Best Time to Drive from Fairfield to Novato

Right now (7:05 pm PDT): about 41 minutes via I-80 West and SR-37 West, usually 41 at this time.

Only 43% 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 Fairfield 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	41	43	49	46	44	43	44	43	43	42	44	44	47	47	41	41	41
Tue	41	43	48	47	44	43	43	43	43	42	44	46	49	49	41	41	41
Wed	41	43	48	48	45	44	43	43	43	43	45	49	49	50	42	41	41
Thu	41	43	47	47	44	43	43	43	43	43	46	47	49	47	41	41	41
Fri	41	42	44	42	43	43	43	43	45	47	49	48	50	49	44	41	41
Sat	41	41	41	41	41	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	41	41	41
Sun	41	41	41	41	41	41	42	42	43	44	43	43	43	42	42	42	41

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from Fairfield to Novato (via I-80 West and SR-37 West) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 52 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (44 minutes).

About 24 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 13 miles surface streets (20 to 30 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fairfield 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 Fairfield to Novato?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 52 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 37-mile drive usually takes 41 to 52 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fairfield to Novato?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 52 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (12 miles) · SR-37 West in Bay Area (10 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (1.5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Novato to Fairfield (return trip) · Fairfield to San Jose · Fairfield to San Francisco · Fairfield to Sacramento · Fairfield to Oakland · Fairfield to Fremont · Fairfield to Santa Rosa · Fairfield to Elk Grove · Fairfield to Hayward · Fairfield to Sunnyvale · Fairfield to Roseville · Fairfield to Concord

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	43	49	46	44	43	44	43	43	42	44	44	47	47	41	41	41
Tue	41	43	48	47	44	43	43	43	43	42	44	46	49	49	41	41	41
Wed	41	43	48	48	45	44	43	43	43	43	45	49	49	50	42	41	41
Thu	41	43	47	47	44	43	43	43	43	43	46	47	49	47	41	41	41
Fri	41	42	44	42	43	43	43	43	45	47	49	48	50	49	44	41	41
Sat	41	41	41	41	41	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	41	41	41
Sun	41	41	41	41	41	41	42	42	43	44	43	43	43	42	42	42	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	43	49	46	44	43	44	43	43	42	44	44	47	47	41	41	41
Tue	41	43	48	47	44	43	43	43	43	42	44	46	49	49	41	41	41
Wed	41	43	48	48	45	44	43	43	43	43	45	49	49	50	42	41	41
Thu	41	43	47	47	44	43	43	43	43	43	46	47	49	47	41	41	41
Fri	41	42	44	42	43	43	43	43	45	47	49	48	50	49	44	41	41
Sat	41	41	41	41	41	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	41	41	41
Sun	41	41	41	41	41	41	42	42	43	44	43	43	43	42	42	42	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	43	49	46	44	43	44	43	43	42	44	44	47	47	41	41	41
Tue	41	43	48	47	44	43	43	43	43	42	44	46	49	49	41	41	41
Wed	41	43	48	48	45	44	43	43	43	43	45	49	49	50	42	41	41
Thu	41	43	47	47	44	43	43	43	43	43	46	47	49	47	41	41	41
Fri	41	42	44	42	43	43	43	43	45	47	49	48	50	49	44	41	41
Sat	41	41	41	41	41	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	42	41	41	41
Sun	41	41	41	41	41	41	42	42	43	44	43	43	43	42	42	42	41