Moving from Grass Valley and Nevada City to Reno

Grass Valley is a Sierra foothill city of about 14,100 people at 2,451 feet, in a county where the median gross rent is $1,677 and the median home value is $621,800. The shortest of the foothill routes, it is close enough that many households finish loading in a single morning with the truck on the road by noon.

The drive: CA 20 down to I-80, then up

The route data lists 29 miles on CA 20 and 58 on I-80, about 90 miles in total. CA 20 runs from the Grass Valley and Nevada City area to the interstate; from there I-80 goes up and over the Sierra. Neither road is flat, and moving trucks use lower gears on both.

Grass Valley and Nevada City have many older neighborhoods with narrow streets, steep driveways and trees overhanging the lane. The estimator asks about access at the in-home visit, because a full-size van on a one-lane road can need a second small vehicle for shuttling goods. This is the kind of detail that changes the plan, not the price of the miles.

The climb to Donner Summit at about 7,200 feet is the only pass. The nearest NOAA station, Blue Canyon, records about 62 inches of precipitation a year, so this is a place where weather arrives early and heavily. Check Caltrans QuickMap and NDOT before a winter move; chain controls come from the highway agencies, and delivery plans account for storms.

What the miles mean for a move

At 90 miles the trip is a short haul for an interstate move, but it crosses a state line, so federal rules apply. Pricing is by weight from the itemized inventory, and the written estimate sets the delivery window.

Foothill homes often have sheds, workshops, firewood and generators. Fuel and propane cannot ride on the truck, and our guide to what movers will not move lists the items in full.

Cost and climate at both ends

Grass Valley city's median gross rent is $1,458 and its median home value is $482,200. Reno city's Census median gross rent and median home value are $1,556 and $548,300, so costs are closer here than on many California routes. The Census reports 389 movers a year from Nevada County into Washoe County, with a margin of error of 159, against about 28 going the other way.

The Blue Canyon station records a July high of 77.8. Reno's July high is 93.9 and its yearly precipitation is only 7.35 inches, so expect a drier, sunnier and hotter summer.

How the move works with O'Brien's

You book with O'Brien's, a Bekins agent since 1955 based in Sparks, and we coordinate the move from your Grass Valley address through the Bekins network. Delivery, unpacking and storage are handled in Sparks. Your written estimate sets the delivery window.

Local readers can also see our Grass Valley area page. The free in-home estimate comes with 10 free heavy-duty boxes.

Getting settled in Reno

Many foothill families look at Sparks and the north valleys for a bit more space. See Reno and Sparks neighborhoods and utilities.