Iowa Hill Ghost Town

Placer County, California39.1086, -120.8590

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
5.2 miColfax, CA
Mild months
Feb–Nov8 of 12
Elevation
2,860 ft872 m
Iowa Hill, California
Photo: Outdoorsygal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Iowa Hill is a former settlement in Placer County, California, listed among the ghost towns of California. It lies at about 2,860 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miGrass ValleyAuburnNorth AuburnAlta SierraLake of the PinesMeadow VistaIowa Hill
  • National Forest
  • State
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Iowa Hill. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Colfax, CA, about 5.2 miles west in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Lincoln, CA, 28 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. You Bet7.3 mi north
  2. Red Dog7.8 mi north
  3. Deadwood9.3 mi east
  4. Westville12 mi east
  5. North Bloomfield18 mi north
  6. Woolsey Flat21 mi north
  7. Moores Flat21 mi north
  8. Timbuctoo26 mi west

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Mother Lode Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°5537Jan5737Feb6040Mar6643Apr7449May8356Jun9262Jul9161Aug8657Sep7549Oct6141Nov5436DecJan: 7.8 inFeb: 8.0 inMar: 7.2 inApr: 3.6 inMay: 2.3 inJun: 0.7 inJul: 0.0 inAug: 0.1 inSep: 0.3 inOct: 2.1 inNov: 5.2 inDec: 8.5 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run February to June, September to November, judging by NOAA normals from Colfax. July to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up; snow is normal in February to March, December.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Colfax station (USC00041912), 4.9 miles away. About 45.8 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationPlacer County, California
Coordinates39.10860, -120.85900
Elevation2,860 ft (872 m)
Also known asIowa Hill, CA
SourcesWikidata Q6064489 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Iowa Hill ghost town?

In Placer County, California, at 39.1086, -120.8590. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Colfax, CA, about 5.2 miles west in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Lincoln, CA, 28 miles away.

Can you visit Iowa Hill?

Likely private land. The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Mother Lode Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

When is the best time to visit Iowa Hill?

Mild months here run February to June, September to November, judging by NOAA normals from Colfax. July to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up; snow is normal in February to March, December.

Are there other ghost towns near Iowa Hill?

Yes. You Bet (7.3 mi), Red Dog (7.8 mi), Deadwood (9.3 mi), Westville (12 mi).

More ghost towns in California

All 240 ghost towns in California · Ghost towns near Reno · Ghost towns near Sacramento