Tulare is a city in Tulare County, California. The population was 68,875 per the 2020 census. It is located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, …Tulare is a city in Tulare County, California. The population was 68,875 per the 2020 census. It is located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, 8 mi south of Visalia and 60 mi north of Bakersfield. The city is named after the Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes.