Origin
Lake of the Pines, CA
Morning in Lake of the Pines on Sunday
Local time
6:38 AM
PDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake of the Pines, CA to Nevada City, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
19.6 mi
32 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake of the Pines, CA
Ira Bowman
Nevada City, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lake of the Pines to Nevada City is 19.6 miles and takes about 30 minutes via CA 49, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short, straightforward drive keeps you within California's Pacific Coast region for its entirety. It's a practical option for quickly connecting two points without a significant time commitment. Expect a smooth journey on primarily highway roads, making it an easy addition to a larger trip or a quick excursion on its own. This route is ideal if you're looking for a no-fuss transition between locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 49 | 16.8 mi | 22m |
| Torrey Pines Drive | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Combie Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Lakeshore North | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Hazel Way | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Magnolia Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Lakeshore | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Broad Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 49
— 16.8 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake of the Pines, CA and Nevada City, CA.
1
Start on Lakeshore North
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Lakeshore North
2
Turn right onto Hazel Way
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Hazel Way
3
Turn left onto Torrey Pines Drive
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Torrey Pines Drive
4
Turn right onto Lakeshore
383 ft
·
24 sec
·
Lakeshore
5
At end of road, turn left onto Magnolia Road
483 ft
·
13 sec
·
Magnolia Road
6
Continue on Combie Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Combie Road
7
Turn right onto CA 49
17 mi
·
22 min
·
CA 49
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward Broad Street
9
Turn left onto Broad Street
214 ft
·
11 sec
·
Broad Street
10
Take the ramp
239 ft
·
4 sec
11
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 19.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
1.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
Lakeshore
Turn right onto Lakeshore
Navigation decision point
6
1.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
Magnolia Road
At end of road, turn left onto Magnolia Road
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
2.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
CA 49
Turn right onto CA 49
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
19.5 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Broad Street
Turn left onto Broad Street
Navigation decision point
5
19.6 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.50 one way
$9.01 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.64 | $9.28 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.77 | $9.53 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.33 | $8.65 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Nevada City, CA
Morning in Nevada City on Sunday
Local time
6:38 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
5 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
30m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 85% of the journey taking place on main roads like CA 49, Torrey Pines Drive, and Combie Road. You'll experience the efficiency of highway travel for the bulk of your trip, including a continuous stretch of 16.8 miles on CA 49. The character is largely one of steady progress, designed for covering ground effectively rather than lingering on the scenery. While it's not a winding, technical road, the highway nature ensures a consistent pace. You'll appreciate the directness as you make your way to your destination.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.8 mi on CA 49.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 49 and Torrey Pines Drive. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in near Lakeshore.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 30m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (Lakeshore): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (Magnolia Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.6 miles (CA 49): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Nevada City, CA
Full guide →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.
Top landmarks
- • 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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 19.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.8 miles on CA 49. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (Lakeshore): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (Magnolia Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.6 miles (CA 49): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Nevada City, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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