pension Committee.

The Delano area was originally inhabited by the Yokuts of the San Joaquin Valley. The word “Yokuts” means people. The Yokuts gathered plant foods and hunted deer, antelope, and elk. Delano was founded in 1869 and was named after Columbus Delano, who at the time was Secretary of the Interior under the administration of then President Hiram Ulysses Grant. Delano was located along the Southern Pacific Railroad. Delano incorporated in 1915. The first headquarters of the United Farm Workers labor union was located in Delano. Delano was formerly the home of a Voice of America (a United States funded international broadcaster) shortwave transmitter.

The attorneys at Kokozian Law Firm, APC practice employment law and represent workers throughout Delano, Kern, Kings, and Tulare Counties, and in such towns as McFarland, Earlimart, Pixley, and Wasco. We represent workers concerning employment discrimination and wrongful termination claims. We also represent workers concerning harassment and wage and hour claims. We uphold the rights of agricultural workers and office workers alike. If you believe your employer or former employer has violated your rights, call the experienced employment law attorneys at Kokozian Law Firm, APC or Contact Us via our online form.