Oildale is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States.

Oildale is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north-northwest of downtown Bakersfield,[4] at an elevation of 469 feet (143 m).

It is an unincorporated suburban town just north of Bakersfield across the Kern River, west of the Kern River Oil Field, and east of Highway 99.

Previously called Waits[2] and North Side,[4] Oildale was founded in 1909 when Samuel Dickinson subdivided his land.

[4] Most of the original U-2 spy planes flown out of Groom Lake were built at a secret factory in Oildale disguised as a tire factory, just west of Meadows Field Airport on Norris Road.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.533 square miles (16.920 km2), all of it land.

Oildale is adjacent to three large oil fields, including two of the largest in California.

There were 11,952 housing units at an average density of 1,856.9 per square mile (717.0/km2).

The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.99% White, 0.34% Black or African American, 2.19% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.79% from other races, and 3.29% from two or more races.