Taft is a city in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California. Taft is located 32 miles west-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 955 feet. The population was 9,327 at the 2010 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.1 square miles. It was named for President William Howard Taft in 1909.