El Dorado County is centrally located between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. El Dorado can be reached via two major highways. Highway 50 was the first official U.S. highway in California and it separates the county from west, El Dorado Hills to the east, South Lake Tahoe. Highway 49 is the oldest highway in the western United States and it winds north and south through the county. At the crossroads of these two highways is the historic Gold Rush city of Placerville.
Visitor Information
Visit El Dorado Visitor Center – Placerville
California Welcome Center – El Dorado Hills
Getting Here
Driving from San Francisco:
To Placerville: 130 miles, 2 hours
To South Lake Tahoe: 188 miles, 3.25 hours
Driving from Los Angeles:
To Placerville: 425 miles, 6 hours
To South Lake Tahoe: 440 miles, 7.25 hours
Arriving at Sacramento Airport:
Flight Schedules — Sacramento County Airport System
Driving from Sacramento Airport:
To Placerville: 55 miles, 1 hour
To South Lake Tahoe: 115 miles, 2 hours
Amtrak Train Service
Amtrak California offers one daily motor coach round trip to the Transit Center in Placerville on their way between South Lake Tahoe and the Sacramento train station. For train or coach travel, call AMTRAK at (800) 872-7245 or visit their website.
Flying into Placerville Airport (PVF):
www.airnav.com/airport/KPVF
Telephone: (530) 622-0459
Flying into Cameron Park Airport:
www.airnav.com/airport/O61
Telephone: (916) 231-0103
Flying into Georgetown Airport:
www.airnav.com/airport/Q61
Telephone: (530) 333-0810
Lake Tahoe Airport:
www.laketahoeairport.com
Telephone: (530) 542-6180
Find additional information on all airports in California at www.airnav.com/airports/state/CA.html
US 50 Trip to Green
For three weekends in late summer/early fall (August 6-7, September 3-5, and October 1-2), traffic signals on both eastbound and westbound US 50 in the City of Placerville will be set to green so traffic can flow freely.
To ensure safe travel along US 50, northbound and southbound traffic across US 50 at Canal Street, Spring Street (SR 49) and Bedford Avenue will be closed to public traffic, though emergency vehicles will have access.
Detailed detour maps and additional information are available here.
Download a Trip to Green Informational Flyer.
To ensure safe travel along US 50, northbound and southbound traffic across US 50 at Canal Street, Spring Street (SR 49) and Bedford Avenue will be closed to public traffic, though emergency vehicles will have access.