Colfax, California
Colfax is a city of 2,407 people in Placer County, California, founded in February 23, 1910.
Why visit Colfax
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 17 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Long Ravine Trestle, Bear River Bridge, Colfax station and Heritage Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; December lows average 36°F.
Weather in Colfax
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Colfax
Colfax is a city in Placer County, California, at the crossroads of Interstate 80 and State Route 174. The population was 1,995 at the 2020 census. The town is named in honor of U.S. Vice President Schuyler Colfax (1869–73), a bronze statue of whom stands at Railroad Street and Grass Valley Street. (This is one of two known statues of Schuyler Colfax in the United States, the other located in Indianapolis, Indiana.)
From the Wikipedia article Colfax, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Long Ravine Trestle
Bridge · 2.2 mi
Railway bridges near Colfax, California
Museums and landmarks2
Colfax station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Railway station in Colfax, California, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes17
Buzz Thru Joe's
Cafe · Coffee Shop
504 South Auburn Street, Colfax
Mo-Fr 06:30-14:00; Sa-Su 07:00-15:00
Snapdragon Provisions
Restaurant · 0.5 mi
38 North Main Street
Tu-Sa 07:00-15:00
5 more on the map.
History
The area was initially denoted as "Camp 20" along the route of the transcontinental railroad. in July 1865, the Pacific Railroad Company (later to become the Union Pacific Railroad), purchased land along the railroad route near Illinoistown, and surveyed it into lots, and lots were offered for sale on July 29.
The city was renamed Colfax after then Speaker of the House (and later Vice President) Schuyler Colfax who visited the town in 1865 while inspecting progress of construction of the Central Pacific Railroad, the western portion of the first transcontinental railroad. The city was the southern terminus of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad from 1876 until the railroad's removal in 1942. Historic U.S. Route 40 also runs through the city as well as the more modern Interstate 80. The city is mentioned in Jules Verne’s book Around the World in Eighty Days.
Note that the town was a separate settlement from nearby Illinoistown. Illinoistown did NOT change its name to Colfax.
In July 2015 the Lowell Fire burned thousands of acres nearby, forcing evacuation in Nevada County.
On August 4, 2021, the River Fire started in the Bear River Campground, forcing thousands of residents on both the Placer and Nevada county sides of the river to evacuate. The fire was contained nine days later after burning over 2,600 acres (11 km2) and dozens of homes.
From the History section of Colfax, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Chicago Park Community Charter
School · 3.7 mi
15725 Mount Olive Rd., Grass Valley
Healthcare1
Map of Colfax
41 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°F | 37°F | 7.8 in | 0.9 in |
| Feb | 57°F | 37°F | 8.0 in | 2.6 in |
| Mar | 60°F | 40°F | 7.2 in | 1.2 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 43°F | 3.6 in | 0.6 in |
| May | 74°F | 49°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 56°F | 0.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 62°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 91°F | 61°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 86°F | 57°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 75°F | 49°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 61°F | 41°F | 5.2 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 54°F | 36°F | 8.5 in | 1.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Colfax Hcn (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Placer County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2022-09-09: Mosquito Fire (Fire)
- 2021-09-01: Caldor Fire (Fire)
- 2021-08-24: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Auburn Municipal Airport (AUN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Grass Valley 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- North Auburn 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Auburn Lake Trails 14 mi south, about 23 min by car
- Auburn 15 mi southwest, about 25 min by car
- Lincoln 24 mi southwest, about 39 min by car
- Rocklin 25 mi southwest, about 41 min by car
- Granite Bay 26 mi southwest, about 41 min by car
- Placerville 26 mi south, about 43 min by car
- El Dorado Hills 29 mi south, about 47 min by car
- Roseville 30 mi southwest, about 48 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Colfax, CA, Egaowakaii, CC BY 3.0
- Colfax banner, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Colfax, California, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Train Station Colfax California - panoramio, Noah_Loverbear, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Railroad Street In Colfax California - panoramio, Noah_Loverbear, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Looking west at Colfax station, October 2018, Charles Fulton, CC BY 2.0
- Colfax California Amtrak Station - panoramio, Noah_Loverbear, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Transcontinental railroad monument Colfax Ca, ColfaxTeri, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Colfax CA USA, first transcontinental railroad marker, Sep-2018, T71024, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Colfax, United States (Unsplash r I6Y3eFrXE), JD Weiher jdweiher, CC0
- Colfax Chimney - panoramio, Kurt Minard, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Union Pacific Long Ravine bridge over I-80 in Sierra Nevada, Sergey Yarmolyuk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- California Zephyr 5 (westbound), Sergey Yarmolyuk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- LIGHT - Turning day into night - panoramio, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- California Zephyr 6 (eastbound), Sergey Yarmolyuk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- California Zephyr - November 2021 - Sarah Stierch 16, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- My Jewels (Unsplash), Sean Roy bullmoose, CC0
- Waiting on the Big Boy, David Brossard, CC BY-SA 2.0
- California Zephyr - November 2021 - Sarah Stierch 15, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Visual Comet Discoverer Donald Machholz, Michele Machholz, CC BY-SA 4.0
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