 Tehachapi (IPA: [tʰə·ˈhæ·tʃɨ·pʰi]) is a city incorporated in 1909 located in its namesake Tehachapi Mountains between Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County, California. The area is known for its Tehachapi Loop and for its electricity generating wind turbines. A California state prison has long been located in the area. The population was 10,957 at the 2000 census. As of 2006 the total population of the Tehachapi area is estimated at 35,000 including surrounding areas. The populated places in the vicinity of the incorporated City of Tehachapi include Golden Hills, Old Town, Bear Valley Springs, Stallion Springs, Oak Knolls, Alpine Forest, Mountain Meadows, Old West Ranch, Sand Canyon, Keene, and Hart Flat. The Greater Tehachapi Area has a 25 mile radius. Tehachapi's Elevation ranges from 3,969 feet to 7,981 feet (Double Mountain).
The area in and around the city is also known for its apple orchards, though these have decreased in the last few decades. Its four seasons climate and rural ambiance has of late attracted retirees to the city. Retired actor Jack Palance of City Slickers fame lives in the area.
Tehachapi was preceded by a settlement a few miles west of it called Williamsburg or "Tehichipa" which was in existence in the 1870's. After the Southern Pacific (SP) railroad (now merged into the Union Pacific) established its line through the mountains in 1876 Williamsburg saw its business taken away by the SP's newer location, eventually called Tehachapi Summit. Later its name was shortened to simply Tehachapi. The original SP railroad depot, still standing, helped start the beginning of the downtown core. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest building built in downtown Tehachapi.
The limestone mine and cement plant at Monolith, located northeast of the city, has been in operation since 1908. Cement from this operation helped build such engineering works as the 1913 Los Angeles Aqueduct—its first project—as well as the massive Hoover Dam dedicated for use in 1936.
The Dust Bowl migrants—known regionally here as Okies and made famous by John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath came through the area on their way to the southern San Joaquin Valley, especially in and around Bakersfield, at the time of the 1930s Great Depression.
On July 21, 1952 Tehachapi was devastated by a magnitude 7.5 (Richter scale) earthquake on the little known White Wolf fault. Unreinforced brick buildings resulted in major building destruction at that time, but have now long since been outlawed in California building codes.
The origin of the city's name is in dispute. Possibilities include Native American words expressing:
- sweetwater and acorns (from the area's many oak trees)
- windy place
Tehachapi is known for its four-season climate, which can be considered special in California. It hails a lot in fall and spring. Average temperatures range from 98 °F (37 °C) in July (with overnight lows of 70 °F (or 21 °C) to 56 °F (14 °C) in December (with overnight lows of 41 °F or 5 °C). The area often collects 5 to 15 inches (13 to 38 cm) of snow several times each winter.
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