Marin’s Cities & Towns: Novato

The Stats

Population: 53,000+

Mayor: Eric Lucan

Notable resident: Jared Goff 

Fun fact: Novato’s City Hall is located in a former Presbyterian church built in 1896.

Nevato - Marin's cities and town
Downtown Novato. Photo courtesy of County of Marin.

The northernmost city in Marin County, Novato offers something to appeal to every one of its residents, young and old, from history buffs to tech workers. Novato is home to a diverse group of businesses, including the U.S. headquarters of Birkenstock, the venerable Buck Institute on Aging, pharmaceutical company Ultragenyx and Novato Community Hospital.

Nevato - Marin's cities and town
Stafford Lake Regional Park. Photo courtesy of County of Marin.

Beyond the city’s numerous eateries, healthy food fans can find organic produce at the Downtown farmers’ market and at the College of Marin’s Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden, while shoppers can get their fix at the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center.

For those who want to learn more about the Coast Miwok peoples who once occupied the area, visits to 700-acre Olompali State Historic Park as well as the Museum of the American Indian are a must. Other museums in Novato include the Novato History Museum, Hamilton Field History Museum and the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art.

Nevato - Marin's cities and town
Marin Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)

Plenty of events, including the Novato Festival of Art, Wine and Music, 4th of July parade and a car show (October 7–8 this year) keep residents engaged as well. With more than 3,600 acres of protected open space, Novato is also a great place to get outdoors at spots like Strafford Lake Regional Park and the Mount Burdell Preserve.


For More on Novato:


Lotus Abrams

Lotus Abrams has covered everything from beauty to business to tech in her editorial career, but it might be writing about her native Bay Area that inspires her most. She lives with her husband and two daughters in the San Francisco Peninsula, where they enjoy spending time outdoors at the area’s many open spaces protected and preserved by her favorite local nonprofit, the Peninsula Open Space Trust.