Best Time to Drive from San Jose to Novato

Right now (8:49 pm PDT): about 69 minutes via I-880 North and I-580 East, usually 68 at this time.

Only 68% 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 74-mile drive from San Jose to Novato (via I-880 North and I-580 East) usually takes as little as 67 minutes and up to 122 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 78 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (84 minutes).

About 70 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Jose 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 San Jose to Novato?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 67 minutes then, versus up to 122 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 74-mile drive usually takes 67 to 122 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 78 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Jose to Novato?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 122 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (26 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (24 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (10 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →