Advice on timing the Northeast Corridor

[Penmac]

We are planning a drive to Orlando in late August. This will be our 3rd time driving as a family. Two years ago we left from MA on a Saturday and it was a tough drive. Traffic through the Northeast corridor was really awful with people leaving for vacations, Jersey Shore traffic, etc. It was also around the time of that crazy eclipse and that made things even worse. We hit traffic in NYC at 6am. We stopped for a bit in Jersey when things seemed to break up. But, we were in bumper to bumper traffic from the Jersey Turnpike through the middle of VA. I do think much of this was due to that eclipse, but I am nervous about summer weekend travel through the Northeast corridor and would love to find out from people who live down in the NY, NJ, DC area if that kind of traffic is standard on a summer Saturday.

I swore we would never do a Saturday travel day again in the summer. We are planning our hotel stay now and I have us booked from a Mon-Mon. I am thinking that on the way down we will leave Sunday AM around 3am and stop in South Carolina. This will hopefully get us through much of the traffic spots before it's too rough. But wondering if we will run into the same issues on a Sunday in summer that we did on Saturday. Would we be better off aiming for weekday travel and planning the route to try and avoid rush hour? Veterans, please chime in! Thanks!!!

 

[Jimsig]

Take a look at driving I-81, to I-77, to I-26, to I-95. It is about 100 miles longer then I-95 all the way, but cuts down on a lot of tolls and if you get caught in traffic it can actually be quicker. It brings you through Charlotte and around Columbia. Other than that it's rural, but just about every exit has something (Gas, food, lodging).

If you do a Googlemap route it should show you both I-95 and the I-81 way Where in MA are you leaving from? Depending on where you have a few options on getting to I-81 instead of going through NYC.

My FIL did this route in Aug of 2017 and I have friends who do this route going from FLA to ME and back every year.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

people who live down in the NY, NJ, DC area

I live in DC. The stretch between DC and Richmond is heavy traffic every day of the year. When we head south, we try to be south of Richmond before 8 AM. Any other time you'll have heavy traffic. A good day is heavy traffic at 55, but many days its heavy traffic, stop and go, for 30 miles.

 

[Jimsig]

I live in DC. The stretch between DC and Richmond is heavy traffic every day of the year. When we head south, we try to be south of Richmond before 8 AM. Any other time you'll have heavy traffic. A good day is heavy traffic at 55, but many days its heavy traffic, stop and go, for 30 miles.

I can attest to that. Last April on a Sat we were driving 95 south from DC around 10 to 1030a. We got in the HOV lane that was thankfully going south. The traffic in the non HOV lanes on 95 south was stop and go for over 12 miles. We only dealt with it for a mile or so where the HOV lane merged in at the end. If we had to sit in that traffic it would have cost us over an hour according to Googlemaps on my phone

 

[emilyrachael]

I can attest to that. Last April on a Sat we were driving 95 south from DC around 10 to 1030a. We got in the HOV lane that was thankfully going south. The traffic in the non HOV lanes on 95 south was stop and go for over 12 miles. We only dealt with it for a mile or so where the HOV lane merged in at the end. If we had to sit in that traffic it would have cost us over an hour according to Googlemaps on my phone

Also, if you're traveling down that stretch of 95 during 'off' hours, be sure to check for any planned construction...

 

[rwdavis2]

You need to be entering the northern part of the DC beltway before ~6am or after 9:30 to 2pm. It's rarely free sailing anymore. Weekends south of DC, as mentioned, can be brutal. One reason we decided not to retire to Fredricksburg, VA.

 

[Moliphino]

Take a look at driving I-81, to I-77, to I-26, to I-95. It is about 100 miles longer then I-95 all the way, but cuts down on a lot of tolls and if you get caught in traffic it can actually be quicker. It brings you through Charlotte and around Columbia. Other than that it's rural, but just about every exit has something (Gas, food, lodging).

If you do a Googlemap route it should show you both I-95 and the I-81 way Where in MA are you leaving from? Depending on where you have a few options on getting to I-81 instead of going through NYC.

My FIL did this route in Aug of 2017 and I have friends who do this route going from FLA to ME and back every year.

THIS! We did the 95 route once and basically said never again (coming from the Springfield area). This route is so much better. We take 91 to Hartford then 84 to get to 81.

 

[jec6613]

Either the inland route mentioned, or leave after about 8 PM and get south of Richmond before stopping. Once you're south of Richmond, it's clear sailing the rest of the way, but you're right, getting to there can be brutal.

 

[Penmac]

Thank you for all the great advice!!

 

[ncc1701]

If you keep the I95 route ( on a Saturday AM ) think about cutting over to I95 in Pennsylvania down to Delaware. We live in a NJ suburb of Philadelphia and go down to Delaware (just south of Wilmington) for family reasons every 2 to 3 weeks on a Saturday morning around 9:00am. Most of the shore traffic from Philly/PA is heading in to NJ at that hour. We avoid the NJ turnpike unless it is the only option during to accidents/ roadwork.
You will be able to miss the backlog at the Delaware Memorial Bridge / NJ turnpike using that route plus be in the better lanes for the merger with the NJ traffic & I495 .

 

[amcnj]

I always do an early morning departure, passing through DC around 5:30 AM. But I was starting just over an hour from DE. I would have done overnight if I thought I could stay awake!

I have seen many mention that inland route as being a timesaver overall, when you take the delays on 95 into account.

 

[martikus]

Take a look at driving I-81, to I-77, to I-26, to I-95. It is about 100 miles longer then I-95 all the way, but cuts down on a lot of tolls and if you get caught in traffic it can actually be quicker. It brings you through Charlotte and around Columbia. Other than that it's rural, but just about every exit has something (Gas, food, lodging).

If you do a Googlemap route it should show you both I-95 and the I-81 way Where in MA are you leaving from? Depending on where you have a few options on getting to I-81 instead of going through NYC.

My FIL did this route in Aug of 2017 and I have friends who do this route going from FLA to ME and back every year.

Agreed with this. My parents live in Maine and this is the ONLY way they go. Most of their friends too. Especially the Charlotte to Florida portion on a weekend is easy peasy.