Best Time to Drive from Novato to San Jose

Right now (7:32 pm PDT): about 86 minutes via I-880 South, usually 73 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	85	124	115	98	85	84	80	79	80	86	88	86	72	69	68	67
Tue	66	91	149	140	109	90	82	79	77	81	89	94	93	77	69	67	66
Wed	66	92	142	128	104	89	83	79	78	81	88	98	96	78	70	67	67
Thu	66	90	143	134	107	90	84	80	82	85	94	103	99	81	70	67	66
Fri	66	80	99	95	84	79	81	82	84	88	96	95	93	81	73	69	67
Sat	66	66	67	68	69	76	84	89	88	89	89	88	90	83	76	72	66
Sun	66	66	66	66	68	70	78	83	85	85	85	83	82	76	74	70	66

About this drive

On weekdays the 74-mile drive from Novato to San Jose (via I-880 South) usually takes as little as 66 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 (90 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 66 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 66 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)

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	85	124	115	98	85	84	80	79	80	86	88	86	72	69	68	67
Tue	66	91	149	140	109	90	82	79	77	81	89	94	93	77	69	67	66
Wed	66	92	142	128	104	89	83	79	78	81	88	98	96	78	70	67	67
Thu	66	90	143	134	107	90	84	80	82	85	94	103	99	81	70	67	66
Fri	66	80	99	95	84	79	81	82	84	88	96	95	93	81	73	69	67
Sat	66	66	67	68	69	76	84	89	88	89	89	88	90	83	76	72	66
Sun	66	66	66	66	68	70	78	83	85	85	85	83	82	76	74	70	66

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	85	124	115	98	85	84	80	79	80	86	88	86	72	69	68	67
Tue	66	91	149	140	109	90	82	79	77	81	89	94	93	77	69	67	66
Wed	66	92	142	128	104	89	83	79	78	81	88	98	96	78	70	67	67
Thu	66	90	143	134	107	90	84	80	82	85	94	103	99	81	70	67	66
Fri	66	80	99	95	84	79	81	82	84	88	96	95	93	81	73	69	67
Sat	66	66	67	68	69	76	84	89	88	89	89	88	90	83	76	72	66
Sun	66	66	66	66	68	70	78	83	85	85	85	83	82	76	74	70	66

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	85	124	115	98	85	84	80	79	80	86	88	86	72	69	68	67
Tue	66	91	149	140	109	90	82	79	77	81	89	94	93	77	69	67	66
Wed	66	92	142	128	104	89	83	79	78	81	88	98	96	78	70	67	67
Thu	66	90	143	134	107	90	84	80	82	85	94	103	99	81	70	67	66
Fri	66	80	99	95	84	79	81	82	84	88	96	95	93	81	73	69	67
Sat	66	66	67	68	69	76	84	89	88	89	89	88	90	83	76	72	66
Sun	66	66	66	66	68	70	78	83	85	85	85	83	82	76	74	70	66