The drive from Chamberlands Estates, CA to Colfax, CA covers 72.4 miles and takes about 1h 37m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Alan S. Hart Freeway, CA 89, West Lake Boulevard for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 50.1 miles on Alan S. Hart Freeway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.64 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
36.2 miles from Chamberlands Estates, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 55m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 37m. Total distance: 72.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
This is a 1h 37m highway drive covering 72.4 miles, with most of the trip on Alan S. Hart Freeway and CA 89. The longest continuous stretch is about 50.1 miles on Alan S. Hart Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Alan S. Hart Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 50.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Alan S. Hart Freeway and CA 89. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near CA 89 / West Lake Boulevard.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 37m drive. You will face about 14 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (CA 89 / West Lake Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 7.7 miles (CA 89): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 8.1 miles (CA 89): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.9 mi into trip|~4m in|CA 89 / West Lake Boulevard
At end of road, turn left onto CA 89 / West Lake Boulevard
Navigation decision point
5
7.7 mi into trip|~17m in|CA 89
Enter roundabout onto CA 89
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
8.1 mi into trip|~18m in|CA 89
Enter roundabout onto CA 89
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
21.4 mi into trip|~38m in
Enter roundabout
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
71.7 mi into trip|~1h 36m in
Take the exit toward CA 174 West: Colfax, Grass Valley
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 135
Toward CA 174 West: Colfax, Grass Valley
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Alan S. Hart Freeway
50.1 mi
57m
CA 89
13.6 mi
20m
West Lake Boulevard
6.8 mi
13m
Grouse Drive
0.3 mi
1m
Ellis Road
0.2 mi
1m
South Auburn Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Tanager Drive
0.2 mi
<1m
Chamberland Drive
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Alan S. Hart Freeway
— 50.1 mi, about 57m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chamberlands Estates, CA and Colfax, CA.
1
Start on Chukar Circle
424 ft·23 sec·Chukar Circle
2
Turn left onto Grouse Drive
0.3 mi·1 min·Grouse Drive
3
Turn left onto Tanager Drive
0.2 mi·43 sec·Tanager Drive
4
Turn left onto Chamberland Drive
0.2 mi·35 sec·Chamberland Drive
5
Continue on Ellis Road
0.2 mi·1 min·Ellis Road
6
At end of road, turn left onto CA 89
6.8 mi·13 min·West Lake Boulevard
7
Enter roundabout onto CA 89
249 ft·6 sec·CA 89
8
Continue on CA 89
0.3 mi·38 sec·CA 89
9
Enter roundabout onto CA 89
174 ft·4 sec·CA 89
10
Continue on CA 89
3.4 mi·5 min·CA 89
11
Continue on CA 89
9.8 mi·14 min·CA 89
Use the straight lane.
12
Enter roundabout onto Frates Lane
147 ft·3 sec·Frates Lane
13
Continue on Frates Lane
432 ft·11 sec·Frates Lane
14
Enter roundabout
225 ft·4 sec
15
Continue
0.2 mi·14 sec
16
Merge onto I 80
50 mi·57 min·Alan S. Hart Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
17
Take the exit
0.1 mi·16 sec
Exit 135Toward CA 174 West: Colfax, Grass Valley
18
Continue on CA 174
0.1 mi·17 sec·South Auburn Street
19
Continue on US 40 Hist
0.2 mi·33 sec·South Auburn Avenue
20
Turn left onto US 40 Hist
498 ft·17 sec·Grassvalley Street
21
Turn right onto US 40 Hist
130 ft·5 sec·South Main Street
22
Turn right
33 ft·2 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 36.2 miles from Chamberlands Estates, CA, or about 55m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 50.1 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 16 miles or 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 36.2 miles or 55m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 24m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Colfax, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Chamberlands Estates, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Chamberlands Estates, CA
This is one driving day of about 72.4 miles and 1h 37m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Chamberlands Estates, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Alan S. Hart Freeway for about 50.1 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 36.2 mi from Chamberlands Estates, CA
· 55m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.64 one way
$33.28 round trip
$5.84/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$6.02
$17.15
$34.30
premium
$6.18
$17.61
$35.21
diesel
$5.61
$15.99
$31.97
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$17
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$42–$67
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21.7
0
$7.60
$3.48
Efficient EV
18.1
0
$6.34
$2.90
EV Truck/SUV
29
0
$10.14
$4.63
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 13, 2026
Origin
Chamberlands Estates, CA
Late night
in Chamberlands Estates on Friday
Local time
4:21 AM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Colfax, CA
Late night
in Colfax on Friday
Local time
4:21 AM
PDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
8 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
1h 37m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Chamberlands Estates, CA to Colfax, CA covers 72.4 miles and takes about 1h 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Alan S. Hart Freeway, CA 89, West Lake Boulevard. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 36.2 miles from Chamberlands Estates, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.64 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a straightforward 1h 37m drive. You will face about 14 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (CA 89 / West Lake Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 7.7 miles (CA 89): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 8.1 miles (CA 89): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
The route from Chamberlands Estates, CA to Colfax, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from
OSRM
over
OpenStreetMap.
Fuel cost uses
EIA
weekly regional averages.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
