Maricopa

Understand

Maricopa is a small community nestled in the southwest corner of the San Joaquin Valley. Agriculture and oil production are the primary employers for the residents.

Get in

Maricopa rests at the intersection of California Highways 33 and 166. From the west, CA-166 connects Santa Maria and US-101 with Maricopa, about 80 miles of driving. From the east, Maricopa is 23 miles from I-15. From the north, CA-33, also known as the West Side Highway, connects to Maricopa from Taft and Coalinga.

Go next

• Carrizo Plain National Monument - Take CA-33/CA-166 south for 9 miles, then turn right on Soda Lake Rd. This remote national monument is home to the largest remaining native grassland in California. During wet years it boasts spectacular wildflowers in the spring, and Soda Lake is an important wintering area for waterfowl when precipitation is sufficient to flood the seasonal lakebed. The park is also home to Painted Rock, a Native American site that has been adorned with pictographs over thousands of years. Services are extremely limited, with just a small visitor center, two primitive campgrounds, and a handful of marked trails available.
• Taft - Located seven miles north of Maricopa Highway 33, Taft is an oil town that offers food, gas, and lodging services. Taft is also home to the West Kern Oil Museum and a replica of Sutter's fort that was built in 1940 as a Depression-era project.
• The Grapevine - The Grapevine is a corridor along I-5 that is located east of Maricopa and is home to the outlets at Tejon and a slew of traveler-focused restaurants and hotels for the thousands of cars traveling on I-5.
• Bakersfield - Northeast of Maricopa. Nicknamed "the country music capital of the West Coast", Bakersfield is the largest city in the southern San Joaquin Valley and is thus the best option for those seeking lodging, transportation, or other services.
• Ojai - Located 73 miles to the south, Ojai is a popular weekend getaway for Southern California residents, offering wine tasting, art galleries, hiking, horseback riding, spas, and a rustic environment for those looking to escape the big cities.
• Santa Maria - 79 miles to the west on Highway 166, Santa Maria is the largest city in Santa Barbara County, and is probably best known as the original home of barbecue tri-tip, now referred to as Santa Maria style barbecue. The area is also one of the state's largest wine-producing regions, and has been a filming location for films ranging from The Ten Commandments to Pirates of the Caribbean.