Driving from PA...Question times for WAshington

[beckylovestink]

We are driving from SE PA to the world in 71 days!!
I think I have gotten the day off for our travel day so that we can leave early to beat the Washington, DC traffic.
My question is
Where exactly is the traffic when traveling on 95 near DC? Also, what are the best times to avoid in the am?
Trying to decide the best time to drive to beat the rush hour traffic.

THANKS!

[Goofy Fan]

We drove down several times from PA(January being the most recent) and from my experience, the traffic varies in terms of where you run into it. It all depends on the time of day and if there is any construction going on at the time.

In January, we left VERY early in the morning(2:30am) and got down into the DC area around 4am. We breezed through it with no traffic whatsoever. Compare that to several years ago when we got stuck in stop and go traffic for close to 2 hours, but that was in the middle of the afternoon with construction.

Overall, I would say your best bet would be late at night or VERY early in the morning. I'm not sure when you were planning to leave, but that's what we found works best for us.

Good luck!

[walshesofva]

Sounds like a great trip Becky!

If you're travelling on a weekday morning, my general advice would be to avoid the DC beltway area (95s and 495w) between 7 am and 10 am.

Most of the other roads during the morning in the DC area will have heavier traffic heading in the opposite direction to (I-95 below Springfield, VA and I-66)

Weekends are a little less predictable...overall the traffic is better but I've seen the stretch between Springfield and Fredricksburg, VA get awfully backed around that time. But, really, there aren't too many alternative routes to using that road, so just have to grin and bear it.

Enjoy your getaway!

The Walshes

[magicalmom]

Avoid the DC area on spring, summer, and autumn Friday afternoons - the run from 495 south on 95 to Fredericksburg can take 3 hours or more on Fridays, just because of the commuter traffic.

We live just outside 495 in MD; this year we will wait and head south at o-dark-thirty on Saturday instead of noon on Friday.

Will you be approaching DC on I-95 or I-270? Both are pretty congested, southbound, between 7-10am , give or take.

[bartman539]

My DS11 & DD09 left Parkesburg, PA at 3:15 A.M. on July 14th. We made it ti D.C in just under 3 hours, traveling through the tunnel outside Baltimore. Traffic was just starting to build up, and had we left any later it would have been a problem. We drove all the way to Jaxsonville in 12 hours. Very little construction the whole way there. Just BEWARE the cops were everywhere. My average speed was around 75 mph. It was a long trip, with lots of quick rest stops.
Just stay alert and enjoy your ride.
Dinngg you're now free to move about the country.

[PETE FROM NYC]

Did a road trip from NYC last September.
Left home 9AM Sunday, flew thru the DC area.
Saw no delays or slowdowns.