The drive from Colfax, CA to Chamberlands Estates, CA covers 72.1 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, Grouse Drive for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 49.5 miles on Alan S. Hart Freeway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.57 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 miles from Colfax, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 42m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 37m. Total distance: 72.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
This is a 1h 37m highway drive covering 72.1 miles, with most of the trip on Alan S. Hart Freeway and CA 89. The longest continuous stretch is about 49.5 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 49.5 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 early in the drive near US 40 Hist / South Main Street.
Driving Effort4/10
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 18 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 40 Hist / South Main Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (US 40 Hist / Grassvalley Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Colfax Overcrossing): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|US 40 Hist / South Main Street
Turn left onto US 40 Hist / South Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|US 40 Hist / Grassvalley Street
Turn left onto US 40 Hist / Grassvalley Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|Colfax Overcrossing
Turn left onto Colfax Overcrossing
Navigation decision point
5
50.8 mi into trip|~59m in|CA 89
Enter roundabout onto CA 89
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
64.3 mi into trip|~1h 19m in|CA 89
Enter roundabout onto CA 89
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Colfax, CA to Chamberlands Estates, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Donner Lake along the way.
Donner Lake
46 mi in|~54m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Alan S. Hart Freeway
49.5 mi
57m
CA 89
20.3 mi
33m
Grouse Drive
0.3 mi
1m
South Auburn Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
Ellis Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Tanager Drive
0.2 mi
<1m
Chamberland Drive
0.2 mi
<1m
Colfax Overcrossing
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Alan S. Hart Freeway
— 49.5 mi, about 57m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colfax, CA and Chamberlands Estates, CA.
1
Start on this road
33 ft·7 sec·this road
2
Turn left onto US 40 Hist
130 ft·11 sec·South Main Street
3
Turn left onto US 40 Hist
498 ft·13 sec·Grassvalley Street
4
Turn right onto US 40 Hist
0.3 mi·45 sec·South Auburn Avenue
5
Turn left onto Colfax Overcrossing
0.1 mi·17 sec·Colfax Overcrossing
6
Turn left onto Canyon Way
384 ft·7 sec·Canyon Way
7
Take the ramp
0.1 mi·12 sec
8
Merge onto I 80
45 mi·52 min·Alan S. Hart Freeway
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi·29 sec
Toward Donner Lake
10
Merge onto I 80
4.2 mi·4 min·Alan S. Hart Freeway
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi·20 sec
Toward CA 89 South: South Lake Tahoe
12
Enter roundabout onto CA 89
4 ft·0 sec·CA 89
13
Continue on CA 89
13 mi·19 min·CA 89
Use the straight lane.
14
Enter roundabout onto CA 89
19 ft·0 sec·CA 89
15
Continue on CA 89
0.3 mi·38 sec·CA 89
16
Enter roundabout onto CA 89
29 ft·0 sec·CA 89
17
Continue on CA 89
6.8 mi·13 min·CA 89
18
Turn right onto Ellis Road
0.2 mi·58 sec·Ellis Road
19
Continue on Chamberland Drive
0.2 mi·36 sec·Chamberland Drive
20
Turn right onto Tanager Drive
0.2 mi·41 sec·Tanager Drive
21
Turn right onto Grouse Drive
0.3 mi·1 min·Grouse Drive
22
Turn right onto Chukar Circle
424 ft·18 sec·Chukar Circle
23
Arrive at destination
Chukar Circle
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 miles from Colfax, CA, or about 42m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 49.5 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 19m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 36 miles or 42m 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 15m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Chamberlands Estates, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Colfax, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Colfax, CA
This is one driving day of about 72.1 miles and 1h 37m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Colfax, 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 49.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 36 miles from Colfax, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Chamberlands Estates, CA
The final approach into Chamberlands Estates, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Nearby Places
Restaurants, cafes, gas stations and more along your route.
Top Restaurant
Rustic Table Restaurant
4.6
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Emigrant Gap, California
Around the midpoint, short detour
1.6 mi from route
~4 min detour
$10 to $20
mile 25.7
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.57 one way
$33.14 round trip
$5.84/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$6.02
$17.08
$34.15
premium
$6.18
$17.53
$35.07
diesel
$5.61
$15.92
$31.84
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: 25.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
4 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: excellent
ChargePoint Charging Station
Truckee, California
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
Electrify America Charging Station
Truckee, California
Electrify America
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Truckee, California
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Truckee, California
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint: 3
Electrify America: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21.6
0
$7.57
$3.46
Efficient EV
18
0
$6.31
$2.88
EV Truck/SUV
28.8
0
$10.09
$4.61
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 15, 2026
Origin
Colfax, CA
Afternoon
in Colfax on Thursday
Local time
4:40 PM
PDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Chamberlands Estates, CA
Afternoon
in Chamberlands Estates on Thursday
Local time
4:40 PM
PDT
Current temp
50°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 warmer 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 Colfax, CA to Chamberlands Estates, CA covers 72.1 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, Grouse Drive. 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 miles from Colfax, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.57 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 18 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 40 Hist / South Main Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (US 40 Hist / Grassvalley Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Colfax Overcrossing): Navigation decision point.
On the drive from Colfax, CA to Chamberlands Estates, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Donner Lake along the way.
