Archaeological finds place the southwestern border for the prehistoric Martis people in the Auburn area.

[11] The indigenous Nisenan, an offshoot of the Maidu, were the first to establish a permanent settlement in the Auburn area.

In the spring of 1848, a group of French gold miners arrived and camped in what would later be known as the Auburn Ravine.

This group was on its way to the gold fields in Coloma, California, and it included Francois Gendron, Philibert Courteau, and Claude Chana.

After finding the gold deposits in the soil, the trio decided to stay for more prospecting and mining.

Placer mining in the Auburn area was very good, with the camp first becoming known as the North Fork Dry Diggings.

The oldest fire station and the Post Office date from the Gold Rush years.

Casual gold-mining accessories, as well as American Indian and Chinese artifacts, can also be viewed by visitors at the Placer County Museum.

Auburn was the home and birthplace of noted science fiction and fantasy poet and writer Clark Ashton Smith.

Auburn has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) that is characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers.

[16] Auburn's Köppen classification and climate similarities to locations such as Napa and parts of Italy make it a suitable region for growing wine grapes.

[20] Colossal sculptures are located throughout the town; the statues chronicle Auburn's history, such as a middle-aged Claude Chana gold panning in the nearby American River, and a Chinese laborer building the Transcontinental Railroad.

Hidden Falls Regional Park is located in nearby woodlands and contains 30 miles (48 km) of multi-use trails.

Highway 49 connects Auburn with the towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City to its north, and Placerville to the south.