Novato, like most other parts of Marin, was occupied by the Coast Miwok Indians for thousands of years. It wasn’t until the 1820’s and 1830’s that the Mexican government made several land grants in the area, which were later purchased and combined by two settlers, Francis Delong and Joseph Sweeter. Delong and Sweeter planted thousands of fruit trees and eventually created one of the largest orchards in the world. The North Pacific Railroad connected the area to Southern Marin in the 1880’s and it remained a rural, agricultural area for the next century.
Novato is 30 miles north of San Francisco and is the second largest town in Marin, with a population of approximately 55,000. It is the northernmost town in Marin and borders Sonoma County, and correspondingly, has the warmest summers and the coldest winters. The town is experiencing a surge in popularity due to the renovation of downtown coupled with the cheapest home values of any of the 13 primary towns of Marin. For roughly the same entry-level price of a home on a hilly lot in Mill Valley, you can buy a beautifully finished, much larger home, on a larger, flat lot in Novato.