Alta California Map

About Alta, California

Alta is a locality in Placer County, California, United States. It is a small community with a population of 656. The population density is 119.9 people per km². Alta is located at 39.2066°N, 120.8113°W. It observes the Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles) timezone. ZIP code: 95701.

Alta rises from the granite bones of the Sierra Nevada, a scattering of weathered structures clinging to steep, pine-clad slopes where the air bites with a crisp, invigorating chill. It lies 33.8 miles north-east of Lincoln, CA (from Lincoln, CA: bearing 50°T), and is situated 13.4 miles east of Grass Valley. The landscape here is a study in verticality, a realm of towering firs and aspens that whisper secrets on the wind, their needles forming a thick, fragrant carpet underfoot. Sunlight, when it finds its way through the dense canopy, paints fleeting, ethereal patterns on the forest floor, a momentary grace in the perpetual shadow of the mountains. The very ground seems to hold its breath, a silent sentinel overlooking valleys that plunge into deep, shadowed ravines, their depths hinted at by the distant murmur of unseen streams. This high mountain settlement, Alta, carries the faint scent of its mining past, a legacy of fortunes sought and lost in the unforgiving earth. Though the pickaxes have long since fallen silent, a hardy spirit endures, fueled by the enduring allure of the wilderness and the quiet industry of those who call this rugged terrain home. The local economy, once tied to the extraction of precious metals, now finds its pulse in the seasonal influx of visitors drawn to the raw beauty and outdoor pursuits that Alta offers, from challenging hikes to the simple, profound peace of watching the sky bleed into twilight hues of bruised purple and molten gold. The old wooden buildings, some bearing the marks of a century of mountain weather, stand as quiet witnesses to the enduring human endeavor against the backdrop of an immemorial, majestic wildness.

About This Alta Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Alta, California — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 39.206565, -120.811327. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Alta and Placer County.

Detailed location data for Alta includes the ZIP code (95701), telephone area code (530), county seat of Placer County (Auburn), and school district assignment (Alta-Dutch Flat Union Elementary School District). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Alta is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.