Best Time to Drive from Novato to Oakland

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 34 minutes via I-580 West and US-101 South, usually 31 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Novato to Oakland 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	29	34	55	53	44	36	36	35	35	35	37	34	36	32	31	31	30
Tue	29	35	74	80	56	40	36	35	34	35	37	35	37	32	31	31	30
Wed	29	34	66	64	51	40	37	35	34	34	37	37	39	34	31	31	31
Thu	29	33	68	72	54	42	38	36	36	37	41	40	42	35	32	31	30
Fri	29	32	48	45	38	33	36	36	37	37	40	36	36	34	33	32	31
Sat	29	29	30	30	30	33	38	43	40	40	40	40	42	39	36	34	30
Sun	29	29	29	30	30	31	36	41	43	42	43	41	40	39	37	33	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Novato to Oakland (via I-580 West and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 87 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (43 minutes).

About 31 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.3 miles surface streets (about 2 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Novato to downtown Oakland 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 Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 87 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 33-mile drive usually takes 29 to 87 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Novato to Oakland?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 87 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (14 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

Oakland to Novato (return trip) · Novato to San Jose · Novato to San Francisco · Novato to Sacramento

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	34	55	53	44	36	36	35	35	35	37	34	36	32	31	31	30
Tue	29	35	74	80	56	40	36	35	34	35	37	35	37	32	31	31	30
Wed	29	34	66	64	51	40	37	35	34	34	37	37	39	34	31	31	31
Thu	29	33	68	72	54	42	38	36	36	37	41	40	42	35	32	31	30
Fri	29	32	48	45	38	33	36	36	37	37	40	36	36	34	33	32	31
Sat	29	29	30	30	30	33	38	43	40	40	40	40	42	39	36	34	30
Sun	29	29	29	30	30	31	36	41	43	42	43	41	40	39	37	33	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	34	55	53	44	36	36	35	35	35	37	34	36	32	31	31	30
Tue	29	35	74	80	56	40	36	35	34	35	37	35	37	32	31	31	30
Wed	29	34	66	64	51	40	37	35	34	34	37	37	39	34	31	31	31
Thu	29	33	68	72	54	42	38	36	36	37	41	40	42	35	32	31	30
Fri	29	32	48	45	38	33	36	36	37	37	40	36	36	34	33	32	31
Sat	29	29	30	30	30	33	38	43	40	40	40	40	42	39	36	34	30
Sun	29	29	29	30	30	31	36	41	43	42	43	41	40	39	37	33	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	34	55	53	44	36	36	35	35	35	37	34	36	32	31	31	30
Tue	29	35	74	80	56	40	36	35	34	35	37	35	37	32	31	31	30
Wed	29	34	66	64	51	40	37	35	34	34	37	37	39	34	31	31	31
Thu	29	33	68	72	54	42	38	36	36	37	41	40	42	35	32	31	30
Fri	29	32	48	45	38	33	36	36	37	37	40	36	36	34	33	32	31
Sat	29	29	30	30	30	33	38	43	40	40	40	40	42	39	36	34	30
Sun	29	29	29	30	30	31	36	41	43	42	43	41	40	39	37	33	30