Murphys, California
Murphys is a community of 1,951 people in Calaveras County, California.
Why visit Murphys
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 25 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Douglas Flat School, Murphys Grammar School, Murphys Park and Murphys State Historic Landmark.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 97°F; December lows average 38°F.
Weather in Murphys
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Murphys
Murphys, originally Murphys New Diggings then Murphy's Camp, is an unincorporated village located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 1,995 at the 2020 census, down from 2,213 at the 2010 census.
From the Wikipedia article Murphys, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks7
Douglas Flat School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Place in California listed on National Register of Historic Places
Murphys Grammar School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Gymnasium in California, United States of America
Murphys Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Building in California, United States
Vallecito Bell Monument
Monument and historic site · 3.8 mi
Historical Landmark in Vallecito, California, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes25
Murphys Hotel Restaurant
Diner · American · 1.2 mi
457 Main Street
Mo-Th,Su 08:00-15:00,17:00-20:30; Fr-Sa 08:00-15:00,17:00-21:00
Murphys Hotel Saloon
Bar and pub · 1.1 mi
457 Main Street
Mo-Th,Su 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-23:00
Bodega Del Sur Winery Inc
Brewery and winery · 1.1 mi
457 South Algiers Street, Murphys
13 more on the map.
History
The area around Murphys was originally occupied by the Miwok.
John Marion Murphy and Daniel Martin Murphy founded the town, they were part of the Murphy family and the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party, the first immigrant party to bring wagons across the Sierra Nevada to Sutter's Fort in 1844. They earned a living as merchants, but like many others, began prospecting when the California Gold Rush began. They first started in Vallecito, which was then known as "Murphy's Old Diggings," before moving to another location in 1848 which became "Murphys New Diggings," "Murphy's Camp," and eventually just "Murphys" in 1935.
The placer mining in this location was very successful, but wreaked havoc on the natural landscape. Miners were limited to claims of 8 square feet (0.75 m2) and yet many were still able to become wealthy. The Murphy brothers themselves, however, made far more money as merchants than as miners. In fact, John was so successful that he left town at the end of 1849 and never returned, having amassed a personal fortune of nearly $2 million. Roughly $20 million in gold was discovered in Murphys and the surrounding area. Two of the richest diggings were named Owlsburg and Owlburrow Flat.
From the History section of Murphys, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship8
Shopping10
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Albert A. Michelson Elementary
School · 0.6 mi
196 Pennsylvania Gulch Rd., Murphys
Map of Murphys
70 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°F | 38°F | 5.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 61°F | 40°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 44°F | 4.8 in | 0.2 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 46°F | 2.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 79°F | 52°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 59°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 97°F | 65°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 96°F | 64°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 91°F | 60°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 80°F | 52°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 66°F | 44°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 57°F | 38°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for New Melones Dam Hq (9 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
Calaveras County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-08-04: Gann Fire (Fire)
- 2025-09-03: 2-7 Fire (Fire)
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Columbia Airport (COA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Angels 7 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- Columbia 7 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Arnold 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Cedar Ridge 10 mi southeast, about 17 min by car
- Mono Vista 13 mi southeast, about 20 min by car
- Jamestown 13 mi south, about 20 min by car
- East Sonora 13 mi southeast, about 20 min by car
- East Oakdale 30 mi southwest, about 47 min by car
- Oakdale 34 mi southwest, about 55 min by car
- Riverbank 39 mi southwest, about 1 h 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
- Old house in Murphys, CA, Rick Cooper, CC BY 2.0
- Murphys Banner, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
- Aragonite in Mercer Caverns, Murphys, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MitchlerHotel MurphysCA 1860s, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Douglas Flat School, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
- Murphys Grammar School, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
- California-Murphys-Mercer cave1, No machine-readable author provided. EugeneZelenko assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vallecito-Bell-Monument, R. Bryan Gonzales, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pneumatic punchdowns, by Fermento, Grenache at Twisted Oak Winery, Jeff Stai, CC BY 2.0
- Ironstone Vineyards, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
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