Sonora
is located along historic Highway 49 in the Gold Country of Tuolumne County. After gold was discovered in nearby Jamestown in 1848, Sonora quickly became the largest and richest town in the southern "Mother Lode" region. The population today is less than it was in the 1800s, but many of the interesting and historical buildings in town are still in use. Walking the streets of Sonora is one of the best examples of what it was like in the Gold Rush Days, although the buildings now house antiques, art galleries, jewelry shops, boutiques and restaurants instead of assay offices and saloons! A building that was once the county jail is now a museum, and several special events are held throughout the year that bring back the "rough and tumble" days of the gold rush era. This beautiful little town's downtown area has even been named a "California Main Street City!" Activities in and around Sonora include fishing, golf, hiking, horseback trips and mountain biking. Sonora is also just a short drive to Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest. Lodging is abundant around Sonora with campgrounds and RV parks, budget motels and charming bed and breakfasts and inns. The Gold Rush town of Sonora welcomes visitors to come experience a colorful example of yesteryear!
Surrounding areas: Twain Harte, California (9.0 mi), Angels Camp, California (10.9 mi), Murphys, California (11.4 mi), Mi-Wuk Village, California (11.8 mi), Groveland, California (14.4 mi), Hathaway Pines, California (14.4 mi), Long Barn, California (15.5 mi)
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Sonora Vacation Rentals
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Sonora Weather & Climate
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The foothills region of the central Sierra Nevada Mountains, known as "The Gold Country," or "The Mother Lode," has four seasons, with mild winters and hot, dry summers. In the fall, the leaves change and temperatures begin to drop, with rains beginning in November and continuing through March. In the wintertime, it's cold enough at night for a fire in the fireplace, but rarely does it ever snow in the foothills. On the rare occasion that it does snow, it usually doesn't stay on the ground for long. Spring is very pleasant with showers sometimes continuing through April and May. Summers are hot, dry and sunny, although temperatures are usually a few degrees cooler than the lower valley regions. Fog, which is often a problem at lower elevations in winter, occurs less frequently here. Many people from the Valley travel "above the fog" in the wintertime for a much-needed sunshine break.
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| Month |
High Temp |
Low Temp |
Rainfall |
Ocean Temp |
| January |
55°F |
32°F |
6.39 in. |
- |
| February |
59°F |
33°F |
5.76 in. |
- |
| March |
61°F |
36°F |
5.65 in. |
- |
| April |
68°F |
39°F |
2.49 in. |
- |
| May |
76°F |
45°F |
1.22 in. |
- |
| June |
86°F |
50°F |
0.26 in. |
- |
| July |
94°F |
56°F |
0.07 in. |
- |
| August |
93°F |
55°F |
0.14 in. |
- |
| September |
87°F |
50°F |
0.57 in. |
- |
| October |
77°F |
42°F |
1.84 in. |
- |
| November |
63°F |
35°F |
3.83 in. |
- |
| December |
56°F |
31°F |
4.26 in. |
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Sonora Map & Transportation
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| Click each thumbnail image to enlarge. |
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The closest airports in the area are the Modesto City County Harry Sham airport (MOD) located about 39 miles southwest of Sonora in Modesto, California, the Castle airport (MER) located approximately 43 miles south of Sonora in Merced, California, the Stockton Metropolitan airport (SCK) located roughly 47 miles west of Sonora in Stockton, California, and finally Merced Municipal Macready Field (MCE) located around 48 miles south of Sonora in Merced, California.
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Sonora Attractions
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| | | Amusement and Theme Parks |
| Funderwoods | Lodi | CA | 49.5 mi. | | | Tahoe Amusement Park | South Lake Tahoe | CA | 69.1 mi. | | | Funderland | Sacramento | CA | 73.1 mi. | | | Pixieland Park | Concord | CA | 89.9 mi. | |
| | | Water Parks |
| Big Bear Park | Waterford | CA | 31.4 mi. | | | Waterworld USA | Sacramento | CA | 73.1 mi. | | | Wild Water Adventures | Clovis | CA | 88.5 mi. | | | Waterworld USA | Concord | CA | 89.9 mi. | | | The Island Waterpark and Family Fun Village | Fresno | CA | 91.9 mi. | | | Raging Waters | San Jose | CA | 94.1 mi. | | | Wild Island Family Adventure Park | Sparks | NV | 112.5 mi. | |
| | | Golf Courses |
| Mountain Springs Golf & Country Club | Sonora | CA | | | | Phoenix Lake Golf Course | Sonora | CA | | | | Pine Meadow Public Golf Course | Martinez | CA | 2.5 mi. | | | Twain Harte Golf Club | Twain Harte | CA | 9.0 mi. | | | Greenhorn Creek Resort Golf Course | Angels Camp | CA | 10.9 mi. | | | Forest Meadows Golf Course | Murphys | CA | 12.4 mi. | | | Pine Mountain Lake Country Club | Groveland | CA | 12.9 mi. | | | Saddle Creek Golf Club | Copperopolis | CA | 14.1 mi. | | | Meadowmont Golf Course | Arnold | CA | 18.5 mi. | | | Mission Hill of Hayward | Hayward | CA | 23.8 mi. | | | La Contenta Golf Club | Valley Springs | CA | 27.8 mi. | | | Mather Golf Course | Mather | CA | 29.9 mi. | |
| | | Ski Areas |
| Bear Valley | Bear Valley | CA | 38.1 mi. | | | Dodge Ridge | Pinecrest | CA | 38.4 mi. | | | Kirkwood Ski Resort | Kirkwood | CA | 52.5 mi. | | | Sierra-at-Tahoe | Twin Bridges | CA | 58.9 mi. | | | Heavenly Ski Resort | South Lake Tahoe | CA | 68.9 mi. | | | June Mountain | June Lake | CA | 72.8 mi. | | | Ski Homewood | Homewood | CA | 77.2 mi. | | | Mammoth Mountain | Mammoth Lakes | CA | 80.5 mi. | | | Squaw Valley | Olympic Valley | CA | 83.0 mi. | | | Alpine Meadows | Tahoe City | CA | 83.2 mi. | | | Diamond Peak | Incline Village | NV | 90.4 mi. | | | Donner Ski Ranch | Norden | CA | 92.3 mi. | | | Sugar Bowl Tahoe | Norden | CA | 92.3 mi. | | | Northstar-at-Tahoe | Truckee | CA | 93.6 mi. | | | Tahoe Donner | Truckee | CA | 93.6 mi. | | | Mount Rose Ski Area | Reno | NV | 111.2 mi. | |
| | | State Parks |
| Columbia Historic State Park | | CA | 3.2 mi. | | | Calaveras Big Trees State Park | | CA | 20.5 mi. | | | Turlock Lake State Park | | CA | 27.4 mi. | |
| | | Museums |
| Great Valley Museum of Natural History | Modesto | CA | 41.2 mi. | (Science) |
| | | Zoos and Aquariums |
| Micke Grove Zoo | Lodi | CA | 49.5 mi. | | | Sacramento Zoo | Sacramento | CA | 73.1 mi. | | | Chaffee Zoological Gardens | Fresno | CA | 91.9 mi. | | | Happy Hollow Park and Zoo | San Jose | CA | 94.1 mi. | | | Six Flags Marine World | Vallejo | CA | 102.4 mi. | | | The Oakland Zoo | Oakland | CA | 103.8 mi. | | | San Francisco Zoological Gardens | San Francisco | CA | 112.1 mi. | | | Steinhart Aquarium | San Francisco | CA | 112.1 mi. | |
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