About Hanford, California

Located in the Central Valley of California, Hanford is a commercial, cultural center and the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran metropolitan area (MSA Code 25260), which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities of Hanford and Corcoran. Hanford’s primary base economy is services, government and agriculture. The California Department of Finance estimated that the city’s population was 57,703 as of 2019.

Incorporated in 1891, Hanford has steadily flourished into a community of more than 56,000 citizens. The City was named after James Madison Hanford in 1877, who was a Paymaster for the Central and Southern Pacific Railroad. The City of Hanford is full of small-town charm and rich history, and offers its residents a high quality of living along with larger-city amenities.