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Hanford-Corcoran metropolitan area

Kings County, California
County
County of Kings
Kings County
Kings County
Flag of Kings County, California
Flag
Official seal of Kings County, California
Seal
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
California's location in the United States
California's location in the United States
Country  United States of America
State  California
Region San Joaquin Valley
Metropolitan area Hanford-Corcoran
Established March 22, 1893
County seat Hanford
Largest city Hanford
Area
 • Total 1,392 sq mi (3,610 km2)
 • Land 1,389 sq mi (3,600 km2)
 • Water 2.1 sq mi (5 km2)
Population (April 1, 2010)
 • Total 152,982
 • Estimate (2015) 150,965
 • Density 110/sq mi (42/km2)
Time zone Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
Area code 559
FIPS code 06-031
GNIS feature ID 277280
Website countyofkings.com

Kings County is a county in the U.S. state of California. The population was 152,982 at the 2010 census. The California Department of Finance estimated the county's population was 149,407 as of July 1, 2016. The county seat is Hanford.

Kings County comprises the Hanford-Corcoran, CA metropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the Visalia-Porterville-Hanford, CA combined statistical area. It is in the San Joaquin Valley, a rich agricultural region.

The area was inhabited for thousands of years by American Indians including the Tachi Yokuts tribe. It was colonized by Spain, Mexico and the United States.

An 1805 expedition probably led by Spanish Army Lieutenant Gabriel Moraga recorded discovering the river, which they named El Rio de los Santos Reyes (River of the Holy Kings) after the Three Wise Men of the Bible. At the time of the United States conquest of California in 1848, the new government changed the name to Kings River after which the county was named.

In 1880, a dispute over land titles between settlers and the Southern Pacific Railroad resulted in a bloody gun battle on a farm 5.6 mi (9.0 km) northwest of Hanford; seven men died. This event became known as the Mussel Slough Tragedy.


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