Grass Valley and Nevada City are located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. They are "twin cities", about 4 miles apart, and almost connect with each other. They are located in Nevada County, which is sometimes confusing to many people who think that Nevada County and Nevada City are in the state of Nevada. They are both in California, however Nevada County stretches all the way to the Nevada state border. Nevada County has a population of only 95,000 (as of 2007), which makes it one of the smaller counties in California. Grass Valley city has a population of 12,000, and Nevada City is 4,000. The greater area population is probably around 30,000. However, it is big enough to have most of the stores for daily needs. The city of Roseville, 45 miles away in Placer County, provides the big city shopping experience if you want it. Sacramento is about 65 miles away. Reno is 100 miles; San Francisco is 150 miles.
Grass Valley and Nevada City are historic towns that were started at the beginning of the California gold rush in 1849. The Empire Mine in Grass Valley was the largest producing mine during the Gold Rush. Malakoff Diggins had the largest hydraulic mining operation in the United States, until that type of mining became illegal in the 1880s, due to its destructive effects on the land. It is now a state park, and you can still see the evidence of the devastation today. The California branch of the Oregon Trail came through Nevada County, and there are spots where you can still see the wagon ruts. The first transcontinental railroad of 1869 came through Nevada County.
The immediate Grass Valley region usually gets minimal snow, but some people who are just a few hundred feet higher in elevation get quite a bit. The summer temperatures usually are in the 80s in daytime and 60s at night. This is much cooler than Sacramento, which is down in the valley, at 25 feet above sea level. Most days are clear and sunny. At night you can see many stars, since we are far from any big city. The only time we get overcast days are in the winter when it is raining.
Since the 1980s, Grass Valley and Nevada City have become a popular place to move away from the big city. Many of the people you meet here are from the San Francisco bay area and and some from Southern California.