How far is Grass Valley, CA from Lake of the Pines, CA?

The driving distance from Grass Valley, CA to Lake of the Pines, CA is about 15.7 miles (25.3 km), with a travel time of about 00h 25m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 12.4 miles (20 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 51m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
15.72 mi
00h 25m
Flight
12.4 mi
19.96 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Grass Valley.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
12.4 mi
Kilometers
19.96 km
Flight Time
00h 01m

Driving Distance

Road route
15.72 mi
Kilometers
25.3 km
Drive Time
00h 25m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 00h 25m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Lake of the Pines
Sat, Apr 11, 1:51 AM PDT
Return by in Grass Valley
Sat, Apr 11, 2:17 AM PDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Grass Valley
2026-04-11T01:26
Arrive Lake of the Pines
Sat, Apr 11, 1:51 AM PDT
Route Timing
00h 25m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:26 AM to 7:26 PM PDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
7:38 PM PDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Grass Valley
10:00 PM PDT
Flexible departure

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Colfax
CA

City in California, USA

From Grass Valley
7.9 mi
00h 12m
To Lake of the Pines
7.8 mi
00h 12m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
53°F
Saturday

Showers And Thunderstorms

Starts
Sat, Apr 11 6:00 AM PDT
Wind
7 to 12 mph S
Destination
39°F
Saturday Night

Showers And Thunderstorms then Rain

Starts
Sat, Apr 11 11:00 AM PDT
Wind
6 to 12 mph SSE

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Grass Valley and Lake of the Pines.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Grass Valley and Lake of the Pines.

  1. 1

    Start on Stewart Street

    36 m · 11 sec · Stewart Street

  2. 2

    Turn left onto East Main Street

    104 m · 13 sec · East Main Street

  3. 3

    Turn left onto South Auburn Street

    1093 ft · 26 sec · South Auburn Street

  4. 4

    Take the ramp right

    1105 ft · 16 sec

  5. 5

    Merge slight left onto Golden Center Freeway

    12.6 mi · 17 min · Golden Center Freeway

  6. 6

    Turn left onto Combie Road

    1.3 km · 2 min · Combie Road

  7. 7

    Continue on Magnolia Road

    135 m · 15 sec · Magnolia Road

  8. 8

    Turn right onto Lakeshore

    29 m · 4 sec · Lakeshore

  9. 9

    Keep slight left to continue on Lakeshore

    84 m · 20 sec · Lakeshore

  10. 10

    Turn left onto Torrey Pines Drive

    1.4 km · 3 min · Torrey Pines Drive

  11. 11

    Turn right onto Hazel Way

    590 ft · 33 sec · Hazel Way

  12. 12

    Turn left onto Lakeshore North

    3091 ft · 2 min · Lakeshore North

  13. 13

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Lakeshore North

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Grass Valley and Lake of the Pines.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
13 steps
7 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
2
1 merges, 1 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
82.8 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Golden Center Freeway
12.6 mi · 80%
Torrey Pines Drive
0.9 mi · 6%
Combie Road
0.83 mi · 5%
Lakeshore North
0.59 mi · 4%
South Auburn Street
0.42 mi · 3%
Hazel Way
0.11 mi · 1%
Longest Stretch

Golden Center Freeway

Merge slight left onto Golden Center Freeway

12.6 mi · 00h 17m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 25m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 52m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+3.3 mi
12.4 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Colfax
00h 12m from Grass Valley
Leave By
7:38 PM PDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Showers And Thunderstorms leaving Grass Valley and Showers And Thunderstorms then Rain near Lake of the Pines.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Grass Valley to Lake of the Pines?

The road trip is about 15.7 miles (25.3 km) and usually takes 00h 25m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Colfax is a useful midpoint, sitting about 7.9 miles from Grass Valley and 7.8 miles from Lake of the Pines.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 12.4 miles (20 km), while the road route adds roughly 3.3 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:38 PM PDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $3.17 one way or $6.35 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 4.9 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Showers And Thunderstorms around Grass Valley and Showers And Thunderstorms then Rain near Lake of the Pines.

Stop Ideas Near Colfax

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Colfax, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Colfax.

RAIL

Colfax

99 Railroad St. at Church St.
BUS

Grass Valley, California

16 mi away
125 E. Main Street
RAIL

Auburn

25 mi away
277 Nevada St. at Fulweiler St.
RAIL

Rocklin

42 mi away
Rocklin Rd. and Railroad Ave.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Grass Valley and Lake of the Pines. Straight-line distance: 12.4 mi (19.96 km).

Grass Valley

#1 Grass Valley

City in Nevada County, California, United States

Population12,763
Coordinates39.2190600, -121.0610600
Altitude735
CountryUnited States
Lake of the Pines

#2 Lake of the Pines

Census-designated place in Nevada County, California

Population3,917
Coordinates39.0396200, -121.0566100
Altitude462
CountryUnited States
Start: Grass Valley (-121.06106, 39.21906)
End: Lake of the Pines (-121.05661, 39.03962)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 25 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 31m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 23m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 18m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 15m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 13m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 11m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.55 gal
2.1 L · about $3.17
Round trip
$6.35
1.1 gal · 4.2 L
Estimated CO2
4.9 kg one way
Round trip: 9.8 kg / 22 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $5.77 $3.17 $6.35
Mid-grade $6.07 $3.34 $6.67
Premium $6.24 $3.43 $6.87
Diesel $7.57 $4.16 $8.32

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in California · Apr 11, 2026

There is no time difference between Grass Valley and Lake of the Pines. The current time is 01:26:02.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.