Manhole Covers of Kettleman City, California

Created 14 January 2008

This page was last updated on 23 November 2008
All photos copyrighted by David L. Magney 2006

This is a study of manhole covers from the town of Kettleman City, Kings County, California.


Manhole Covers of Kettleman City, Kings County, California

Kettleman City is a small rural farming crossroads town in the western Kings County on the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley, at an average elevation of around 234 feet above sea level.   Kettleman City is a crossroads town, and was named after the Kettleman Hills, which were named after rancher Dave Kettleman.   The town used to be on the western edge of Tulare Lake and was a ferry landing site, but the lake dried up in the 1920s.   Kettleman City was founded in 1929 by developer Manford Brown, but is unincorporated.   Kettleman City currently has a population of 1,719 in 2007.   Kettleman City citizens are composed of 5.4% Caucasians, 92.7% Hispanics, and 2.5% Native American.   The median household income for Kettleman City residents is $29,309 and the per capita income is $17,504.   Only about 1.5% of Kettleman City citizens over 25 years of age have earned a Bachelor's degree or higher and only 18.8% have graduated from high school.

Two highways pass through Kettleman City, Interstate 5 and State Route 46.   The average commute time for working Kettleman City residents is 20 minutes, indicating that a large percentage works near town.   Ranching and farming are the primary economy of Kettleman City and Kings County.   Cotton, fruit, grapes, and nuts are primary crops supporting Kettleman City and Kings County.   Dairy farming is very important, first established in Kings County in 1893.   The first vineyard was planted in 1890.   The climate is hot in the summer and cool, often foggy, in the winter, with only about 10 inches of precipitation during the winter months.   Additional information about Kettleman City can be found at Kettleman City Info.



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