Best Time to Drive from Novato to Santa Clara

Right now (6:49 pm PDT): about 88 minutes via I-880 South, usually 72 at this time.

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	68	86	127	118	99	85	84	82	81	83	90	93	90	74	70	69	68
Tue	67	92	154	143	112	91	83	80	79	84	93	98	97	80	70	68	67
Wed	66	91	146	132	106	90	85	81	81	85	92	103	101	81	71	69	68
Thu	67	90	147	138	109	93	86	83	84	89	99	109	105	85	72	69	67
Fri	67	81	102	98	86	80	82	83	86	91	99	99	96	83	76	71	68
Sat	67	67	68	69	70	77	86	92	91	91	92	91	93	85	78	74	68
Sun	67	67	67	67	69	72	80	86	89	88	89	88	86	85	82	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 158 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 83 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (93 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 158 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 158 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 83 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Novato to Santa Clara?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 158 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	68	86	127	118	99	85	84	82	81	83	90	93	90	74	70	69	68
Tue	67	92	154	143	112	91	83	80	79	84	93	98	97	80	70	68	67
Wed	66	91	146	132	106	90	85	81	81	85	92	103	101	81	71	69	68
Thu	67	90	147	138	109	93	86	83	84	89	99	109	105	85	72	69	67
Fri	67	81	102	98	86	80	82	83	86	91	99	99	96	83	76	71	68
Sat	67	67	68	69	70	77	86	92	91	91	92	91	93	85	78	74	68
Sun	67	67	67	67	69	72	80	86	89	88	89	88	86	85	82	74	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	68	86	127	118	99	85	84	82	81	83	90	93	90	74	70	69	68
Tue	67	92	154	143	112	91	83	80	79	84	93	98	97	80	70	68	67
Wed	66	91	146	132	106	90	85	81	81	85	92	103	101	81	71	69	68
Thu	67	90	147	138	109	93	86	83	84	89	99	109	105	85	72	69	67
Fri	67	81	102	98	86	80	82	83	86	91	99	99	96	83	76	71	68
Sat	67	67	68	69	70	77	86	92	91	91	92	91	93	85	78	74	68
Sun	67	67	67	67	69	72	80	86	89	88	89	88	86	85	82	74	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	68	86	127	118	99	85	84	82	81	83	90	93	90	74	70	69	68
Tue	67	92	154	143	112	91	83	80	79	84	93	98	97	80	70	68	67
Wed	66	91	146	132	106	90	85	81	81	85	92	103	101	81	71	69	68
Thu	67	90	147	138	109	93	86	83	84	89	99	109	105	85	72	69	67
Fri	67	81	102	98	86	80	82	83	86	91	99	99	96	83	76	71	68
Sat	67	67	68	69	70	77	86	92	91	91	92	91	93	85	78	74	68
Sun	67	67	67	67	69	72	80	86	89	88	89	88	86	85	82	74	67