Applegate is an unincorporated community in Placer County, California. Applegate is located 7.25 mi south-southwest of Colfax, and 9.3 mi northeast of Auburn. The city's msl elevation is 2,005 ft. Its ZIP code is 95703 and its area code 530.Applegate was originally settled in 1849 by Lisbon Applegate, having come to California with his son, George, from Missouri. Part of a family who first emigrated to America in the 17th century, the Applegates bought acreage above Clipper Gap, California, and established a fruit ranch there. The main house of the Applegate Ranch was located where Oliver's gas station and bar sits today. Lisbon eventually returned to Missouri but his son, George W. Applegate, stayed.As the town grew, it was called Bear River House for its proximity to the Bear River, a short distance northwest. When a post office was established 1855, the community officially became known as Lisbon in honor of its founder. George W.