Placer County is located in diverse Northern California, bordering Sacramento, Nevada and El Dorado counties and the State of Nevada.
Over half of beautiful Placer County is National Forest and State Park property offering wild and scenic rivers, breathtaking streams, valley views, and high mountain vistas. Lower elevations include grasslands, Gold Rush-era townsites and gently rolling hills. Two major highways, Interstate 80 and State Highway 49, intersect at the City of Auburn.
The westernmost edge of Placer County is near sea level. The eastern portion of the county is home to the majestic Sierra Nevada mountain range, with peaks towering above 9,000 feet. Season temperatures vary widely according to elevation.
Statistics
| Land area |
1,404 square miles |
| Elevation |
40 ft to 9,000 ft above sea level |
| Population |
339,577 (estimated 2009) |
Accessing Placer County
If traveling by air, the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport is a 40 minute drive from Auburn, and Reno Airport is a short drive from Lake Tahoe. There are smaller airports located at Auburn, Lincoln, Truckee-Tahoe, and Blue Canyon.
If traveling by car, Interstate 80 runs the length of the county, and is intersected by a network of well-developed rural roads, providing easy access to many areas.
Mileage from Auburn, county seat, to:
| Sacramento |
32 |
| San Francisco |
132 |
| Reno |
100 |
| Los Angeles |
418 |