Best Time to Drive from Novato to San Mateo

Right now (7:20 pm PDT): about 87 minutes via US-101 South and I-80 West and I-580 West, usually 60 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Novato to San Mateo 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	49	61	90	90	74	63	60	58	58	59	63	59	61	54	52	51	51
Tue	49	62	109	113	87	69	63	57	55	59	64	63	67	59	52	51	50
Wed	49	62	102	98	83	68	65	58	57	58	63	65	73	62	52	52	51
Thu	49	61	102	107	85	72	65	61	59	62	68	73	80	66	53	51	50
Fri	49	56	77	72	64	58	58	59	60	63	68	65	71	64	57	54	51
Sat	49	50	50	51	53	58	71	79	76	73	72	69	71	67	60	56	52
Sun	49	49	49	50	50	53	60	68	74	72	72	69	68	65	61	57	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 55-mile drive from Novato to San Mateo (via US-101 South and I-80 West and I-580 West) usually takes as little as 49 minutes and up to 122 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 59 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (79 minutes).

About 53 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Novato to central San Mateo 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 Mateo?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 49 minutes then, versus up to 122 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 55-mile drive usually takes 49 to 122 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 59 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Novato to San Mateo?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 122 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (26 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (15 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (13 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Mateo 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 Hayward · Novato to Sunnyvale · Novato to Concord · Novato to Santa Clara

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	61	90	90	74	63	60	58	58	59	63	59	61	54	52	51	51
Tue	49	62	109	113	87	69	63	57	55	59	64	63	67	59	52	51	50
Wed	49	62	102	98	83	68	65	58	57	58	63	65	73	62	52	52	51
Thu	49	61	102	107	85	72	65	61	59	62	68	73	80	66	53	51	50
Fri	49	56	77	72	64	58	58	59	60	63	68	65	71	64	57	54	51
Sat	49	50	50	51	53	58	71	79	76	73	72	69	71	67	60	56	52
Sun	49	49	49	50	50	53	60	68	74	72	72	69	68	65	61	57	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	61	90	90	74	63	60	58	58	59	63	59	61	54	52	51	51
Tue	49	62	109	113	87	69	63	57	55	59	64	63	67	59	52	51	50
Wed	49	62	102	98	83	68	65	58	57	58	63	65	73	62	52	52	51
Thu	49	61	102	107	85	72	65	61	59	62	68	73	80	66	53	51	50
Fri	49	56	77	72	64	58	58	59	60	63	68	65	71	64	57	54	51
Sat	49	50	50	51	53	58	71	79	76	73	72	69	71	67	60	56	52
Sun	49	49	49	50	50	53	60	68	74	72	72	69	68	65	61	57	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	61	90	90	74	63	60	58	58	59	63	59	61	54	52	51	51
Tue	49	62	109	113	87	69	63	57	55	59	64	63	67	59	52	51	50
Wed	49	62	102	98	83	68	65	58	57	58	63	65	73	62	52	52	51
Thu	49	61	102	107	85	72	65	61	59	62	68	73	80	66	53	51	50
Fri	49	56	77	72	64	58	58	59	60	63	68	65	71	64	57	54	51
Sat	49	50	50	51	53	58	71	79	76	73	72	69	71	67	60	56	52
Sun	49	49	49	50	50	53	60	68	74	72	72	69	68	65	61	57	50