Best Time to Drive from Novato to Santa Clara

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 89 minutes via I-880 South, usually 91 at this time.

Only 42% 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 Santa Clara 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	130	119	99	85	82	80	79	82	89	90	90	74	70	68	68
Tue	67	92	156	145	113	92	83	80	79	83	89	95	95	80	71	68	68
Wed	66	92	151	135	107	90	84	80	80	84	89	97	99	82	72	69	68
Thu	67	91	152	139	109	92	86	82	84	87	95	102	100	84	72	69	68
Fri	67	80	104	98	86	81	83	83	86	89	96	95	95	84	77	71	68
Sat	67	67	68	69	70	78	86	91	90	91	91	91	92	84	77	73	68
Sun	67	67	67	67	69	72	80	86	89	88	88	87	86	83	79	74	67

About this drive

On weekdays the 74-mile drive from Novato to Santa Clara (via I-880 South) usually takes as little as 66 minutes and up to 160 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 82 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 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 (4 to 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Novato to central Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 66 minutes then, versus up to 160 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Novato to Santa Clara?

The 74-mile drive usually takes 66 to 160 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 82 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Novato to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 160 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

Santa Clara 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 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	85	130	119	99	85	82	80	79	82	89	90	90	74	70	68	68
Tue	67	92	156	145	113	92	83	80	79	83	89	95	95	80	71	68	68
Wed	66	92	151	135	107	90	84	80	80	84	89	97	99	82	72	69	68
Thu	67	91	152	139	109	92	86	82	84	87	95	102	100	84	72	69	68
Fri	67	80	104	98	86	81	83	83	86	89	96	95	95	84	77	71	68
Sat	67	67	68	69	70	78	86	91	90	91	91	91	92	84	77	73	68
Sun	67	67	67	67	69	72	80	86	89	88	88	87	86	83	79	74	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	85	130	119	99	85	82	80	79	82	89	90	90	74	70	68	68
Tue	67	92	156	145	113	92	83	80	79	83	89	95	95	80	71	68	68
Wed	66	92	151	135	107	90	84	80	80	84	89	97	99	82	72	69	68
Thu	67	91	152	139	109	92	86	82	84	87	95	102	100	84	72	69	68
Fri	67	80	104	98	86	81	83	83	86	89	96	95	95	84	77	71	68
Sat	67	67	68	69	70	78	86	91	90	91	91	91	92	84	77	73	68
Sun	67	67	67	67	69	72	80	86	89	88	88	87	86	83	79	74	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	85	130	119	99	85	82	80	79	82	89	90	90	74	70	68	68
Tue	67	92	156	145	113	92	83	80	79	83	89	95	95	80	71	68	68
Wed	66	92	151	135	107	90	84	80	80	84	89	97	99	82	72	69	68
Thu	67	91	152	139	109	92	86	82	84	87	95	102	100	84	72	69	68
Fri	67	80	104	98	86	81	83	83	86	89	96	95	95	84	77	71	68
Sat	67	67	68	69	70	78	86	91	90	91	91	91	92	84	77	73	68
Sun	67	67	67	67	69	72	80	86	89	88	88	87	86	83	79	74	67