Blood & Biohazard Cleanup Near Downtown Buttonwillow Buttonwillow, CA

Buttonwillow is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, 26 miles west of Bakersfield.

The town was originally called Buena Vista when it was laid out in 1895, but the name quickly became Buttonwillow, and its first post office was established the same year.

Buttonwillow was named for a lone buttonbush tree that served as a landmark on an old trans-valley trail and an ancient Yokuts meeting place; the tree is California Historical Landmark No. 492, the Buttonwillow Tree.

The Miller & Lux cattle company established its headquarters and a store near the Buttonwillow Tree around 1885.

The center of population of California - the point where the state's population balances - is located in Buttonwillow.

Buttonwillow had a population of 1,337 at the 2020 census, down from 1,508 at the 2010 census, living in 365 households that average 3.66 people each.

Renters are in the majority in Buttonwillow: about 56% of its occupied homes are renter-occupied.

About 81% of Buttonwillow residents are Hispanic or Latino, and the community is young, with a median age of just 28.7 years.

Buttonwillow's main industry is cotton farming, and the surrounding area is known locally as 'cotton country.'

Buttonwillow is a major stop for motorists on Interstate 5 at the State Route 58 exit, and it serves as the motel hub for events at the nearby Buttonwillow Raceway Park, owned by the Sports Car Club of America's Cal Club region.