Delano (/dəˈleɪnoʊ/ də-LAY-noh) is a city in Kern County, California, United States.

The Voice of America once operated one of its largest, most powerful shortwave broadcast facilities at a station outside Delano at 35°45′15″N 119°17′7″W / 35.75417°N 119.28528°W / 35.75417; -119.28528.

The name was officially given by the Southern Pacific Railroad in honor of Columbus Delano,[13] at the time the Secretary of the Interior (1870–1875)[14] for the United States.

Meanwhile, the merchandise that formerly was trucked south from Visalia to Bakersfield and then to Walker Pass, or perhaps Tejon Pass, en route to Los Angeles, now coming via freight from the south, east and west, was likewise trucked in by ox or mule team.

Delano became the northern terminus for the passenger stages that ran south to Bakersfield and Los Angeles.

Delano was a major hub of farm worker organization efforts and Chicano political movements.

Filipino immigrants Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Dulay Itliong were instrumental in shaping the direction of farm worker movement in the 1950s.

[15] On September 8, 1965, Larry Itliong and other Filipino leaders led the predominantly Filipino Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) in a "walk off" from table grape farms, now known as the Delano grape strike.

The National Farm Workers' Association (NFWA), a largely Hispanic union led by Cesar Chavez, joined the strike within a week.

During the strike, the two groups joined forces and formed the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).

Other major employers include Adventist Health Hospital Delano, Walmart, The Home Depot, Sears no longer here closed down (distribution only; no retail), Vallarta Supermarkets, Delano Joint Union High School District, Delano Union Elementary School District, and the North Kern-South Tulare Hospital District.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37 km2); over 99% of which is land.Delano's climate is typical of the San Joaquin Valley.

The Delano Area Rapid Transit (DART) provides fixed route bus service on four routes and demand responsive public transportation service (Dial-A- Ride) to the residents of Delano and the immediate county area surrounding the city within the boundaries of State Route 43 to the west, County Line Road to the north, Pond Road to the south, and Kyte Avenue to the east.

[28] The Delano Municipal Airport is an uncontrolled airfield with a 5,651-foot runway and light aviation services, and is open to the public.

[29] The Cinco De Mayo Fiesta celebrates Mexican culture with live entertainment and a carnival at Memorial Park.

[31] The festival includes a pork adobo cook-off, grand parade, barrio fiesta, basketball tournament, cultural entertainment, live performance, dance and singing contest, and bingo.

Furthermore, the city of Delano, in addition to the Delano Union Elementary School District, host the Harvest Holidays Kiddie Parade, which allows the young ones to be the stars for a day as they wave to the crowds down Main Street.

The four day event ends with carnival rides, games, food, and music at Memorial Park.