Driving from the poconos pa...trying to avoid DC traffic!

[CFRANGI]

Hi,

We are driving down to disney next week. We have done this many times before but, always on a weekend! This time we are leaving on a friday morning! I'm trying to figure out what time to leave in the early morning to avoid heavy DC traffic. We do take the beltway but, I heard taking that at the wrong time traffic is horrible! we are leaving from the bushkill pa (near east stroudsburg or and 1 hour west of scanton). Does anyone have any suggestions! We were thinking about leaving at 5am.

 

[Missytara]

Baltimore/Washington, DC rush hours can start at 6:00 am or so, and end around 9:00 am.

So you either need to be there before or after that time.

 

[vicki_c]

I'd expand that until 10 AM. And if you want to be really safe, say 5:30 AM on the other side. Fridays often have a little bit lighter traffic, but if you're not from the area, you probably wouldn't even notice.

I would try to avoid the western Beltway through Virginia and stay on the Maryland side. Whether you hit rush hour or not. Construction on the VA side of the beltway is horrendous.

When we go that way (meaning south from PA into Maryland) - we take 83S to 97S. From 97S you can either take 50 or take 301S. Or of course you can take 95S to 495 bypassing 97S and other roads (but that's not our preferred way).

 

[tjs198]

what about 81 down instead of 95

 

[lynz421]

what about 81 down instead of 95

This is what we do driving from Wilkes barre/Scranton

81 through Va to 77 in Nc to 26 to 95. It is a bit longer than 95 all the way but a whole lot less WHITE KNUCKLE and traffic. We have taken this 3 years now and made the trip in under 17 hours. Va takes forever to get through but the ride is great. maps.google.com will show the 3 most popular ways

 

[JennyJ]

If you take 81S, you could catch 66E in VA. Take that to VA 17 which connects to 95s in Fredrickburg. We take that anytime we are heading south to avoid the beltway.

 

[sharadoc]

Come on over to the "For 2000+ mile drivers" thread. There are a TON of folks who drive from PA who can give you tips and ideas, down to the intersection!

 

[DonnaL]

We just drove from the WB/Scranton area first week of January and like JennyJ we followed 81S to 66 to VA17 and picked up 95S at Fredericksburg. Just be aware once you pick up 95S thru the lower Carolinas and Georgia sometimes it feels like you're in no man's land.....definitely not like the I95 we know thru MD, DE, PA, and NJ....according to Mapquest from my address to Lake Buena Vista taking this route it's a little over 1200 miles and about 19 hours.....taking 95S all the way it's about 1100 miles and almost 18 hours....so depending where you're at in the Poconos it would be pretty close to those estimates give or take about 45 minutes. We also did take a look at the route lynz421 uses, but, since we were traveling during the winter we wanted to stay away from the mountains as much as possible and I believe that route takes you through the Blue Ridge Mountains. However, I would imagine during other times of year it is a beautiful route. By the way, since you're headed to WDW next week my son will still be there. He doesn't leave to come home until 5/13. He's a Penn State student working with the Disney College Program this semester. He works on the BackLot Tour at Hollywood Studios...sometimes loading the tram....sometimes driving it.....so stop by and say Hi to the good looking kid by the name of Jake with Penn State listed as his school on his Castmember badge. Have fun on your trip.....I hear it's been 95 down there the past few days....stay hydrated!!!

 

[ssawka]

If you take 81S, you could catch 66E in VA. Take that to VA 17 which connects to 95s in Fredrickburg. We take that anytime we are heading south to avoid the beltway.

You can also take 81S to 83S to PA-581 to 15S. Take 15S until you hit 17S, which will take you to 95S. Not sure if it would be any quicker though, because 15 is a two-lane road in some parts. It dosen't take you as far west as I81 though.

If you decide to go through DC, I'd suggest leaving around 4:00 AM, that should put you in DC around 8:00. Since it is a Saturday, hopefully that would be OK.

 

[vicki_c]

sswaka - they are leaving on a FRIDAY morning, not Saturday.

 

[rwdavis2]

Some other routes to consider. I-295 directly through the district (obey the speed limit. They have speed cameras). You can take it from the Baltimore Beltway.

I-81, as suggested may be OK.

I would not take MD 301 south as it just adds a lot of time through rural towns: stop lights, low speed. IMHO, you are better off battling Beltway traffic.

I would recommend setting out different routes on Google Maps and they will show you estimated times for each. That extra time on I-81 may be worth avoiding DC or having to get on the road at a time you don't want to.

If you hit the DC beltway before about 7:00 you should be OK. I used to take I-95 to DC betlway, then I-295 to the last exit. In my experience getting there any later, even 15 minutes, makes a huge difference.

 

[CFRANGI]

Thanks everyone!! Mapquest takes me 81s to 83s to 581w to 15s to 40e to 270s to 495s to finally 95. That's the way we have been taking and had no problems but, we always left saturday morning 5am. We are leaving friday morning which can make a huge difference. I guess leaving 5-530am on friday is what we will, I should hit dc/virginia in 5 hours. I have never before worried or tried to plan the drive but leaving friday morning is making me! I keep contemplating leaving earlier but, scared about hitting the dc/va traffic during peak time. I should have payed better attention how long it took us to get to that point so I would a better idea! Does it take 5 hours from poconos to dc traffic ?

 

[ssawka]

sswaka - they are leaving on a FRIDAY morning, not Saturday.

Oh, sorry I misread the post. In that case, the only safe time to leave would be around 2 AM or after 6:00 . The problem with after 6:00 though is that you may hit Harrisburg traffic.

 

[PSUGuy]

Does it take 5 hours from poconos to dc traffic ?

Probably, it's 4 hrs or so from Wilkes-Barre to there using the routes you mention. A bigger problem might be the Harrisburg area from the I81-I83 intersection to beyond where you turn off to Gettysburg. We hit there at an evening rushhour time on the way to Myrtle Beach one year and it was surprisingly clogged. If you catch the morning rush, it might be the same. I'm guessing you're locked in, but on our yearly Myrtle trip, we take your route but head out around 8 pm, missing the Harrisburg rush and hitting DC around midnight. 495 can be white-knuckle almost anytime, but at that hour it's 70 mph w-k, and I can live with that.

Bill From PA

 

[glen65]

Also check out this thread

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2522586

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Thanks everyone!! Mapquest takes me 81s to 83s to 581w to 15s to 40e to 270s to 495s to finally 95. That's the way we have been taking and had no problems but, we always left saturday morning 5am. We are leaving friday morning which can make a huge difference. I guess leaving 5-530am on friday is what we will, I should hit dc/virginia in 5 hours. I have never before worried or tried to plan the drive but leaving friday morning is making me! I keep contemplating leaving earlier but, scared about hitting the dc/va traffic during peak time. I should have payed better attention how long it took us to get to that point so I would a better idea! Does it take 5 hours from poconos to dc traffic ?

As you say, you are leaving on Friday, not Saturday, in the early am. As others have said, taking 81 south to completely go around DC traffic would be my suggestion to save time and worry. What is your thought about bypassing the DC traffic, using other routes than Mapquest suggests?

As another poster said, "81 through VA to 77S to 26 to 95. It is a bit longer than 95 all the way but a whole lot less WHITE KNUCKLE and traffic. VA takes forever to get through but the ride is great. "

 

[LorieDisneyLover]

Thanks everyone!! Mapquest takes me 81s to 83s to 581w to 15s to 40e to 270s to 495s to finally 95. That's the way we have been taking and had no problems but, we always left saturday morning 5am. We are leaving friday morning which can make a huge difference. I guess leaving 5-530am on friday is what we will, I should hit dc/virginia in 5 hours. I have never before worried or tried to plan the drive but leaving friday morning is making me! I keep contemplating leaving earlier but, scared about hitting the dc/va traffic during peak time. I should have payed better attention how long it took us to get to that point so I would a better idea! Does it take 5 hours from poconos to dc traffic ?

We live just outside DC ... off Route 66. When we drive to Disney we leave at 3:30 to avoid the rush hour traffic ... and believe it or not there are many cars on the road at that hour -- but not the kind of traffic you'll endure at the 5 - 10 a.m.

I would save traveling through DC ANYTIME during daylight hours on a Friday is going to be slow going. Mid-morning on a Friday will still be traffic ... but don't wait to after noon b/c many people are leaving the area headed south on a Friday.

We often travel to Philadelphia and it takes approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours to do so ... so to the Poconos maybe another hour or so.

 

[dkoerner27]

Hi,

We are driving down to disney next week. We have done this many times before but, always on a weekend! This time we are leaving on a friday morning! I'm trying to figure out what time to leave in the early morning to avoid heavy DC traffic. We do take the beltway but, I heard taking that at the wrong time traffic is horrible! we are leaving from the bushkill pa (near east stroudsburg or and 1 hour west of scanton). Does anyone have any suggestions! We were thinking about leaving at 5am.

We are going in december leaving from reeders (opposite side of stroudsburg) we're trying to find out the easiest way as well.