Rural cultural and commercial hub near the geographic center of California
Among the flat, sandy land of the San Joaquin Valley, Hanford is Kings County’s largest city and the county seat. The growing commercial and cultural hub is still fairly rural, surrounded by dairies, ranches and farms in the larger Central Valley region. This gives the city a small-town-like feel despite being home to over 59,000 people, according to the city’s website. This is a far cry from the tiny Chinese immigrant camp that became a railroad town and trading center for the region in the 1870s. The Kings County Fairgrounds and Speedway keep people entertained on weekends year-round, while the nearby Sierra Nevada and Coast Mountain Ranges offer challenging trails. Plus, Hume Lake is an hour away for a day of skiing.
Hanford is surrounded by the farmland and dairies of the San Joaquin Valley.
The Carnegie Museum in Hanford was built in 1905 in the Romanesque Revival style.
The Kings Fairgrounds in Hanford hosts swap meets and races.
Hanford has several independent dairies that produce milk for the entire country.
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Hundreds of acres of parks, historic libraries and China Alley
The city maintains 21 parks covering over 200 acres of green space and landscaped street medians. There are three off-leash dog parks, an aquatic center, a fitness center and an upcoming skate park. Each spot has unique elements, as evidenced by the city’s two largest green spaces. Hidden Valley Park features a duck pond, playground and a seasonal splash pad, while Centennial Park is more sports-focused with a running track, baseball fields and basketball and tennis courts. Sports fans can also visit the Kings County Fairgrounds and Speedway. The Fairgrounds are home to the annual Kings Fair each June where people from around the region come to see livestock shows, beef grading competitions and live music. On various weekends throughout the year, the Kings Speedway hosts winged 410 and 360 Sprint Cars and monster trucks as they race for prizes or charities.
Kings County Library received $13 million from the Building Forward project in 2023 to improve its branches for the first time in decades. The library system hopes the updates will provide refurbished spaces and increased resources for the community. To do that, the Hanford and Lemoore buildings will close for 10 months during 2025. “The library in downtown Hanford will move to a temporary location where DVDs and books can still be checked out,” says Cindy Guitierrez, a librarian at the Kings County Library’s Hanford Branch. “The exact date of the renovations is still not set, but the library’s online programs, like Pronunciator, will still be available.”
The Carnegie Museum of Kings County began in 1905 as a Carnegie Library and today is part of the Hanford History Trail. The Romanesque building now houses exhibits on the county’s history and displays virtual collections on its website. The Children’s Storybook Garden & Museum offers educational programs and activities on horticulture, history, literacy and life science. It hosts year-round events for all ages and has nearly 20 individual gardens and buildings to explore. China Alley is a vibrant historic area named for the Chinese immigrants who arrived in the 1870s. Its most famous building is the 1882 Taoist Temple, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The Taoist Temple Museum along China Alley in Hanford was built in 1893.
The Children's Storybook Garden & Museum in Hanford offers events for children to learn and enjoy.
Hanford residents can check out a book or DVD at the Kings County Library.
Hidden Valley Park provides a refreshing Splash Pad for Hanford children to enjoy.
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Historic shopping districts, Hanford Mall and international eateries
The historic downtown was destroyed by fire multiple times in the city’s early years. It was rebuilt in the early 1900s and still contains buildings from the 1920s, such as the Civic Auditorium. In the 1970s, the city began refurbishing the area, and in the 1980s, downtown was made into a historic district to encourage further revitalization of underused buildings. Main Street Hanford continues this mission today while supporting over 350 businesses and restaurants. It also sponsors the weekly Thursday Night Market Place in Civic Park from May through October. This event turns the spotlight on local vendors of fresh produce and artisanal goods.
Hanford Mall is the city’s main shopping center. The only regional mall in Hanford contains over 70 stores and restaurants, including national retailers like JCPenney. There’s also a Cinemark movie theatre and a trampoline park. Restaurants are concentrated around Lacey Boulevard, 10th and 12th Avenues and 7th Street. Locally owned diners, pizza parlors, breweries and cocktail bars mingle with national chain restaurants and serve an array of international cuisines. Walmart and Target are two grocery options on 12th Avenue, while smaller markets are on 10th Avenue.
Enjoy a hot beverage and conversation at One Eleven Coffee in dowtown Hanford.
Hanford residents enjoy the shopping convenience of their local Target.
The Hanford Mall offers residents several name brand stores and restaurants.
Hanford residents enjoy coming down to the Civic Center Park to picnic at the auditorium.
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Housing in Kings County’s seat selling below the national average
Hanford is a quickly growing city with housing stock spanning the past 125 years. Approximately 75% of dwellings are single-family homes, with some manufactured houses and apartment complexes mixed in. Half of the homes here were built between the 1970s and the’90s, although there are turn–of–the–century Victorian-style houses and Craftsman homes from the 1910s. Midcentury ranch-styles and bungalows are among the most prominent architectural designs, but housing developments with contemporary or neo-Craftsman homes are going up as well. The latest, Northstar Courts, opened in the city’s northern section in October of 2024 with 72-units. Most manufactured houses are from the 1970s and ‘80s and are found in mobile estates on 10th and 11th Avenues. Thanks to the expanding population, the city has a competitive housing market where property values rose over 3% during 2024. Homes sell for an average price of $385,000, less than the national average of $420,000.
Modern traditional style homes make up most of the newer homes in Hanford.
Many of the downtown Hanford early 20th century homes are Victorian style inspired.
Manufactured homes offer a housing alternative to Hanford home shoppers.
Higher-end apartment complexes have been popping up in Hanford for the last few years.
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Almost 20 combined facilities across two Kings County school districts
The Hanford Elementary School District and the Hanford Joint Union High School District serve the city. The elementary district manages 11 schools with a combined 5,500 students. It’s home to a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School and operates an after-school enrichment program called READY. The district was also awarded nearly $2 million to replace five diesel-burning buses with low-emission electric buses.
The high school district oversees seven facilities enrolling over 4,100 students. It has an extensive Career Technical Education Program with over a dozen specialized pathways, including agriscience, business finance and management and web design. The district is supported by the Hanford Education Foundation, which raises funds to award students scholarships and expand educational programs.
A large metal H and W anchor the flag pole outside the entrance to Hanford West High School.
A lighted marquee in front of John F. Kennedy Junior High School informs parents of events.
An old school bell is featured at the entrance to Kings River-Hardwick Elementary School.
A large sign at the entrance of George Washington Elementary School greets students.
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Transportation through the Central Valley
State Highways 198 and 43 are the city’s most significant roadways, respectively, leading to places like Visalia and Corcoran. Kings Area Regional Transit operates ten local bus routes and six out-of-town routes connecting to nearby Central Valley cities. The Amtrak San Joaquins line connects Hanford to Bakersfield, Fresno and San Luis Obispo. The train tracks and highways can create noise pollution during heavy travel periods. People typically travel around 24 minutes one-way to work, comparable to the national average commute of 27 minutes. Fresno lies 33 miles north, and the Fresno Yosemite International Airport is 1 mile beyond that. Bakersfield is 87 miles south, and Interstate 5 is 40 miles west, eventually leading to Sacramento.
Despite being the seat of Kings County, Hanford is only somewhat walkable and has no Class 1 bike lanes. To rectify this, in 2024, over $7 million in state funding was secured to place sidewalks and bike lanes beside a widened portion of 10th Avenue. The city hopes this will attract new businesses and encourage people to explore the area.
An industrial-focused city served by Adventist Health
Adventist Health Hanford operates a 173-bed hospital, a community clinic and a medical pavilion with imaging and laboratory services. It’s the primary healthcare provider for Hanford and the surrounding area, providing jobs for more than 3,000 people. The city’s other prominent industrial sectors include food processing, manufacturing and agricultural services. Employers such as Tesla, Conagra Brands, Del Monte Foods and BECO Dairy Automation provide most area jobs.
Hanford has the the one and only tomato processing plant in Del Monte.
Conagra Foods in Hanford is a food production facility that specializes in manufacturing a variety of food products.
BECO Dairy Automation has provided expertise to Hanford area dairies since 1958.
Hanford residents benefit from the skilled expertise of Adventist Health medical staff.
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Sunny days, varying air quality and Hanford crime rates
Hanford has a semi-arid climate, with hot, dry summers, cold winters and low humidity. Annual rainfall is around nine inches, with over 280 days of sunshine each year. The combination of little precipitation and the number of hot days can deplete the city's groundwater and increase the risk of wildfires. The city also experiences over 35 days of unhealthy air quality per year. People are advised to wear masks outdoors and use air purifiers when possible.
The city’s violent crime rate is below California’s average but above the national average. In Hanford, one person out of 229 is likely to experience violent crime as opposed to one in 200 people throughout the state. Property crime rates are below both the national and California averages. One in 43 people in the state are likely to fall victim to theft or burglary, while one in 65 are at risk in Hanford.
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