One of California’s top wine producing regions, much of scenic Placer County encompasses the foothills of the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Sierras themselves, and beautiful Lake Tahoe, fill the east of the county, and Placer Valley and its many thriving urban centers the west. This is a county of much scenic and lifestyle variation; the perfect place to pursue a successful business career and go horseback riding in the mountains on weekends, live in a historic small Gold Rush town… or buy the boutique winery you’ve always wanted. 

Home to about 310,000 residents, Placer County has excellent schools, attractive real estate and superb recreational opportunities, amenities, and parks. Auburn is the county seat. 

Location
Placer County is in northern California, directly north and west of Sacramento County, north of El Dorado County, and south of Nevada County. Lake Tahoe and the Nevada State Line is on Placer County’s eastern border. 

Geography/Terrain
Placer County is divided into 3 distinct geographical zones: Placer Valley to the west, the High Country to the east, and the Gold Country in the center, making it a region of great scenic beauty and variation. Folsom Lake sits along the county’s southwestern border.  

Most of the county’s urban centers are clustered in Placer Valley, including Roseville, Rocklin, Loomis and Lincoln. Auburn, the county seat, is in the center of the county, in Gold Country, and the communities of King’s Beach, Tahoe City and Tahoma are found on the High Country’s eastern end, on the shores of Lake Tahoe.  

The Sierra foothills begin where Placer Valley ends, gently climbing through the Gold Country and culminating in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the High County. 

Distance to 3 closest major cities
Roseville, near Placer County’s southwester border, is about 20 miles southeast of Auburn, the county seat, and 15 miles northeast of Sacramento. San Francisco is about 75 miles southwest of Roseville.  

Sacramento is about 30 miles southwest of Auburn and downtown San Francisco about 110. 

Jobs
Placer County is a prosperous region, bolstered by a diverse economic base and residents enjoy a wide range of career and employment options. The southwestern part of the county is more urbanized, with the communities of Auburn, Lincoln, Rockville and Roseville providing the majority of the county’s commercial, financial, business and service (education, government and health) related work, while the central and eastern part is more rural, with winemaking and tourism featuring large in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and tourism in Lake Tahoe. Fruit growing is another primary earner for the county. 

Sacramento is a short trip southwest for those living in western Placer County, providing further options to suburban commuters, but primary employers closer to home include Hewlett Packard in Roseville, local hospitals and schools, the Union Pacific Railroad (a primary transporter of agricultural produce), Pride Industries, NEC Technologies, Surewest Communications, State Farm Insurance, Wal-Mart, and Nordstrom. 

Housing
A range of urban, suburban, and rural lifestyle choices ensures a wide range of housing options in Placer County. Here you can live among vineyards in the Sierra foothills, work your own farm or horse ranch, live in a gated equestrian ranch community, buy your first family home in a safe and friendly suburb, or enjoy the vitality of a chic downtown apartment, close to local cafes and shops—the possibilities are many.  

The median sale price in Placer County is about $490,000 at present, with prices averaging in the low $500,000s. On a cost per square foot basis, homes appreciated by about 15% in 2005 and this trend looks set to continue. 

Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf
Placer County contains over twenty county parks, numerous recreational areas, the beautiful Sierra Nevada foothills and mountains, and Lake Tahoe, affording residents with virtually unlimited opportunities to enjoy the great Northern California outdoors. 

The Folsom State Recreation Area borders Loomis and Granite Bay in the southern part of the county; here visitors may fish or boat on Lake Folsom or hike and horseback ride the 80 miles of trails that surround it. Further north, Lakeview Farms at Lincoln has game birds and waterfowl for hunting and trout for catch-and-release. Going east you find fantastic wine country (there are several good tours you can take if you don’t want to be self-guided) and many horse ranches and riding trails. Further east the Auburn Recreation Area is a lovely wilderness to visit. 

The American River has class 3, 4 and 5 rapids, ideal for white water rafting; lazy in other places the river is also a relaxing place to spend a summer day. The American River Bike Trail is a fantastic place to go biking. 

The Sierras beyond offer skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding and the like in the winter months and rock climbing, hiking, and mountain bike and horse back riding in the summer. A no-cost recreation site, China Wall is about fourteen miles east of Foresthill, and a great place for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and family fun in the snow. Sugar Bowl and Boreal ski resorts and Donner Ski Ranch are just off I-80. 

Lake Tahoe is one of the loveliest parts of California and visitors come from around the world to enjoy its scenic beauty and recreational opportunities year round.
 

With 14 golf courses in Placer Valley alone (Rocklin, Roseville, Lincoln, Loomis and Granite Bay), Placer County offers much to the golfer, from local public to championship level courses; driving ranges, and so forth. As the land climbs into the Sierra Nevada foothills, courses become increasingly scenic, only adding to the enjoyment. Courses like Catta Verdera, Turkey Creek and Sun City in Lincoln, Whitney Oaks in Rocklin, and Woodcreek in Roseville combine immaculate fairways and greens with natural wetlands, granite outcrops and ancient oaks. Best of all, Northern California’s long sunny season affords virtually year-round play! 

Sports are big in general in Placer County, with sports related tourism bringing almost $5 million dollars annually to the city of Roseville alone. Local events include the California Cup Soccer Tournament, Western National Championship Softball, the mountain bike triathlon, and various winter sporting events. The world famous Tevis Cup equestrian endurance event draws horse lovers to Placer County from around the globe, and the Western States 100-mile endurance run is another exciting Sierra event.
 

Special Attractions/Events
Whether you're into extreme sports, wine tasting, shopping for antiques, hiking, biking, horseback riding, exploring Gold Rush history, soaking up local music and theater, or simply relaxing outdoors, there's always plenty to enjoy in scenic Placer County. 

Placer County’s wine country is renowned for the quality of its wines, and Placer Valley is known for its top golfing and lively local arts scene. Gold Rush history was made here, especially in the center of the county around historic Auburn, and museums and Gold Rush experiences are plentiful and enjoyable here. The Maidu Interpretive Center and Historic Site in Roseville celebrates the region’s indigenous people. Further east in the Sierra High Country and Lake Tahoe beyond, you find world-class mountain sports and recreation. 

The arts are flourishing here (no doubt inspired by the scenic nature of this beautiful region), supported in part by the county’s thriving tourist industry. The Auburn Symphony is top-notch and plays a number of free open-air concerts in summer, as do other local music groups. Lake Tahoe’s outdoor summer music festival is another draw. Roseville's Magic Circle Theatre is an excellent facility, and there are several good additional community theatres throughout the county. Pottery is also thriving here. 

There’s always something happening in the county, from the annual county fair to the world famous Tevis Cup. This exciting endurance event draws equestrians from around the world. The Western States 100-mile endurance run is another exciting Sierra event. Old Town Auburn has a magical "Festival of Lights Parade" each year, a “Black and White Ball” and spirited Cinco de Mayo festivities. Lincoln and Kings Beach also celebrate Cinco de Mayo with style. Lincoln's Portuguese community holds a popular Holy Ghost Celebration annually, and the Chinese New Year’s Parade through Old Town Auburn is a must-see. Native American Pow Wow take place at special times and places throughout the year. 

Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
Long home to the peaceful Nisenan Native Americans, Placer County was first settled by outsiders in 1848, when gold was discovered. Thousands of miners rushed to California from around the world, in what was then the world’s largest migration of people to date. In 1851 Placer County was formed from portions of Sutter and Yuba counties and Auburn was made the county seat. The county took its name from the “placer mining” that was so popular there (“placer” is Spanish for “sand or gravel deposits containing gold” and miners typically washed away gravel in the hope that gold would be found remaining).  

Gold mining remained Placer County’s primary industry through the eighteen-eighties, but gradually settlers began to farm the fertile foothills soil, harvest mountain timber, or work on for the Southern Pacific Railroad. 

Auburn was settled when Claude Chana discovered gold in Auburn Ravine in May, 1848 and it soon became a shipping and supply hub for the surrounding gold camps. Auburn has many lovely historic buildings, including a beautiful courthouse, first built in 1894 and renovated in the late nineteen-eighties. Guided tours are held of charming Old Town Auburn every Saturday morning. 

Roseville begun as a small agricultural center and grew into the county’s largest city after the Southern Pacific Railroad moved its switching yards there in 1908. Rocklin was another railroad town, whose growth was boosted by the discovery of granite quarries there. Rocklin is now second only to Roseville in size in the county. 

Other county towns began as mining or railroad centers and became agricultural settlements like Loomis and Newcastle (surrounded by a booming fruit-growing industry) or Lincoln and Sheridan (ranching and farming). Placer County’s six museums are excellent repositories of local history. The Maidu Interpretive Center and Historic Site in Roseville celebrates the life of the indigenous Maidu.
 

Request my Free El Dorado Hills, Shingle Springs and Placerville Relocation Package. It's packed full of useful and important information about the El Dorado Hills, Shingle Springs and Placerville, California area. Don't move here without it! Remember: I'll send it to you for free and without obligation. Just fill out the form and I will send it right out... 

It's my job to know EVERYTHING about El Dorado Hills, Shingle Springs and Placerville! Ask me any question. Or request a FREE information package. There's no obligation, and I promise to get back to you quickly...