Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Find it 6 mi east of Tahoma. Worth the trip, Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley is 14 mi off.
A lake, 6 mi east of Tahoma
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 455K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 99% of the 7,799 attractions we track.
Tahoma is the nearest base
Tahoma is 6 miles west, with 15 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Sacramento
Sacramento is about 85 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 71–80°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
A month-by-month look
Pick a month for Lake Tahoe from the weather below.
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Lying at 6,225 ft (1,897 m) above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America, and at 122,160,280 acre⋅ft (150.7 km3) it trails only the five Great Lakes as the largest by volume in the United States. Its depth is 1,645 ft (501 m), making it the second deepest in the United States after Crater Lake in Oregon (1,949 ft or 594 m).
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 194 square miles
- Elevation
- 6,232 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 455K a year
Overnight near Lake Tahoe
The closest lodging is in South Lake Tahoe (141) and Tahoma (15).
- 1Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley
- 2Donner Lake
- 3Emerald Bay
- 4Donner Memorial
- 5Desolation Wilderness
- 6Heavenly Mountain
- 7Sugar Bowl
- 8Mount Rose Ski Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
21,115 people · 36% vacation homes
11 mi south of Lake Tahoe
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Lake Tahoe | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Lake Tahoe 36% vacation homes | 11 mi south | 15 min | 141 87 hotels · 14 motels · 10 inns & B&Bs · 26 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 21,115 | $682K | D |
| Tahoma 77% vacation homes | 6 mi west | 10 min | 15 7 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds | 873 | $901K | — |
| Kingsbury 32% vacation homes | 10 mi southeast | 15 min | 21 20 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins | 2,209 | $1,077K | — |
| Sunnyside-Tahoe City 66% vacation homes | 9 mi northwest | 15 min | 15 5 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 1,599 | $1,019K | — |
| Tahoe Vista 68% vacation homes | 11 mi north | 15 min | 15 7 hotels · 8 lodges & cabins | 1,048 | $1,039K | — |
| Carson City | 16 mi east | 25 min | 26 19 hotels · 6 motels · 1 campground | 58,571 | $453K | — |
| Stateline | 9 mi southeast | 15 min | 10 9 hotels · 1 campground | 503 | — | — |
| Incline Village 42% vacation homes | 14 mi north | 20 min | 16 9 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 4 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 9,272 | $1,455K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Other places close by
These well-known places are within 23 miles.
114 mi Ski areaPalisades Tahoe Olympic Valley122 runs · 2,542 ft vertical
221 mi LakeDonner Lake
310 mi State parkEmerald Bay State Park
420 mi State parkDonner Memorial State Park
513 mi Park & preserveDesolation Wilderness612 mi Ski areaHeavenly Mountain Resort141 runs · 3,370 ft vertical722 mi Ski areaSugar Bowl Resort94 runs · 1,452 ft vertical
818 mi Ski areaMount Rose Ski Tahoe57 runs · 1,625 ft verticalPhoto credits
Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley: Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Donner Lake: J.smith, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Emerald Bay State Park: Michael, CC BY 2.0 · Donner Memorial State Park: Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, CC BY 2.0 · Desolation Wilderness: Phreakdigital at English Wikipedia, GFDL · Mount Rose Ski Tahoe: Beesmill, CC BY-SA 4.0
Before visiting Lake Tahoe
What town is Lake Tahoe near?
Tahoma, CA, about 6 miles west.
When is the best time to visit Lake Tahoe?
June, July, August and September, with highs of 71–80°.
How far is Lake Tahoe from Sacramento?
About 85 miles southwest of Sacramento, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Lake Tahoe?
Truckee Tahoe (TKF), about 17 miles away. The nearest big hub is Reno Tahoe (RNO), about 32 miles.
Where should I stay near Lake Tahoe?
South Lake Tahoe (11 mi, 141 places to stay), Tahoma (6 mi, 15 places to stay) and Kingsbury (10 mi, 21 places to stay).
Word from Tahoma
No one has shared advice yet; Tahoma’s Town Square takes questions.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.