Best Time to Drive from Oakland to Novato

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 33 minutes via US-101 North and I-80 East and I-580 East, usually 31 at this time.

Only 71% 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 Oakland to Novato 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	30	30	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	33	38	41	45	42	31	30	30
Tue	30	30	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	39	46	52	47	32	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	41	46	52	46	34	30	30
Thu	29	30	33	34	33	32	32	31	32	33	38	45	51	48	33	31	30
Fri	29	30	31	32	31	31	32	33	34	39	47	53	57	48	36	31	30
Sat	29	30	29	29	30	30	32	33	36	37	37	37	36	33	31	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	31	32	35	36	34	34	33	32	31	31	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Oakland to Novato (via US-101 North and I-80 East and I-580 East) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 57 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).

About 31 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.6 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Oakland to central Novato 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 Oakland to Novato?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 57 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Oakland to Novato?

The 32-mile drive usually takes 29 to 57 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Oakland to Novato?

Leaving around 5 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 57 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (9 miles) · I-980 East in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Novato to Oakland (return trip) · Oakland to San Jose · Oakland to Palo Alto · Oakland to Fremont · Oakland to Walnut Creek · Oakland to San Mateo · Oakland to Hayward · Oakland to Mountain View · Oakland to Pleasanton · Oakland to Santa Clara · Oakland to Richmond · Oakland to Sacramento

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	33	38	41	45	42	31	30	30
Tue	30	30	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	39	46	52	47	32	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	41	46	52	46	34	30	30
Thu	29	30	33	34	33	32	32	31	32	33	38	45	51	48	33	31	30
Fri	29	30	31	32	31	31	32	33	34	39	47	53	57	48	36	31	30
Sat	29	30	29	29	30	30	32	33	36	37	37	37	36	33	31	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	31	32	35	36	34	34	33	32	31	31	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	33	38	41	45	42	31	30	30
Tue	30	30	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	39	46	52	47	32	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	41	46	52	46	34	30	30
Thu	29	30	33	34	33	32	32	31	32	33	38	45	51	48	33	31	30
Fri	29	30	31	32	31	31	32	33	34	39	47	53	57	48	36	31	30
Sat	29	30	29	29	30	30	32	33	36	37	37	37	36	33	31	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	31	32	35	36	34	34	33	32	31	31	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	33	38	41	45	42	31	30	30
Tue	30	30	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	39	46	52	47	32	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	41	46	52	46	34	30	30
Thu	29	30	33	34	33	32	32	31	32	33	38	45	51	48	33	31	30
Fri	29	30	31	32	31	31	32	33	34	39	47	53	57	48	36	31	30
Sat	29	30	29	29	30	30	32	33	36	37	37	37	36	33	31	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	31	32	35	36	34	34	33	32	31	31	30