Avenal, California

Avenal, California
The Avenal Theater in 2011
Location of Avenal in Kings County, California
Avenal
Location in the contiguous United States
Coordinates: 36°00′15″N 120°07′44″W / 36.00417°N 120.12889°W / 36.00417; -120.12889
Country United States
State California
CountyKings
IncorporatedSeptember 11, 1979
Government
 • City Council
  • Alvaro Preciado (Mayor)
  • Alejandro Ramirez (Mayor Pro Tem)
  • Louis Gravalle
  • Ricardo Verdugo
  • Pablo Hernandez
 • City ManagerAntony V. López
 • Police ChiefRobert A. Nevárez
Area
 • Total
19.48 sq mi (50.46 km2)
 • Land19.48 sq mi (50.46 km2)
 • Water0 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation
807 ft (246 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
13,696
 • Density703.0/sq mi (271.42/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
93204
Area code559
FIPS code06-03302
GNIS feature IDs1660285, 2409764
Websitewww.cityofavenal.com

Avenal (Spanish for "Oat field") is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Avenal is located 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 807 ft (246 m). It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran metropolitan area (MSA Code 25260), which encompasses all of Kings County. In area, it is the fourth-largest city in Kings County. As of the 2020 census, Avenal had a population of 13,696, which includes inmates at the Avenal State Prison, the first prison actively solicited by a community in the state of California. Many of the remaining residents largely either work at the prison or in the agriculture industry. The prison provides approximately 1,000 jobs to residents. The California Department of Finance estimated that Avenal's population was 13,496 on July 1, 2019. As of that date, Avenal State Prison held 4,165 inmates, which was about 32% of the total population of Avenal. Inmates are counted as city residents by both the United States census and the California Department of Finance.