Best Time to Drive from Novato to Hayward

Right now (5:34 pm PDT): about 53 minutes via I-580 West and US-101 South, usually 51 at this time.

Only 74% 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 Novato to Hayward 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	42	47	79	75	59	50	49	49	49	50	52	50	50	46	45	44	44
Tue	42	48	103	103	73	55	50	49	48	50	53	51	52	47	45	44	44
Wed	42	47	95	90	67	55	52	50	49	49	52	52	54	48	45	45	44
Thu	42	47	97	100	70	56	51	50	51	52	56	55	57	49	46	44	43
Fri	42	45	67	66	53	48	50	51	52	52	56	52	52	49	48	46	44
Sat	43	43	43	44	44	48	53	58	55	55	55	53	55	52	50	47	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	43	45	50	56	57	56	57	55	54	54	53	48	44

About this drive

On weekdays the 47-mile drive from Novato to Hayward (via I-580 West and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 42 minutes and up to 114 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (58 minutes).

About 44 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Novato to central Hayward 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 Novato to Hayward?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 42 minutes then, versus up to 114 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 47-mile drive usually takes 42 to 114 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Novato to Hayward?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 114 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (27 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (12 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	47	79	75	59	50	49	49	49	50	52	50	50	46	45	44	44
Tue	42	48	103	103	73	55	50	49	48	50	53	51	52	47	45	44	44
Wed	42	47	95	90	67	55	52	50	49	49	52	52	54	48	45	45	44
Thu	42	47	97	100	70	56	51	50	51	52	56	55	57	49	46	44	43
Fri	42	45	67	66	53	48	50	51	52	52	56	52	52	49	48	46	44
Sat	43	43	43	44	44	48	53	58	55	55	55	53	55	52	50	47	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	43	45	50	56	57	56	57	55	54	54	53	48	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	47	79	75	59	50	49	49	49	50	52	50	50	46	45	44	44
Tue	42	48	103	103	73	55	50	49	48	50	53	51	52	47	45	44	44
Wed	42	47	95	90	67	55	52	50	49	49	52	52	54	48	45	45	44
Thu	42	47	97	100	70	56	51	50	51	52	56	55	57	49	46	44	43
Fri	42	45	67	66	53	48	50	51	52	52	56	52	52	49	48	46	44
Sat	43	43	43	44	44	48	53	58	55	55	55	53	55	52	50	47	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	43	45	50	56	57	56	57	55	54	54	53	48	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	47	79	75	59	50	49	49	49	50	52	50	50	46	45	44	44
Tue	42	48	103	103	73	55	50	49	48	50	53	51	52	47	45	44	44
Wed	42	47	95	90	67	55	52	50	49	49	52	52	54	48	45	45	44
Thu	42	47	97	100	70	56	51	50	51	52	56	55	57	49	46	44	43
Fri	42	45	67	66	53	48	50	51	52	52	56	52	52	49	48	46	44
Sat	43	43	43	44	44	48	53	58	55	55	55	53	55	52	50	47	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	43	45	50	56	57	56	57	55	54	54	53	48	44