Inyokern is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Its name derives from its location near the border between Inyo and Kern Counties. Inyokern is located 8mi west of Ridgecrest, at an elevation of 2434 feet . It is on the western side of the Indian Wells Valley. The population was 1,099 at the 2010 census, up from 984 at the 2000 census. It was a railroad town established along the Southern Pacific railroad Lone Pine Branch . It is served by Inyokern Airport.GeographyInyokern is located at. It lies in Indian Wells Valley, with the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada rising to the west.It is on U.S. Route 395, the main north-south artery, connecting the Inland Empire to Reno, Nevada. US 395 also connects Inyokern to Los Angeles via State Route 14 through Palmdale.State Route 178, the main east-west artery, connects Inyokern to Bakersfield, the county seat, via Lake Isabella in the west, and to Death Valley via Ridgecrest in the east.