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 (51 km) west-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 955 feet (291 m). The population was 8,546 at the 2020 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.3 square miles (39.6 km2).