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.

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:



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.

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.

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.