[7]) Some of the town's notable features include the newly restored Southern Pacific Railroad colonnade-style depot (which houses the Colfax Museum and Chamber of Commerce) built in 1905,[8] the downtown shops on Main Street, and Colfax High School, which serves a large surrounding area.

[citation needed] In December 2021, the city was placed under a state of emergency due to severe snow storms.

[12] The City was again reliant on the leadership of the Mayor to get supplies and critical support to residents left without a safe heat source.

Located approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Colfax is a branch of the Melones Fault, running in north to south direction.

Bunch Creek is an active water source flowing south to eventually reach a confluence with the North Fork of the American River.

[9] Colfax has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) that is characterized by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers.

Winters, on the other hand, are quite cool with temperatures in December hovering around 46 °F (8 °C), and owing to its altitude above sea level, Colfax some years sees snow accumulation.

Amtrak Train 5, the westbound California Zephyr, is scheduled to depart Colfax at 11:48 a.m. daily with service to Roseville, Sacramento, Davis, Martinez, and Emeryville across the bay from San Francisco.

Amtrak Train 6, the eastbound California Zephyr, is scheduled to depart Colfax at 12:21 p.m. daily with service to Truckee, Reno, Sparks, Winnemucca, Elko, Salt Lake City, Provo, Helper, Green River, Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Denver, Omaha, Galesburg, and Chicago.

[19] A bronze statue of the town's namesake, Schuyler Colfax, stands near the depot at the Grass Valley Street railroad grade crossing.

Amtrak Thruway 20 provides a daily connection from Colfax Depot to Sacramento Valley Station to the west, and South Lake Tahoe to the east, with a few stops in between.