Nevada City is 60 miles northeast of Sacramento on Highway 49 and Interstate 80. The drive from Sacramento takes about an hour; from San Francisco, allow two and a half to three hours via I-80 East and Highway 49 North.
There is no train service to Nevada City. Greyhound runs to Grass Valley (5 miles south), but connections are infrequent. Most visitors arrive by car — this is mountain foothill country and a car is useful once you're there, especially if you want to reach Malakoff Diggins or South Yuba River State Park.