Auburn (California)

Auburn receives hot summer weather, despite being on the western fringe of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The nearest commercial airport is in Sacramento, approximately thirty miles away. Auburn has a private airport as well.

Amtrak serves downtown Auburn via its Capitol Corridor route.

• 🌍 Auburn Railway Station, 277 Nevada Street. (updated May 2020)

Auburn is home to the intersection of Interstate 80 and California 49. Interstate 80 goes right past the downtown area. This makes getting off I-80 rather disorientating, since you take the exit from the freeway only to suddenly find yourself in the middle of the city. Interstate 80 goes west to Rocklin, Roseville, Sacramento, and points west. Interstate 80 goes east to Truckee, Reno, and points east. California 49 goes north to Grass Valley, Nevada City, Sierra City, and points north. California 49 goes south to Coloma, Placerville, Jackson, and points south.

Greyhound has a bus stop in nearby Colfax.

Auburn is harder to navigate than the cities to the southwest (Rocklin and Roseville) because Auburn is on a ridge, and not a flat one either. There are a lot of twists and turns on most of the local roads because they are going all around the houses and the steeper parts of the ridge. However, the outer, more recently developed parts of the town are generally laid out more reasonably and are on less undulating terrain than the downtown area is.

Downtown Auburn consists of two separate districts: the historic district, which is right next to Interstate 80, and the modern district, which is to the north.

• 🌍 Auburn City Hall and Fire House, 1103 High St. The Auburn City Hall and Fire House is a Moderne-style fire station and city hall which was built in 1935. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. (updated May 2021)

• 🌍 Auburn Fire House No. 1 (El Dorado St. & Lincoln Way). Auburn Fire House No. 1, also known as Auburn Hose Company No. 1, was built in 1888. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. (updated May 2021)

• 🌍 Auburn Fire House No. 2 (at the corner of Washington, Main, & Commercial Streets). Auburn Fire House No. 2, also known as Auburn Hose Company No. 2, was built in 1891. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. (updated May 2021)

• 🌍 Auburn Masonic Hall (John H. Robinson Center), 956 1/2 Lincoln Way. The Auburn Masonic Hall is a historic two-story Masonic building located on the Central Square that today operates as a banquet hall and meeting center. It was completed in 1917 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. The Beaux-Arts building has brick walls and a terracotta facade. (updated May 2021)

• 🌍 Auburn Public Library, 175 Almond St. The Auburn Public Library is also known as Old Auburn Library. The Neoclassical style building was completed in 1909 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 31, 2011. (updated May 2021)

• 🌍 Gold Miner (Interstate 80, historic district exit). At the junction of the I-80 off-ramp, Lincoln Way, and Maple Street is this giant statue of a gold miner. You can walk around the statue and go into the small park area that's behind it; however, the noise of the freeway, which is just a few yards from the statue, makes staying at the park for too long unpleasant. (updated Jun 2018)

• 🌍 Oddfellows Hall, 1256 Lincoln Way. The Oddfellows Hall was built in 1894 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. It is a three-story red brick Italianate home of IOOF Lodge No. 7, founded in 1852. Henry T. Holmes, builder of the Hall, was a '49er and a founding father of Auburn. (updated May 2021)

• 🌍 Placer County Courthouse, 101 Maple St (Just above the historic district area). 10AM – 4PM, closed holidays. Completed in 1898, the historic courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The three-story Classic Revival structure originally included both a courthouse and jail. By the 1980s the building had fallen into disrepair, but a $6 million restoration was completed in 1994. Today there is a small museum (no entrance fees charged) with local history and information, including Placer County history from the early Nisenan inhabitants through the latter half of the 20th century and the Placer County Gold collection. A walking tour of Old Town Auburn originates from the courthouse every Saturday at 10AM sharp (rain or shine) that lasts for about one hour. (updated Jun 2018)