From the remnants of old wooden oil derricks that stood as guardian sentinels to the green sloping hills of an oasis-like golf course, Taft is a city of contrasts—a quaint village on one hand, a progressive city on the rise on the other. From its colorful history to its dynamic present to its promising future, Taft is and will be for countless generations to come, a place to call home.

Built on the skeletons of oil rigs, Taft, named for the 27th president of the United States, has grown from a one-industry town to an inviting destination for tourists looking for relaxing fun in the sun, for businesses looking for a stable environment and for families looking for a place where neighbors are still neighbors. Taft has it all, and then some.

Since the discovery of a vast oil field near Taft in 1910, when Lakeview spewed nearly 50,000 barrels of precious crude a day, Taft's tides have ebbed and flowed with the times. Located just 35 minutes from teeming Bakersfield, Taft sits astride Highway 119, nestled in the foothills of the southwestern edge of the bountiful San Joaquin Valley. With a population of just over 8,900, Taft lays claim to another 9,000 residents living in surrounding areas of Taft Heights, Ford City and South Taft.

Settled by hardy pioneers with a hunger for adventure, settlers came to Taft seeking golden dreams and found black gold. Early settlements resembled mining towns, with tent cities and a few rough-hewn structures. To this barren, semi-arid wilderness came men and women with a vision of a future filled with schools and churches, services and neighbors, and room to grow. With the coming of the railroad, Taft's future was set. Permanent buildings were erected, a high school was built, water was discovered, a post office was established, a library was created, water service began to flow and a chamber of commerce was organized. Taft was on its way.

In the 1920s the first hospital was built for this teeming little metropolis, and throughout the war years, industry continued to expand. In its heyday, the oil industry boasted more than 7,000 oil wells that dotted the surrounding hillsides. Services to support that industry (pipefitters, foundaries, welding services, manufacturers and myriad other industries) began to sprout up, and the solid infrastructure upon which the modern Taft relies was developed.

Today, Taft has built upon that early solid foundation to become a modern, friendly community, still with that small-town friendliness and neighborliness, yet with all the amenities a growing family or thriving business looking to relocate could ask for. Taft's is a story of success. We invite you to join us.