Kern County, California consists of the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural heart of the state. The county seat is the area's only major city, Bakersfield. Although relatively mundane, the county does sport a few attractions including Red Rock State Park, Edwards Air Force Base, Fort Tejon, and the China Lake Naval Weapons Testing Range. The 2 main arteries through the area are Interstate 5 and California Highway 99 (Former US Highway 99). It was also the location of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 1952.
It was once part of Los Angeles County.
* Kern County is not close to Orange County. It's like saying San Luis Obispo is near San Francisco.