County
Kings County
This is the county layer. It is often the first stop for assessor, tax collector, recorder, court, social service, election, health, sheriff, and unincorporated-area services.
Starting point
Start with the county layer.
County offices are the usual first stop for records, taxes, courts, elections, public health, social services, sheriff services, and unincorporated-area routing.
Cities inside the county can still control city permits, local code, utilities, business licenses, and city-specific rules.
2025 population
154,327
Land area
1,390.972 sq mi
Water area
1.222 sq mi
Directory notes
Local layers to keep on the same page.
Property, taxes, and records
For assessed value, exemptions, ownership records, recording, and tax bills, county offices are usually the starting layer.
Unincorporated land
If an address is outside city limits, county planning, building, environmental health, fire, or public works may handle local permits and code work.
Courts, services, and alerts
Superior court, sheriff, elections, social services, emergency alerts, and health offices often start at the county level.
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for Kings County
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Hanford building permits need a complete submittal
Hanford building permit applications use the Citizen Self Service Portal, and the city asks applicants to submit a complete package with the required documents.
Place note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Hanford utility service starts at Utility Billing
Hanford Utility Billing handles customer billing for water, refuse, and sewer, and new service requires an application plus ID and lease or ownership paperwork.
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 4, 2026
My Hanford is the city report path for everyday issues
Hanford uses My Hanford, a web and mobile request system, for reports such as potholes, stray animals, code violations, graffiti, tripping hazards, and similar local issues.
Place note · History and culture · Reviewed July 2, 2026
Avenal's name starts with oats, then oil changes the map
Avenal's history moves from wild oats on the Kettleman Plains to an oil discovery that turned tents into a west-side Kings County town.
Place note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 1, 2026
Winter wood burning in the Valley gets a daily status
In the San Joaquin Valley, residential wood-burning rules can change by county and day during the winter Check Before You Burn season.
Almanac notes
Stories and local context near Kings County
Place note · History and culture
Corcoran's name sits between railroad and Tulare Lake stories
Corcoran's local history ties the city to a railroad junction, H. J. Whitley's development work, agriculture, the Tulare Lake Basin, and a name with two possible roots.
Place note · History and culture
NAS Lemoore is a huge aviation neighbor in farm country
Naval Air Station Lemoore gives the Kings County farm landscape a major Navy layer, with a base commissioned in 1961 and tied to carrier aviation.
Place note · History and culture
China Alley keeps Hanford's rural Chinatown story visible
Hanford's China Alley includes the 1893 Taoist Temple, surviving rural Chinatown features, railroad-era growth, and an important Kings County community story.