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Shelby Flat

Ghost town · Nevada County, California

Nevada City quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1948, 1:24,000)
Nevada City quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1948, 1:24,000) · U.S. Geological Survey, Historical Topographic Map Collection · Public domain

Shelby Flat is a ghost town in Nevada County, California. It is one of 28 former communities in Nevada County on the federal names register. That ranks the county 8th among the 58 California counties with a vanished settlement on record.

The U.S. Geological Survey lists Shelby Flat as a historical populated place on the Nevada City topographic quadrangle: the name is no longer in official use for a community, whether the settlement was abandoned, absorbed into a neighbouring town or renamed. The recorded location is 39.2888° N, 121.0286° W.

Key facts

USGS quadrangleNevada City
Elevation2,665 ft
Nearest living townNevada City, CA
Distance to it2 miles
GNIS feature ID1703634
Coordinates39.28878, -121.02856

Open the location on a map

What's there now

Shelby Flat is no longer a community in its own right. The nearest living town is Nevada City, CA (population 3,168), about 2 miles away in a straight line, and the site sits at roughly 2,665 feet above sea level. Much of the land around former townsites is private; check access before you visit.

Nearby places

Questions

Where is Shelby Flat?

Shelby Flat is in Nevada County, California, at 39.2888, -121.0286.

How many ghost towns are in Nevada County?

Nevada County, California has 28 ghost towns on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.