Norden is a small unincorporated community in Nevada County, California, United States, about 9 miles (14 km) west of Truckee.

The community is located on a former portion of U.S. Route 40 near Interstate 80 and lies along the historical first transcontinental railroad, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Donner Pass.

[4] The nearby Donner post office operated from 1882 to 1926.

[5] The place is named for Charles Van Norden, an official of the South Yuba Water Company.

[4] The dam was built in 1900 and the resulting lake was named after Van Norden.