Inyokern is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Its name derives from its location near the border between Inyo and Kern Counties. Inyokern is located 8 miles west of Ridgecrest, at an elevation of 2,434 feet. It is on the western side of the Indian Wells Valley. The population was 988 in the 2020 census, down from 1,099 in the 2010 census.