Grass Valley, CA Road Trips
Drivers starting from Grass Valley, CA have 10 mapped routes to choose from, making it a small but connected base in the Pacific Coast. Routes from here tend to cover serious ground — the average trip runs 380 miles, so plan for multi-day adventures. Most routes from Grass Valley, CA head south, giving the route network a clear directional lean.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Trip Routes
10
Longest Drive
568.7 mi
Chula Vista, CA
Quickest Drive
25m
Lake of the Pines, CA
Plan Around Grass Valley, CA
Continue From Grass Valley, CA
Good next legs if this city is only one stop in a longer road trip.
Trips from Grass Valley, CA
Grass Valley, CA to Chula Vista, CA
Grass Valley, CA to San Diego, CA
Grass Valley, CA to San Bernardino, CA
Grass Valley, CA to Riverside, CA
Grass Valley, CA to Irvine, CA
Grass Valley, CA to Long Beach, CA
Grass Valley, CA to Los Angeles, CA
Grass Valley, CA to Fresno, CA
Grass Valley, CA to Sacramento, CA
Grass Valley, CA to Lake of the Pines, CA
Driving from Grass Valley, CA
The typical drive from Grass Valley, CA covers about 380 miles and takes around 7h 11m. This is long-haul territory. Most routes stretch past the 250-mile mark, so pack snacks and plan fuel stops. The longest mapped route runs 569 miles (10h 46m), while the shortest is just 16 miles.
Popular Destinations
Drivers leaving Grass Valley, CA most often head toward Chula Vista, CA (568.7 mi, 10h 46m), San Diego, CA (561.5 mi, 10h 37m), San Bernardino, CA (493.6 mi, 9h 14m), Riverside, CA (491.8 mi, 9h 19m), and Irvine, CA (481.3 mi, 8h 59m). Most destinations stay within the same state, perfect for exploring the local region thoroughly.
Planning & Costs
For the average 380-mile drive from Grass Valley, CA, expect to burn about 15 gallons of fuel one way at 25 MPG. Check local pump prices before you go to lock in your budget.
The majority of destinations are to the south. Morning starts help you avoid the midday heat on longer drives. These are full-day drives. Start by 7 or 8 AM if you want to arrive at a reasonable hour without rushing.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 10 mapped routes leaving Grass Valley, CA and 0 routes heading into Grass Valley, CA, covering 10 total connections. Distances range from 16 to 569 miles.
The longest mapped route from Grass Valley, CA covers 569 miles and takes approximately 10h 46m. Shorter options start at just 16 miles.
The average route from Grass Valley, CA runs about 380 miles with a drive time of roughly 7h 11m. This includes both short day trips and longer multi-day drives.
The most popular road trip destinations from Grass Valley, CA include Chula Vista, CA, San Diego, CA, San Bernardino, CA and Riverside, CA. Each route page has detailed drive times, fuel estimates, stop suggestions, and turn-by-turn directions.
Grass Valley, CA by the Numbers
Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Population
14,126
Median Income
$48,850
Median Home Value
$458,400
Median Age
49.6
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.
Grass Valley, CA at a Glance
Elevation
2,411 ft
Area
5 mi²
Sister Cities
Notable People from Grass Valley, CA
A sampling of people born in Grass Valley, CA.
Joanna Newsom
1982
American musician (b. 1982)
Christopher Stevens
1960–2012
American diplomat, lawyer and ambassador to Libya (1960-2012)
Josiah Royce
1855–1916
American philosopher (1855–1916)
Jeremy Sisto
1974
American actor
Sarah Shevon
1984
American pornographic actress
Erika Flores
1979
American actress
Hunter Burgan
1976
American multi-instrumentalist
Patrick Brice
1983
American film director
Walter F. Frear
1863–1948
Territorial governor of Hawaii (1863-1948)
Landmarks & Historic Sites
Attractions and heritage-registered places located in Grass Valley, CA.
Empire Mine State Historic Park
state historic park in Grass Valley, California, USA
City data from Wikidata (Q834337), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.
Traveler Guide to Grass Valley, CA
Grass Valley is a city in Nevada County in California's Gold Country.
Nestled in the heart of the Sierras, Grass Valley boomed during the California gold rush, with gold being discovered in nearby Gold Hill in 1850.
1 Empire Mine State Historic Park, 10791 East Empire St., ☏ +1 530 273-8522. Nov-Feb 28 10AM-4PM; Mar-Oct 31 10AM-5PM; closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, & New Years Day. Empire Mine is the site of the oldest and richest gold mine in California. Despite having only 20% of the available gold extracted (5.8 million ounces of gold by weight) the mine closed in 1956 after 106 years of production and now is preserved as a California state park. The visitor center has diagrams and models of the mine, and numerous items of mining machinery are on show inside the park. Visitors have the opportunity to enter the top of the mine shaft. The state park also has many miles of riding, walking and mountain biking trails. (updated Feb 2026) 2 North Star Mining Museum. Museum that focuses on the mining history of the region, featuring mining equipment both indoors and outdoors. (updated Oct 2021) Victorian Houses. With Grass Valley being a major 19th century Gold Mining area in the American West there are a large number of Victorian houses in the area. Wandering the streets of the city is a good way to appreciate these buildings and there are many excellent photograph opportunities.
Wine tasting. Enjoy wine tasting at various locations in the City of Grass Valley and at some of the surrounding wineries. 1 Del Oro Theater, 165 Mill St, ☏ +1 530 272-1646. Beautiful, historic movie theater in Downtown Grass Valley showing modern movies. (updated Oct 2021)
1 South Pine Cafe, 102 Richardson St. Excellent slightly alternative restaurant. Be prepared to wait a short while at the weekend, but be assured the food is worth it. Try the "south pine sampler", but be aware the Louisiana Hot Sausage can be fiery. The menu has lots of variety—options for vegetarians and carnivores. Great selection of liquid to wash down your meal, from fresh squeezed juices to beer and wine. 2 Diegos Restaurant, 217 Colfax Ave. Open Monday through Saturday. Chilean food. Fun mismatched decor, and pleasant staff. The bread balls they start you off with are melt in your mouth delicious and go perfectly with the dipping sauce and garlic butter that accompany them. The Agave wine margaritas are quite refreshing. Grass Valley Pasty Co, 100 S Auburn St. W-Sa noon-6PM, closes at 5PM on Su. Large numbers of experienced miners migrated to Grass Valley during the gold boom, bringing with them the Cornish pasty. This shop keeps the tradition alive. $10 or so. (updated Feb 2026)
1 Gary's Place, 158 Mill St. Dive bar in Downtown Grass Valley with many regulars and frequented by locals. (updated Oct 2021) 2 Grass Valley Brewing Company, ☏ +1 530 271-2739. Local brewery with expansive tasting room, offering flights of beers. (updated Oct 2021)
1 Best Western Gold Country Inn, 972 Sutton Way, ☏ +1 530 273-1393, fax: +1 530 273-4229. 2 The Holbrooke, 212 West Main St.
From Sacramento take I-80 East to Auburn and then take 49 from Auburn to Grass Valley. From Truckee take I-80 west and take the highway 20 exit towards Nevada City and Grass Valley. Sacramento International Airport (SMF). The closest international airport to Grass Valley is Sacramento International (SMF). This is about an hour away by car and allows transfer to both bus and rail connections to Grass Valley. (updated Oct 2021) Amtrak. Provides regular service to Auburn Amtrak station, 23 miles south of central Grass Valley. From the station, you would need to take Nevada County Connects bus 5 to central Grass Valley (about an hour bus ride). Be sure to check the Gold Country Stage schedule as buses are infrequent and run only limited times per day. (updated Oct 2021) Local buses. If you have time and the timing work out, you can get to Grass Valley from Sacramento by using local buses. From Downtown Sacramento, you can take Sacramento Light Rail to the Watt/I-80 station. Here, you can take Placer Transit Route 10 to Auburn Amtrak Station and then from there, you can take Nevada County Connects to central Grass Valley.
Most of Grass Valley is accessible and best enjoyed by walking. While the town is full of hills, the sidewalks are generally well maintained and easy to navigate. Nevada County Connects, ☏ +1 530-477-0103 ext 1004. Local buses that take people all over Nevada County including Grass Valley, Auburn, Nevada City, Penn Valley, North San Juan, Cedar Ridge, Lake Wildwood and Alta Sierra.
Travel tips adapted from Grass Valley (California) on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.
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