Novato is a city in northern Marin County, in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, in the U.S. state of California. Major geographical features nearby include Mount Burdell and Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve to the north and Big Rock Ridge to the southwest. Stafford Lake to the west is a secondary water supply for Novato, with the Russian River in Sonoma County to the north supplying most of the city’s water.

The city is home to the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and several biotech firms, such as Biosearch Technologies and BioMarin Pharmaceutical. Several small technology companies are also based in Novato, such as 2K Marin, Radiant Logic, Toys For Bob, One Legal, International Genetics Incorporated, Channel Management Solutions, Enwisen, Sonic Solutions and DriveSavers. It is also home of a development studio for Take Two Interactive, parent company of Rockstar Games.