Boutique real estate · Calaveras · Amador · Tuolumne (209) 559-4966 SaraSellsCalifornia@gmail.com
Legacy PropertiesEvery Home Has A Story
Calaveras County · Elevation 2,171 ft · Established 1848

Murphys, CA Homes for Sale.

The Queen of the Sierra · twenty-two tasting rooms in a four-block walk

Population2,226
San Francisco2 hr 30 min
Lake Tahoe2 hr 10 min
Snow days / yr7
A year in Murphys —
Long evenings on Main Street. Outdoor tasting, peach season, twilight that holds till nine.
Field notes · § I

What is Murphys, California known for?

A four-block town that punches well above its weight — where Murphys, CA homes for sale range from Main Street cottages to vineyard estates.

Murphys, California is a Gold Rush–era wine town in Calaveras County, sitting at 2,171 feet in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Murphys is known for more than two dozen wine tasting rooms along a walkable four-block Main Street, the 1856 Murphys Historic Hotel, and its position at the gateway to Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

Founded by two Irish brothers in the spring of 1848, Murphys grew up around a creek, a wagon road, and the promise of gold. The gold thinned. The town didn't.

Today, four blocks of Main Street hold more wine tasting rooms than most California towns thirty times its size — paired with a working hotel that's been pouring drinks since 1856, a stone-walled creekside park, and a quiet, fierce sense that the rest of the world can pass on through.

Most of Legacy's clients come for the wine. They stay for the way Main Street still empties out by ten — and the way the sky over Murphys Park still holds every star you forgot you could see. Before anyone writes an offer, though, we sit down with two practical questions: how the drive back over the hill actually runs, and which fire hazard zone the parcel falls in.

Who Murphys is for
01

The Bay refugee

Trading a peninsula condo for an 1880 cottage with a covered porch. Keeping the consulting work, swapping the commute.

02

The vineyard romantic

Five acres, a Zin clone, a tractor older than the buyer. Pouring at the gate by year three.

03

The second-home couple

Sacramento or Silicon Valley primary. Murphys is the place the kids learn to love. December weekends, August weddings.

04

The legacy buyer

An estate parcel with a name, a creek, and a fence line that has been a fence line since the gold rush. Built to outlast its first owners.

Comparing options? See the foothill towns compared side by side, or read up on rural property & acreage in Calaveras County.

Murphys · at a glance

Murphys, California by the numbers.

The durable facts buyers ask first. Current prices are in the live market report below, not hand-kept here.
CountyCalaveras County
Elevation2,171 ft
Population2,226 (2020 Census)
Water — in townUnion Public Utility District
Water — outlyingPrivate wells common
SchoolsVallecito Union SD → Bret Harte Union High
Wine tasting rooms20+ on Main Street
Bay Area≈ 2 hr 30 min
NearbyCalaveras Big Trees State Park

Last updated: July 2026

Live from the MLS · updated continuously

What are current home prices in Murphys, CA?

Murphys home prices are best read live. The report below pulls the current median price, days on market and active inventory for Murphys straight from the MLS, so the numbers stay current instead of going stale on the page.
On the map

Right in the heart of it.

Downtown Murphys and the surrounding Calaveras foothills. Pan, zoom, or drop into Street View.
The signature

How many wineries & tasting rooms does Murphys have?

No appointment. No agenda. Most rooms pour for $15–$25, almost all waived with a two-bottle purchase. Pace yourself.

I
Ironstone
Estate
Cab FrancObsession SymphonyEstate Reserve
$25 flight·10–5 daily
II
Newsome Harlow
Boutique reds
Big Joe ZinLavinia GSMThe Tipping Point
$20 flight·11–5 Thu–Mon
III
Gossamer
Low-intervention
Skin-contact VermentinoChenin Pét-NatCounoise Rosé
$15 flight·12–5 Fri–Sun
IV
Vina Moda
Iberian-leaning
TempranilloGarnachaAlbariño
$20 flight·11–5 daily
V
Lavender Ridge
Provence in the Sierra
RoséMourvèdreBrie + lavender pairing
$22 flight·11–5 daily
VI
Black Sheep
Year-round bocce
True Frogs ZinCinsaultTempranillo
$15 flight·12–5 Fri–Sun
Walking math — 22 rooms0.4 miles end-to-end9 min, sober3 weekend passport options
The personal list

Sara's standing recommendations.

Years of out-of-town clients, dozens of revised opinions. This is the list as it stands today.
01

Murphys Grade Oyster Joint

The best oysters in the foothills, full stop. Raw bar, local bubbles, a counter worth lingering at. I send every seafood-missing transplant here first.

Oysters$$$Reserve
WhenDinner · Wed–Sun
02

V Restaurant

The seasonal California room I send every couple to. Order the duck; the lamb; the off-menu thing the server doesn't mention.

Date$$$Reserve
WhenDinner · Thu–Sun
03

Doke Sushi

Sushi on Main that surprises everyone. Sit at the bar and let them feed you. Omakase by reservation; go hungry.

Sushi$$$Reserve
WhenDinner · Tue–Sun
04

Murphys Historic Hotel — Patio

Outdoor dining under the elms. The 1856 dining room spills onto the patio when the evenings are warm. Order simply, sit late.

Outdoor$$Walk-in
WhenLunch & dinner daily
01

V Bar

The fine-dining side of V, and some of the best cocktails in town. Scotty works the bar in an intimate, low-lit room — tell him what you like and let him build it. My standing pre-dinner ritual.

Cocktails$$$Intimate
When5 pm – close · Thu–Sun
02

Murphys Historic Hotel Bar

Mark Twain's room is upstairs. The bar has been pouring since 1856. Sit at the wood, order a Manhattan.

History$$
When3 pm – close
03

Newsome Harlow

Where my serious-wine clients go. The Big Joe Zinfandel will end the conversation about whether you like Zinfandel.

Tasting$$
When11–5 Thu–Mon
04

Lavender Ridge

The brie-and-lavender pairing is exactly as good as it sounds. Sit in the courtyard. Don't rush.

Outdoor$$
When11–5 daily
01

Glashaus

The glass dome James and I built on twenty private acres above New Melones Lake — 360° of water, foothills and stars through the glass, an outdoor clawfoot tub set right on the ancient rock. A guest-favorite Superhost stay, and the place I send buyers who want to feel what living up here actually feels like. Book it direct on Airbnb →

Glass domeLake viewBook direct
Rated4.92 · Airbnb
02

Dunbar House 1880

Victorian B&B with the kind of breakfast that makes you reconsider your life. Garden in the back.

B&B$$$
From$295 / nt
03

Murphys Historic Hotel

Stay in a room with a brass plate naming a 19th-century guest. The rooms are small. The hallways squeak. That's the point.

History$$
From$185 / nt
04

Vineyard rental — Black Sheep Cottage

One-bedroom on a working vineyard. Wake up to the rows. Walk to Main in fifteen.

Vineyard$$$
From$345 / nt
01

Calaveras Big Trees State Park

Giant sequoias, twenty minutes east. Walk the North Grove loop slowly. It rearranges things.

Outdoor20 min
WhenYear-round
02

Mercer Caverns

Discovered 1885. Forty-five minutes underground. The crystal aragonite is the showpiece.

Cave7 min
WhenDaily, hourly
03

Bear Valley Resort

Skiing forty minutes up Hwy 4. Smaller and stranger than Tahoe — that's the appeal.

Ski40 min
WhenDec–Apr
04

Stanislaus River — Camp Nine

Class III–IV rafting an hour out. Sara will introduce you to the outfitter.

Water60 min
WhenMay–Aug
01

The Murphys Park gazebo at 9 pm

After Main Street empties. Bring a bottle and a sweater. Listen to the creek. That's it. That's the secret.

QuietFree
WhenAnytime
02

The barrel room at Tanner

Ask for Mike. Ask about the high-elevation Pinot. If you're lucky he pours from the barrel.

WineInsider
WhenBy feel
Currently in the field

Homes for sale in Murphys.

Every home for sale in Murphys — live from the MLS.
A note from your agent · § VII
Sara Cooper
SCSara Cooper · Owner-Broker

A few words on Murphys —

I came to the Gold Country in 1999 and never left, and I've spent years making my living within four blocks of Main Street since. Murphys is the town that taught me the difference between a place that looks charming on a Saturday and a place that is charming on a Tuesday morning in February.

If you're moving here from the Bay or Sacramento, three things will surprise you. The grocery store knows your name within a month. Snow falls maybe seven times a year and the kids treat it like a holiday. And the wine — once you've poured at six rooms run by the people who own them, you'll never quite drink a tasting-room flight the same way again.

If Murphys is on your list, I'd love to walk it with you. Coffee at Grounds, an hour on Main, then we'll see what's actually for sale that fits the version of life you're picturing.

— Sara

◇  (209) 559-4966 ◇  SaraSellsCalifornia@gmail.com ◇  Schedule a Murphys walk
Adjacent

Towns nearby.

Five more characters in the same story. Each within forty minutes of Main Street.
22 min east

Arnold

Pines, cabins, ski-adjacent.
12 min south

Angels Camp

Frog Jubilee, Twain country.
28 min southwest

Copperopolis

Lake estates, golf, big sky.
38 min northwest

Sutter Creek

Antiques, Amador wine, history.
35 min south

Waterfront Lakes & Rivers

Lakes, rivers & waterfront.
Begin your Murphys chapter

Walk Main Street
with us.

An afternoon, a list, a candid read on what's actually on the market.

Find my Murphys match Call (209) 559-4966
Murphys · common questions

Buying in Murphys, answered.

Is a Murphys home on city water or a private well?

Homes inside the Murphys townsite are typically served by the Union Public Utility District, while outlying and vineyard parcels around Murphys are frequently on private wells. Whether a Murphys property is on district water or a well changes both the inspection and the loan, so confirm it before writing an offer.

What school district serves Murphys, California?

Murphys is served by the Vallecito Union School District for elementary and middle grades, with high-school students attending Bret Harte Union High School in nearby Angels Camp.

How far is Murphys from the Bay Area and Sacramento?

Murphys sits at 2,171 feet on the Highway 4 corridor in Calaveras County, roughly 2 hours 30 minutes from San Francisco and about 2 hours from Sacramento by car.

Does Murphys have wildfire risk and insurance considerations?

Like much of the Sierra foothills, parts of Calaveras County fall within CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones, and wildfire insurance is a real line item for Murphys buyers. Confirm a specific parcel's designation with the CAL FIRE address lookup and get an insurance quote early in escrow.

Where can I see current Murphys home prices?

Current Murphys median price, days on market and active inventory are published in the live market report on this page, pulled continuously from the MLS rather than kept by hand.

Sara Cooper, Broker at Legacy Properties (CA DRE #02141987), works across the Sierra foothills of Calaveras, Amador and Tuolumne counties, including Murphys, with 23 closings in the trailing twelve months. Reach Sara at (209) 559-4966.

Sources: California Association of REALTORS® · CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones · Union Public Utility District · U.S. Census / Murphys, California.