Best Time to Drive from Berkeley to Novato

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 31 minutes via US-101 North and I-580 East and I-80 East, usually 32 at this time.

Only 23% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Berkeley to Novato by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	31	32	33	29	29	29	29	30	32	32	32	31	27	27	26
Tue	27	27	31	34	34	31	30	29	29	29	33	34	34	33	28	27	27
Wed	26	27	32	34	33	30	29	29	29	30	32	34	34	33	29	27	26
Thu	26	27	31	35	34	30	30	29	30	30	34	35	34	33	29	27	27
Fri	26	26	29	31	30	28	30	30	32	33	36	36	35	33	30	28	27
Sat	26	27	26	26	27	27	29	30	31	31	32	32	33	31	29	28	27
Sun	27	27	26	26	26	27	29	30	32	33	33	32	32	31	30	29	27

About this drive

On weekdays the 28-mile drive from Berkeley to Novato (via US-101 North and I-580 East and I-80 East) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 37 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 30 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (33 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Berkeley to central Novato along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Berkeley to Novato?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 37 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Berkeley to Novato?

The 28-mile drive usually takes 26 to 37 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 30 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Berkeley to Novato?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 37 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (9 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (7 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Novato to Berkeley (return trip) · Berkeley to San Francisco · Berkeley to San Jose · Berkeley to Palo Alto · Berkeley to Fremont · Berkeley to Walnut Creek · Berkeley to San Mateo · Berkeley to Mountain View · Berkeley to Pleasanton · Berkeley to Santa Clara · Berkeley to SFO · Berkeley to OAK

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	31	32	33	29	29	29	29	30	32	32	32	31	27	27	26
Tue	27	27	31	34	34	31	30	29	29	29	33	34	34	33	28	27	27
Wed	26	27	32	34	33	30	29	29	29	30	32	34	34	33	29	27	26
Thu	26	27	31	35	34	30	30	29	30	30	34	35	34	33	29	27	27
Fri	26	26	29	31	30	28	30	30	32	33	36	36	35	33	30	28	27
Sat	26	27	26	26	27	27	29	30	31	31	32	32	33	31	29	28	27
Sun	27	27	26	26	26	27	29	30	32	33	33	32	32	31	30	29	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	31	32	33	29	29	29	29	30	32	32	32	31	27	27	26
Tue	27	27	31	34	34	31	30	29	29	29	33	34	34	33	28	27	27
Wed	26	27	32	34	33	30	29	29	29	30	32	34	34	33	29	27	26
Thu	26	27	31	35	34	30	30	29	30	30	34	35	34	33	29	27	27
Fri	26	26	29	31	30	28	30	30	32	33	36	36	35	33	30	28	27
Sat	26	27	26	26	27	27	29	30	31	31	32	32	33	31	29	28	27
Sun	27	27	26	26	26	27	29	30	32	33	33	32	32	31	30	29	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	31	32	33	29	29	29	29	30	32	32	32	31	27	27	26
Tue	27	27	31	34	34	31	30	29	29	29	33	34	34	33	28	27	27
Wed	26	27	32	34	33	30	29	29	29	30	32	34	34	33	29	27	26
Thu	26	27	31	35	34	30	30	29	30	30	34	35	34	33	29	27	27
Fri	26	26	29	31	30	28	30	30	32	33	36	36	35	33	30	28	27
Sat	26	27	26	26	27	27	29	30	31	31	32	32	33	31	29	28	27
Sun	27	27	26	26	26	27	29	30	32	33	33	32	32	31	30	29	27