Why visit Novato
Townapedia lists 106 museums and landmarks, 68 parks and trails, 81 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 10 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Hamilton Theater, Black Point Railroad Bridge, Marin Museum of the American Indian and Dixie Schoolhouse.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; December lows average 42°F.
Weather in Novato
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Novato
Novato (Spanish for "Novatus") is a city in Marin County, California, United States, situated in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. At the 2020 census, Novato had a population of 53,225.
From the Wikipedia article Novato, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do10
Black Point Railroad Bridge
Bridge · 3.1 mi
Truss swing bridge across the Petaluma River, located in Black Point-Green Point, California
Columbia Pacific University
School · 1.4 mi
Former unaccredited nontraditional distance learning school in California (1978–2000)
Museums and landmarks106
Marin Museum of the American Indian
Museum · 3.6 mi
Museum in California, USA
2200 Novato Boulevard, Novato
Tu-Fr 12:00-17:00, Sa-Su 12:00-16:00
Dixie Schoolhouse
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Museum in California, United States of America
Las Gallinas Avenue
Marin Museum of Contemporary Art
Museum · 2.5 mi
Contemporary art museum in California, U.S.
500 Palm Drive, Novato
We-Fr 11:00-16:00; Sa,Su 11:00-17:00; Mo-Tu off, Dec 24-Jan 03...
Hamilton Air Force Base
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Closed U.S. Army/Air Force base in Marin County, California
Marin County Civic Center
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.1 mi
Building in California, designed by F.L.Wright
Olompali State Historic Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.8 mi
State historic park in Marin County, California, USA
261
Monument and historic site · 2.8 mi
Double Non-Commissioned Officers' Quarters, Type D
230
Monument and historic site · 2.7 mi
Double Non-Commissioned Officers' Quarters, Type B
231
Monument and historic site · 2.7 mi
Double Non-Commissioned Officers' Quarters, Type D
234
Monument and historic site · 2.7 mi
Double Non-Commissioned Officers' Quarters, Type C
240
Monument and historic site · 2.8 mi
Double Non-Commissioned Officers' Quarters, Type D
244
Monument and historic site · 2.8 mi
Double Non-Commissioned Officers' Quarters, Type C
94 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds68
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Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve
Park · 4.5 mi
Nature reserve in California
56 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes81
Dr. Insomniac's
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.8 mi
800 Grant Avenue, Novato
Mo-Fr 05:30-17:00; Sa 06:30-17:00; Su 06:30-12:00
Golden Gate Bistro Restaurant
Restaurant · Bistro · 2.0 mi
7380 Redwood Boulevard, Novato
Mo-Su 09:00-21:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.6 mi
7145 Redwood Boulevard, Novato
Mo-Fr 04:30-21:00; Sa-Su 05:00-21:00
The Village
Restaurant · Italian, Pizza · 2.1 mi
Mo-Th 11:30-21:00; Mo-Fr 11:30-21:30; Sa 09:00-21:30; Su 09:00-21:00
China Village
Restaurant · Asian · 4.0 mi
107 San Marin Drive
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
HenHouse Brewing Company Record Room
Bar and pub · 2.1 mi
1301 Grant Avenue, Novato
Mo-Th 14:00-21:00; Fr-Su 11:00-21:00
La Carreta
Restaurant · Mexican · 3.0 mi
2033 Novato Boulevard, Novato
Mo-Su 09:00-21:00
69 more on the map.
History
What is now Novato was originally the site of several Coast Miwok villages: Chokecherry, near downtown Novato; Puyuku, near Ignacio; and Olómpali, at the present-day Olompali State Historic Park.
From the History section of Novato, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Inn Marin And Suites, Ascend Hotel Collection
Motel and hotel · 1.1 mi
250 Entrada Drive, Novato
Best Western Plus Novato Oaks Inn
Motel and hotel · 2.5 mi
215 Alameda del Prado, Novato
Churches and places of worship8
Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church
Church · Greek Orthodox · 1.0 mi
1110 Highland Drive, Novato
Shopping14
Gas and EV charging13
Schools, colleges and libraries61
Healthcare6
Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Park Medical Offices
Clinic and pharmacy · 4.4 mi
1650 Los Gamos Drive, San Rafael
Map of Novato
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°F | 43°F | 7.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 61°F | 44°F | 6.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 46°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 48°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 72°F | 51°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 54°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 55°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 56°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 54°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 75°F | 51°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 65°F | 46°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 57°F | 42°F | 7.8 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for San Rafael Civic Ctr (6 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Marin County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-05-17: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Gnoss Field (NOT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Black Point-Green Point 2 mi northeast, about 4 min by car
- Lucas Valley-Marinwood 3 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- Sleepy Hollow 5 mi southwest, about 9 min by car
- Santa Venetia 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- San Anselmo 7 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Fairfax 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Woodacre 7 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- San Rafael 8 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Ross 8 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Larkspur 10 mi south, about 16 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Bigrockridgestrailnovato, Sophisticatedcat, Public domain
- Anna's Hummingbird, Novato, California (1), Mark Gunn from Novato, California, USA, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Moon over Novato - Flickr - Gunn Shots, Mark Gunn from Novato, California, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Novato Creek 5, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Marin Museum of Contemporary Art - February 2025 - Sarah Stierch 01, Missvain, CC0
- Dixie Schoolhouse 2255 Las Gallinas Ave San Rafael CA 3-21-2010 5-15-53 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Marin Civic Center, Fizbin at en.wikipedia, Public domain
- Olompali State Park Burdell Barn 9 30 2012 (4), Aquarianbydesign, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mt Burdell Open Space, Matthew McLean, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Black Point Railroad Bridge, AnonymousEditor95, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 8 ft Costco bear, Mark Gunn, CC BY 2.0
- A disturbance in the force - Flickr - Gunn Shots, Mark Gunn from Novato, California, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Northwestern Pacific Right of Way (Flooded), AnonymousEditor95, CC BY 4.0
- Tigers in the grass - Flickr - Gunn Shots, Mark Gunn from Novato, California, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Dave's Hot Chicken - February 2025 - Sarah Stierch 05, Missvain, CC0
- Dave's Hot Chicken - February 2025 - Sarah Stierch 04, Missvain, CC0
- Dave's Hot Chicken - February 2025 - Sarah Stierch 02, Missvain, CC0
- Dave's Hot Chicken - February 2025 - Sarah Stierch 01, Missvain, CC0
- See's Candies - December 2025 - Sarah Stierch 02, Missvain, CC0
- Dave's Hot Chicken - February 2025 - Sarah Stierch 03, Missvain, CC0
- See's Candies - December 2025 - Sarah Stierch 03, Missvain, CC0
- See's Candies - December 2025 - Sarah Stierch 04, Missvain, CC0
- See's Candies - December 2025 - Sarah Stierch 01, Missvain, CC0
- Crumbl Cookies - December 2025 - Sarah Stierch, Missvain, CC0
- Patelco 2, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Patelco 1, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Vintage Oaks, Mx. Granger, CC0
- A shoulder to cry on - Flickr - Gunn Shots, Mark Gunn from Novato, California, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Radishing Good Looks - Flickr - Gunn Shots, Mark Gunn from Novato, California, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Artlife license place - March 2024 - Sarah Stierch, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Winter Sun, Mark Gunn, CC BY 2.0
- A foppish fellow - Flickr - Gunn Shots, Mark Gunn from Novato, California, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 2019 Marin Greek Festival - Sarah Stierch 02, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- 2019 Marin Greek Festival - Sarah Stierch 09, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- 2019 Marin Greek Festival - Sarah Stierch 04, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- 2019 Marin Greek Festival - Sarah Stierch 07, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Male wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) strutting, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2019 Marin Greek Festival - Sarah Stierch 03, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- 2019 Marin Greek Festival - Sarah Stierch 12, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- 2019 Marin Greek Festival - Sarah Stierch 06, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
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_strutting.jpg){kind=link}
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