Edison (formerly, Wade) is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) in the Tehachapi mountains of Kern County, California. It is located 7.5 mi east-southeast of downtown Bakersfield, at an elevation of 571 feet. In 1902, the Edison Electric Company built a substation on the site. The Southern Pacific Railroad arrived at Wade in 1903, and changed the name to Edison. In 1928 oil was found nearby, and the Edison Oil Field gradually developed, peaking in the 1950s. The community is within the administrative boundaries of the oilfield, and active wells surround the town. The Edison post office opened in 1903, closed in 1929, and re-opened in 1946.

Demographics

Edison first appeared as a census designated place in the 2020 U.S. Census.

2020 Census