Novato

Novato is a sprawling suburb in Marin County in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Novato is in the transition zone between the patchwork of suburban Marin County towns, long oriented towards San Francisco and the bay, and the wineries and pastureland of Sonoma County to the north.

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. The Larkspur station allows connections to the Golden Gate Ferry to San Francisco.

SMART has three stations in Novato:

• 1 Novato Downtown station. Right downtown, a short walk from various restaurants and shops. (updated Nov 2023)
• 2 Novato Hamilton station. Close to the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art and nature walks in the nearby wetlands. (updated Nov 2023)
• 3 Novato San Marin station. Close to nothing in particular, though it is within walking distance of Rush Creek Open Space Preserve. (updated Nov 2023)

Get around

Novato has tried to manufacture a "cute historic downtown" feel but alas it has not quite been successful. The small downtown area is very walkable and nicer than an outdoor mall, but it lacks the character and organic liveliness of downtown San Rafael, Petaluma, or even Larkspur.

Outside of downtown, Novato is a car-oriented community with inconsistent sidewalks and large distances.

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

• 1 Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, 500 Palm Drive, ☏ +1 415 506-0137, info@marinmoca.org. W–F 11AM–4PM, Sa Su 11AM–5PM.  
• 2 Marin Museum of the American Indian, 2200 Novato Blvd, ☏ +1 415 897-4064. F–Su 12:30–4:30. (updated Sep 2017)

Do

Rush Creek Open Space Preserve

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.

• 1 Olompali State Historic Park (just north of Novato on 101), ☏ +1 415 892-3383. W–Su 9AM–5PM. (updated Sep 2017)
• 2 Mount Burdell. Nature preserve for hiking, with a network of trails that connect to Olompali. Dogs are welcome and can be off-leash on fire roads. (updated Oct 2023)
• 3 Rush Creek Open Space Preserve (a half-mile / 1-km walk from Novato San Marin SMART station via Redwood Blvd and Atherton Ave). Marshland and hills with gentle hiking and mountain biking trails. Trailheads on Binford Road, Saddle Wood Drive, and Bahia Drive. Good for birdwatching. In the winter, parts of the trails will be muddy after it rains. (updated Dec 2023)

Buy

• 1 Vintage Oaks Shopping Center, Rowland Blvd, ☏ +1 415-897-9999. M–Sa 10AM–9PM, Su 11AM to 6PM. Mall anchored by Target and Costco. Various clothing chains like Marshalls, Ross, Nordstrom, Gap, and Old Navy, as well as other shops including DSW, Sephora, Sports Basement, and See's Candies. Various chain restaurants including local chain Hopmonk Tavern with beer and live music. Also home to the fun ice cream and frozen yogurt shop Tuttimelon (see below). Ample free parking. (updated Jan 2024)

Eat

• 1 Hamilton Marketplace, 5800 Nave Drive. M–F 10AM–7PM, Sa 8AM–6PM, Su 11AM–5PM. Mall that mainly consists of a Safeway and eateries like Peet's Coffee, Super Duper Burger, and Toast. (updated Dec 2023)
• 2 Pacheco Plaza, 366 Ignacio Blvd. Mall with the higher-end local grocery chain Nugget Market, a bit like Whole Foods with local produce, lots of organic foods, and a prepared foods section. Restaurants include Marin Coffee Roasters, Boca Pizzeria, Taki Japanese, and Active Culture. Lots of outdoor seating. (updated Dec 2023)
• 3 Maya Palenque, 349 Enfrente Rd, ☏ +1 415 883-6292, info@mayapalenque.com. Mexican restaurant with great staff, great drinks, great prices. Try the desserts! 
• 4 Ayawaska Hilltop Cafe, 850 Lamont Ave, ☏ +1 415-465-1500. Peruvian. 
• 5 Rustic Bakery, 1407 Grant Ave. Local baked goods: breads, pastries, and a café menu. (updated Oct 2023)
• 6 Marvin's Breakfast Club, 1112 Grant Ave. Popular breakfast spot. (updated Oct 2023)
• 7 Wicked Slush, 7400 Redwood Blvd. Soft-serve ice cream with "slush" (Italian ice). (updated Oct 2023)
• Active Culture, 464 Ignacio Blvd. Health food: salads, bowls, açaí. (updated Oct 2023)
• 8 Tuttimelon, Vintage Oaks Shopping Center, ☏ +1 415-897-6900, info@tuttimelonnovato.com. 11AM–9PM daily. Soft-serve ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt with lots of fun toppings (serve yourself and pay by weight), plus other flavors sold by the scoop. (updated Jan 2024)

Drink

• 1 Dr. Insomniac's, 800 Grant Ave. M–F 5:30AM–5:00PM, Sa 6:30AM–5PM, Su 6:30AM–2PM. A variety of coffee drinks and smoothies, plus pastries and other café fare. Creative menu items include "scuffins" (part scone part muffin) and unique drinks like the "Reese's-ccino". Indoor and outdoor seating. (updated Apr 2024)
• 2 Finnegan's Marin Restaurant & Bar, 877 Grant Avenue, ☏ +1 415-899-1516. M–Th 3PM–9PM, F Sa 11:30AM–10PM, Su 10AM–8:30PM; bar stays open late every day. Popular bar and restaurant. (updated Apr 2024)

Sleep

• 1 Best Western Novato Oaks Inn, 215 Alameda Del Prado, ☏ +1-415-883-4400, toll-free: +1-800-625-7466, fax: +1-415-883-4128. 
• 2 Courtyard Novato Marin/Sonoma, 1400 N Hamilton Pkwy, ☏ +1-415-883-8950, fax: +1-415-883-8960. 
• 3 Days Inn San Francisco/Novato, 8141 Redwood Blvd, ☏ +1-408-737-1177. 
• 4 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