Origin
Nevada City, CA
Afternoon in Nevada City on Saturday
Local time
1:53 PM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Nevada City, CA to Birchville, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
24m
Distance
15.6 mi
25 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Nevada City, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Nevada City, CA to Birchville, CA covers 15.6 miles and takes about 24m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CA 49, Pleasant Valley Road, Golden Center Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.9 miles on CA 49. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.59 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 49 | 10.9 mi | 14m |
| Pleasant Valley Road | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| Golden Center Freeway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| West Broad Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Broad Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Gold Flat Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 49
— 10.9 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Nevada City, CA and Birchville, CA.
1
Start on this road
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
this road
2
Merge onto CA 20; CA 49
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
·
Golden Center Freeway
3
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward Golden Flat Road, Ridge Road
4
Turn left onto Gold Flat Road
275 ft
·
13 sec
·
Gold Flat Road
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
6
Merge onto CA 20; CA 49
0.7 mi
·
56 sec
·
Golden Center Freeway
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward Broad Street
8
Turn left onto Broad Street
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Broad Street
9
Continue on West Broad Street
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
West Broad Street
10
Turn left onto CA 49
11 mi
·
14 min
·
CA 49
11
Turn left onto Pleasant Valley Road
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Pleasant Valley Road
12
Arrive at destination
Pleasant Valley Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 2.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward Golden Flat Road, Ridge Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Golden Flat Road, Ridge Road
5
1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Gold Flat Road
Turn left onto Gold Flat Road
Navigation decision point
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
4
2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward Broad Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Broad Street
4
2.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Broad Street
Turn left onto Broad Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.59 one way
$7.17 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $3.69 | $7.39 |
| premium | $6.18 | $3.79 | $7.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.44 | $6.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.64 | $0.75 |
| Efficient EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.37 | $0.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Birchville, CA
Afternoon in Birchville on Saturday
Local time
1:53 PM
PDT
Current temp
68°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
12 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
24m 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?
15.6 mi in 24m, mostly highway — 10.9 mi of that is on CA 49.
78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.9 mi on CA 49.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 49 and Pleasant Valley Road. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 15.6 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1 miles (Gold Flat Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting 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 24m. Total distance: 15.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.9 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 0.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1 miles (Gold Flat Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Birchville, 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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