Lebec is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in southwestern Kern County, California, located in Castac Valley between the San Emigdio and Tehachapi Mountains. With a population of 1,239 at the 2020 census, it sits squarely on the Tejon Pass route of Interstate 5, the principal highway link between the Los Angeles Basin and California's Central Valley. The community lies about 40 miles south of Bakersfield and is the anchor of the Mountain Communities of the Tejon Pass, which also include Frazier Park, Lake of the Woods, Pinon Pines, and Pine Mountain Club. The area's history runs deep. Fort Tejon, a U.S. Army post that operated from 1854 to 1864, is preserved today as Fort Tejon State Historic Park and remains a local landmark, complete with its original barracks and parade grounds. The community takes its name from Peter Lebeck, a figure associated with the fort's early history whose grave is part of the park. The surrounding region was long shaped by the Tejon Ranch, one of California's great historic landholdings, and the Tejon Ranch Company is headquartered in Lebec. Economically, Lebec serves as a hub for the mountain communities, providing schools, services, and highway-oriented businesses along Interstate 5. The Outlets at Tejon and the nearby Grapevine grade anchor commerce and travel, while the surrounding national forest and mountain terrain support a recreation-oriented lifestyle. The Grapevine, one of the state's best-known highway climbs, begins at the foot of the grade and defines much of the region's identity. For residents, Lebec offers mountain living with exceptional highway access. The El Tejon Unified School District serves the pass communities, and Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area plus the forests of the San Emigdio Mountains provide ample outdoor recreation. Lebec is a place for those who want a quieter, higher-elevation home base while remaining connected to two major California population centers.