Novato is in Marin County in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
Get in
By car
Via Highway 101, the major north-south freeway or from Highway 37 which crosses marshland from Vallejo and Highway 80 or from west Marin on Hicks Valley Road/Novato Blvd.
By bus
Marin Transit offers service from other Marin County cities, and the affiliated service Golden Gate Transit goes north to Sonoma County and south to San Francisco.
By train
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, or SMART, connects Novato with San Rafael, Larkspur, and places in Sonoma County: Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, and Sonoma County Airport. An extension is planned to Cloverdale. The Larkspur station allows connections to the Golden Gate Ferry to San Francisco.
Get around
By bike
Conditions may be too windy for bicycles to go "upwind."
By bus
There is limited Marin Transit (bus) service, which is primarily used by commuters. The bus serves a major stop "downtown" on Old Redwood Highway.
See
- 🌍 Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, 500 Palm Drive, ☏ +1 415 506-0137, info@marinmoca.org. W–F 11AM–4PM, Sa Su 11AM–5PM.
- The Space Station Museum, 464 Ignacio Blvd, ☏ +415 524-3940, operations@thespacestationca.org.
- 🌍 Marin Museum of the American Indian, 2200 Novato Blvd, ☏ +1 415 897-4064. F–Su 12:30–4:30.
Do
Essentially a bedroom community but there are various hiking opportunities in the open space around Novato and Marin County (e.g. Mt. Burdell). Immediately west of town are rolling hills, cow farms and 60-acre-plus ranches—a pleasant, scenic ride by car or motorcycle.
- 🌍 Olompali State Historic Park (just north of Novato on 101), ☏ +1 415 892-3383. W–Su 9AM–5PM.
- 🌍 Mount Burdell. Nature preserve for hiking. Dogs are welcome and can be off-leash on fire roads.
Buy
Eat
- Maya Palenque, 349 Enfrente Rd, ☏ +1 415 883-6292, info@mayapalenque.com. Mexican restaurant with great staff, great drinks, great prices. Try the desserts!
- Ayawaska Hilltop Cafe, 850 Lamont Ave, ☏ +1 415-465-1500. Peruvian.
- Rustic Bakery, 1407 Grant Ave, Novato, CA 94945. Local baked goods: breads, pastries, and a café menu.
- Marvin's Breakfast Club, 1112 Grant Ave. Popular breakfast spot.
- Wicked Slush, 7400 Redwood Blvd. Soft-serve ice cream with "slush" (Italian ice).
- Active Culture, 464 Ignacio Blvd. Health food: salads, bowls, açaí.
Drink
- Dr. Insomniac's, 800 Grant Ave. A variety of coffee drinks and smoothies, plus pastries including "scuffins" (part scone part muffin).
Sleep
- Best Western Novato Oaks Inn, 215 Alameda Del Prado, ☏ +1-415-883-4400, toll-free: +1-800-625-7466, fax: +1-415-883-4128.
- Courtyard Novato Marin/Sonoma, 1400 N Hamilton Pkwy, ☏ +1-415-883-8950, fax: +1-415-883-8960.
- Days Inn San Francisco/Novato, 8141 Redwood Blvd, ☏ +1-408-737-1177.
- Inn Marin, 250 Entrada Dr, ☏ +1-415-883-5952, fax: +1-415-883-5058.
Go next
- San Rafael, a charming city with plenty of restaurants and shopping, is a 15-minute drive south on highway 101.
- San Francisco is about 30 minutes south on highway 101.
- Napa, a widely-recognized wine-lovers' destination, is about 45 minutes to the northeast.
| Routes through Novato |
| Santa Rosa ← Petaluma ← | N  S |
→ San Rafael → San Francisco |
| END ← | W  E |
→ Jct  N → Vallejo |
| Santa Rosa ← Petaluma ← | N  S |
→ San Rafael → Larkspur |