Thermal interface conductance was measured for Soluble gold nanorods (NRs) coated with mercaptocarboxylic acids (HS-(CH2)(n)COOH, n = 5,10,15), thiolated polyethylene glycols (MW = 356,1000,5000), and HS-(CH2)(15)-COOH-coated NRs further coated with alternating layers of poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride) and poly(sodium styrenesulfonate). Ferguson analysis determined ligand thickness. The thermal-diffusion-dominated regime of transient absorption spectra was fit to a continuum heat diffusion finite element model to obtain the thermal interface conductance, G, which varied with ligand chemistry but not molecule length. The results suggest that the ability to exclude water from the NR surface governs ligand G values.