Where Novato is
Novato sits at the north end of Marin, where Highway 101 meets State Route 37. Sonoma County is just up the road, and San Pablo Bay lies to the east. Novato Creek runs through town and reaches the bay near Bel Marin Keys.
The area held several Coast Miwok villages, including Olompali, now Olompali State Historic Park. A railroad arrived in 1879 and tied Novato to San Rafael and Sonoma County. The community stayed unincorporated for decades and became a city in 1960.
Neighborhoods and districts
Downtown centers on Grant Avenue. Hamilton, in the southeast, is the former Hamilton Air Force Base. The base closed in 1974 and became a historic district in 1998. Ignacio and San Marin are the other large residential areas, and the main roads through them are Ignacio Boulevard, San Marin Drive, Novato Boulevard and Atherton Avenue.
Getting around
SMART, the Sonoma-Marin commuter train, stops at three Novato stations: San Marin/Atherton, Novato Downtown and Hamilton. Golden Gate Transit and Marin Transit buses meet at a transit center downtown. Drivers use Highway 101 for trips north and south and Route 37 to reach Vallejo and the East Bay.
Open space and parks
Ten Marin County Open Space District preserves fall within Novato: Mount Burdell, Rush Creek, Little Mountain, Verissimo Hills, Indian Tree, Deer Island, Indian Valley, Ignacio Valley, Loma Verde and Pacheco Valle. Mount Burdell rises on the north side of town and Big Rock Ridge on the southwest. Stafford Lake, to the west, is a backup water supply for the city.
Schools and employers
The Novato Unified School District runs the public schools. There are two public high schools, Novato High School and San Marin High School. Marin School of the Arts is on the Novato High campus and STEM Marin is at San Marin High. College of Marin has its Indian Valley Campus here.
The Buck Institute for Research on Aging is in Novato, along with biotech companies such as BioMarin Pharmaceutical and Ultragenyx.
City government and services
City Hall is at 922 Machin Avenue, and the main number is (415) 899-8900. The City of Novato website has pages for permits, public works, parks and recreation, and the police department. For emergencies call 911. Contacts for every town are on the Marin County government and services page.
Local businesses in Novato
The Marin County business directory sorts local businesses by trade. Novato listings will appear there as each category is researched and checked.