Nevada City, CA Road Trips
Drivers starting from Nevada City, CA have 9 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 321 miles, so plan for multi-day adventures. Most routes from Nevada City, CA head south, giving the route network a clear directional lean.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Trip Routes
10
Longest Drive
495.6 mi
Riverside, CA
Quickest Drive
30m
Lake of the Pines, CA
Plan Around Nevada City, CA
Popular Incoming Routes
Useful if Nevada City, CA is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.
Continue From Nevada City, CA
Good next legs if this city is only one stop in a longer road trip.
Trips from Nevada City, CA
Nevada City, CA to Riverside, CA
Nevada City, CA to Santa Ana, CA
Nevada City, CA to Anaheim, CA
Nevada City, CA to Long Beach, CA
Nevada City, CA to Los Angeles, CA
Nevada City, CA to San Jose, CA
Nevada City, CA to San Francisco, CA
Nevada City, CA to Oakland, CA
Nevada City, CA to Laguna, CA
Driving from Nevada City, CA
On average, trips departing from Nevada City, CA run 321 miles with a drive time of roughly 6h 8m. There is a healthy spread of short hops, medium drives, and longer road trips to pick from. The longest mapped route runs 496 miles (9h 23m), while the shortest is just 72 miles.
Popular Destinations
The most popular drives from Nevada City, CA include Riverside, CA (495.6 mi, 9h 23m), Santa Ana, CA (476.5 mi, 8h 56m), Anaheim, CA (470.3 mi, 8h 49m), Long Beach, CA (468.4 mi, 8h 47m), and Los Angeles, CA (444.3 mi, 8h 18m). Most destinations stay within the same state, perfect for exploring the local region thoroughly.
Planning & Costs
For the average 321-mile drive from Nevada City, CA, expect to burn about 12.6 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 9 mapped routes leaving Nevada City, CA and 1 routes heading into Nevada City, CA, covering 10 total connections. Distances range from 72 to 496 miles.
The longest mapped route from Nevada City, CA covers 496 miles and takes approximately 9h 23m. Shorter options start at just 72 miles.
The average route from Nevada City, CA runs about 321 miles with a drive time of roughly 6h 8m. This includes both short day trips and longer multi-day drives.
The most popular road trip destinations from Nevada City, CA include Riverside, CA, Santa Ana, CA, Anaheim, CA and Long Beach, CA. Each route page has detailed drive times, fuel estimates, stop suggestions, and turn-by-turn directions.
Notable People from Nevada City, CA
A sampling of people born in Nevada City, CA.
Tully Marshall
1864–1943
American actor (1864–1943)
Alela Diane
1983
American singer-songwriter
Alexis Alford
1998
American traveler, photographer, and YouTuber; youngest person to travel to every country
Luke Edwards
1980
American actor
Emily Williams
1869–1942
American architect
Jocelyn Towne
1976
American actress
Harry Lane Englebright
1884–1943
American politician (1884-1943)
Landmarks & Historic Sites
Attractions and heritage-registered places located in Nevada City, CA.
Nevada Theatre
movie theater and former theater in Nevada City, California, United States
Nevada Brewery
commercial building in Nevada City, United States of America
Nevada City Downtown Historic District
historic district in California, United States
Aaron A. Sargent House
house in Nevada City, California
Ott's Assay Office
office building in Nevada City, United States of America
South Yuba Canal Office
historic site in California, USA
City data from Wikidata (Q667268), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.
Traveler Guide to Nevada City, CA
Nevada City is a city in Nevada County in California's Gold Country. It's known for its well-preserved 19th century downtown and countercultural affiliations.
Nevada City Chamber of Commerce/Visitor Center, 132 Main St, ☏ +1 530 265-2692. Tu-F 9AM-5PM, Sa 11AM-2PM (may vary based on volunteer availability). (updated Dec 2021)
1 Scotts Flat Lake, 23333 Scotts Flat Rd, ☏ +1 530 265-5302. Beautiful high elevation lake near Nevada City provides camping, day use, boating, and hiking recreation. (updated Oct 2021) 2 Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, ☏ +1 530 265-2740. State park featuring gold rush-era buildings with rock faces carved out by hydraulic mining. Also has access to camping and fishing in Blair lake. (updated Dec 2021)
1 Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, 5 Kidder Ct, ☏ +1 530 470-0902. Museum dedicated to preserving local history of narrow gauge used in the region. Features guided tours and a preservation shop for trains. (updated Dec 2021) 2 Firehouse #1 Museum, 214 Main St, ☏ +1 530 265-3937. Historic museum featuring treasures from the area, including artifacts from the Donner Party. Limited hours. (updated Oct 2021) Nevada City Film Festival. World renowned film festival since 2001 considered to be the “Sundance of the Sierra” for its focus on independent film. (updated Oct 2021)
1 Friar Tuck's Restaurant and Bar, 111 N Pine St. American restaurant focusing on steak in an antique setting. (updated Oct 2021)
1 Three Forks Bakery and Brewing, 211 Commercial St. Local brewery and bakery with a pizza oven that offers flights of beer. (updated Oct 2021) 2 The Mine Shaft, 222 Broad St. Dive bar with cheap drinks and an old west theme. (updated Oct 2021) Nevada City Winery, 321 Spring St, ☏ +1 530 265-9463. (updated Dec 2021)
1 The National Exchange Hotel, 211 Broad St, ☏ +1 530 362-7605. Historic hotel in downtown Nevada City. (updated Dec 2021) Inn Town Campground, 9 Kidder Ct, ☏ +1 530 265-9900, [email protected]. Check-in: 3-10PM, check-out: 11AM. (updated Dec 2021)
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 Nevada City is Sacramento International (SMF). This is about an hour and 15 minutes away by car and allows transfer to both bus and rail connections to Nevada City. (updated Oct 2021) Amtrak. Provides regular service to Auburn Amtrak station, 27 miles south of Nevada City. From the station, you would need to take Nevada County Connects bus 5 to central Grass Valley (about an hour bus ride) and then transfer to Nevada County Connects bus 1 to Nevada City. Be sure to check the bus 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 Nevada City 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 bus 5 to central Grass Valley and then transfer to Nevada County Connects bus 1.
Nevada County Connects. Local bus service between areas within Nevada County and connecting to Placer county (via Auburn Amtrak Station). (updated Oct 2021)
Travel tips adapted from Nevada City 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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