Best Time to Drive from Novato to San Jose

Right now (10:05 pm PDT): about 65 minutes via I-880 South, usually 66 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Novato to San Jose 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	67	84	124	116	97	84	82	80	79	82	88	91	89	73	69	68	67
Tue	66	89	151	142	111	90	82	79	78	82	90	96	95	78	70	68	67
Wed	65	89	142	130	105	88	83	79	80	83	90	100	98	80	70	68	67
Thu	66	88	143	135	106	90	84	81	82	86	96	105	100	83	70	67	66
Fri	66	79	101	97	85	79	81	82	85	89	96	95	94	83	76	70	67
Sat	66	66	67	68	69	76	84	88	87	88	88	90	92	85	77	73	68
Sun	66	66	66	66	68	71	80	85	88	87	87	86	85	83	80	73	66

About this drive

On weekdays the 74-mile drive from Novato to San Jose (via I-880 South) usually takes as little as 65 minutes and up to 155 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 81 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (92 minutes).

About 71 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (3 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Novato to downtown San Jose 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 San Jose?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 65 minutes then, versus up to 155 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Novato to San Jose?

The 74-mile drive usually takes 65 to 155 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 81 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Novato to San Jose?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 155 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (42 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (13 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

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	84	124	116	97	84	82	80	79	82	88	91	89	73	69	68	67
Tue	66	89	151	142	111	90	82	79	78	82	90	96	95	78	70	68	67
Wed	65	89	142	130	105	88	83	79	80	83	90	100	98	80	70	68	67
Thu	66	88	143	135	106	90	84	81	82	86	96	105	100	83	70	67	66
Fri	66	79	101	97	85	79	81	82	85	89	96	95	94	83	76	70	67
Sat	66	66	67	68	69	76	84	88	87	88	88	90	92	85	77	73	68
Sun	66	66	66	66	68	71	80	85	88	87	87	86	85	83	80	73	66

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	84	124	116	97	84	82	80	79	82	88	91	89	73	69	68	67
Tue	66	89	151	142	111	90	82	79	78	82	90	96	95	78	70	68	67
Wed	65	89	142	130	105	88	83	79	80	83	90	100	98	80	70	68	67
Thu	66	88	143	135	106	90	84	81	82	86	96	105	100	83	70	67	66
Fri	66	79	101	97	85	79	81	82	85	89	96	95	94	83	76	70	67
Sat	66	66	67	68	69	76	84	88	87	88	88	90	92	85	77	73	68
Sun	66	66	66	66	68	71	80	85	88	87	87	86	85	83	80	73	66

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	84	124	116	97	84	82	80	79	82	88	91	89	73	69	68	67
Tue	66	89	151	142	111	90	82	79	78	82	90	96	95	78	70	68	67
Wed	65	89	142	130	105	88	83	79	80	83	90	100	98	80	70	68	67
Thu	66	88	143	135	106	90	84	81	82	86	96	105	100	83	70	67	66
Fri	66	79	101	97	85	79	81	82	85	89	96	95	94	83	76	70	67
Sat	66	66	67	68	69	76	84	88	87	88	88	90	92	85	77	73	68
Sun	66	66	66	66	68	71	80	85	88	87	87	86	85	83	80	73	66