Valley Springs is a census-designated place in Calaveras County, California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The community, formerly known as Spring Valley and Valley Spring, is registered as California Historical Landmark No. 251 in recognition of its railroad and train depot heritage; the original depot building, known locally simply as "the Depot," still stands within the historic settlement. Valley Springs counted 910 residents in the 2020 census. The community sits at the western edge of Calaveras County, in the transition between the San Joaquin Valley and the Sierra foothills. Its growth has been shaped in large part by water and roads. In the mid-20th century, the development of the Camanche and New Hogan reservoirs, together with the earlier Pardee Reservoir, brought recreation and helped fuel residential growth. The 1930s and 1940s saw steady population increases of several percent a year, and the community has since become one of Calaveras County's more populous places. Valley Springs' position gives it a foothill climate and landscape—oak-studded grasslands rising toward pine forest—while keeping it within commuting reach of Stockton, Lodi, and Sacramento. That combination of rural living and commuter access has long drawn residents seeking more space than the valley's larger cities offer, and it has made the community a gateway between the Central Valley and the Sierra. Commercial life clusters along the state highways that pass through, serving residents and travelers headed to the reservoirs and mountains. Public schools are part of the Calaveras Unified School District, with Valley Springs and Jenny Lind elementary schools in the area and Calaveras High School in nearby San Andreas, the county seat. Three reservoirs—Camanche, Pardee, and Hogan—anchor outdoor recreation on the community's doorstep.