Truckee is a vibrant mountain town committed to creating a community where people want to live, work and play. Reflecting this commitment to our quality of life, Town leaders are focused on fostering a thriving business climate that supports and retains local businesses and attracts new business opportunities. Learn more about Truckee’s Business Friendly Culture and Business Support Programs.
Business Culture
Truckee retains our small mountain town charm while boasting business-friendly characteristics that rival many big city locations. These include:
Talent Pool: No matter your business, Truckee offers a highly desirable quality of life and recreational opportunities to attract top professionals. Truckee boasts a highly educated population compared to state averages; 50.7% of Truckee residents have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher (33.9% statewide) and 16.5% have earned a graduate or professional degree. This focus on educational attainment is also reflected in Truckee’s award-winning schools.
Location: Just 200 miles northeast of San Francisco and Silicon Valley, 100 miles east of Sacramento, and 32 miles west of Reno, Truckee provides easy access to several large markets. Conveniently located on interstate 80, Truckee also offers a public airport, and is only 30 minutes away from Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
Entrepreneurial Creativity and Ecosystem: With the majority of local businesses categorized as “micro enterprises” (fewer than five employees), Truckee has a strong track record of supporting small businesses. Support programs include professional networking opportunities and free, confidential business consulting services provided by Sierra Small Business Development Center.
Healthcare Hub: Centered around the Tahoe-Forest Health System, Truckee serves as the hub for healthcare services in the Tahoe region. With services ranging from primary care to 24-hour emergency care, surgery, cancer care, physical therapy, occupational health and natural medicine, Truckee is an established and attractive base for healthcare-related industries.
Tech Ecosystem and Creative Culture: Truckee boasts a thriving community of creatives, makers, and technology businesses and startups. Check out this blog post to learn more.
Business Support
The Town of Truckee is committed to supporting businesses and commercial activities that build upon and enhance Truckee’s unique character and natural environment. Building a successful company is a long journey. The Town and its partners provide several economic development programs, tools and resources to help entrepreneurs feel we are your partner and ally in your journey to opening day and help you get your businesses up and running more quickly.
OpenCounter: The Town of Truckee offers the OpenCounter business portal that helps entrepreneurs by asking the right questions, in the right order, so business owners see the requirements, fees, and processing time that will apply to their planned use and location. The OpenCounter tool also collects metrics on new business development activities to inform the Town’s economic development strategies, including which neighborhoods or districts have the most commercial activity and what kinds of businesses are starting.
ZoningCheck: The Town of Truckee offers the ZoningCheck portal that simplifies the site selection process and shows you where your project is permitted. Just enter the type of use and the address, and the tool will tell you whether the use is allowed. Click the “Learn More” button and you can see additional information on the zoning for the property.
Permits: The Town of Truckee provides links to learn what type of building, land use, or special event permits are needed and eSuite to apply for building permits, schedule an inspects or check your permit status.
Personalized Support: The Town of Truckee provides an economic development coordinator to answer your questions, help direct new businesses to available support programs, and guide you through the permitting process.
Sierra Small Business Development Center: The Small Business Development Center provides free, confidential one-on-one business consulting to help entrepreneurs start, grow and sustain their business. Additionally, periodic Small Business Development Center workshops support business skill development in a small group setting. Learn more about Small Business Development Center programs.