Atlanta Traffic on The Drive

[LadyBeBop]

What time of day are you getting thru Cincy to get thru Atlanta before 3p?

I live just south of Cincinnati. Leaving by 7 am (assuming minimal stops) will get us in Atlanta just before 3.

I am in Dayton Area and I also hate driving thru Cincy so we usually leave the Dayton area around 430a on a Sat morning.

Yeah, leaving by 4:30 will easily get you through by 3. However, I wouldn't worry about rush hour on a Saturday. The only thing I'd worry about driving through Atlanta on a Saturday is possible Atlanta Braves traffic. And at the time you're driving, you'll only have a problem if there is a 4:05 game time that day.

I know if I hate Cincy traffic, think how much Atlanta bothers me, but I do it just to get to WDW. Am I a nut or what

Yeah, if you hate Cincy traffic, you'll loath Atlanta traffic. I'm semi-used to Cincinnati rush hour traffic (I work close to home, so I usually don't have to deal with it). Atlanta traffic is worst.

 

[Goofy's_Biggest_Fan]

What time of day are you getting thru Cincy to get thru Atlanta before 3p? I am in Dayton Area and I also hate driving thru Cincy so we usually leave the Dayton area around 430a on a Sat morning. I know if I hate Cincy traffic, think how much Atlanta bothers me, but I do it just to get to WDW. Am I a nut or what

We leave from the Lebanon area and try to be through Cincinnati no later than about 6:00 AM.

This is our usual "schedule" (Times VERY approximate and usually include our break/gas stops):

Leave home at 5:00 AM
Downtown Cincinnati - 5:30 AM (Quick Breakfast in Northern KY)
Tennessee/Kentucky State Line - 10:00 AM
Knoxville - 11:00 AM
Chattanooga/GA State Line - 12:45 PM (Quick Lunch in Chattanooga area)
Downtown Atlanta - 2:45 PM
Macon, GA - 4:15 PM

From Macon, our usual stop is Valdosta, GA (about 15 miles north of Florida border), which we can get to around 6:30-7:00, depending on traffic and road construction. It makes for a LONG first day, but the drive to WDW on Day Two is SO relaxing. We'll leave Valdosta around 8:00 AM the next morning, drive about twenty minutes to the Florida Welcome Center for some free orange juice, and we can be on the WDW property by about 1:00 PM (even after stopping for a light lunch around Ocala, FL).

 

[Dismom55]

I think my problem is we don't make as good time as I might not drive as fast or something. We do drive on thru to Lake City, have a real good rest that night, then have a real short drive to WDW the next day, arriving around 11a at our resort. We go ahead and check in, get our KTTW and since we do the DDP we have our first lunch at the resort, get our refillable mugs and head to MK around 130p. We usually get a text that our room is ready while on the bus, but don't worry about it until later. I will keep a note of the times you gave to see that I am on track on our next trip, this will certainly help with traffic. Might help keep me on track.

We do the quick breakfast after getting thru Cincy in North Ky as well.
When the kids were little we packed lunches and would grab them from the cooler at a fuel stop, now we make a quick fast food run when we stop for fuel or a pit stop.
We wait for dinner until we stop for the night, do not want to waste precious travel time with one more meal on the road. We try to make this a table meal.

Thanks for the info, keeping it handy.

Now for the return schedule, last time I hit Atlanta at midnight and the traffic was horrible, something special must have been going on, never seen it so bad.

 

[KY*Figment]

We live in north western KY. We leave at 3 p.m. central time and go through Nashville during rush hour. I use to live in Nashville so I just curse my way through. Then we go through Atlanta around 10 or 11 eastern time. Driving through Atlanta is not my problem it's the eternal road construction through the remainder of GA no matter what month or what year in GA. They should be the best roads in the US!

 

[Goofy's_Biggest_Fan]

We live in north western KY. We leave at 3 p.m. central time and go through Nashville during rush hour. I use to live in Nashville so I just curse my way through. Then we go through Atlanta around 10 or 11 eastern time. Driving through Atlanta is not my problem it's the eternal road construction through the remainder of GA no matter what month or what year in GA. They should be the best roads in the US!

LOL! I thought that only happened between Cincinnati and Dayton!

Seriously, I think they have been working on I-75 on the south end of Macon, GA for the last five years.

By the way, any one know if they got I-75 open in north Tennessee yet? They had a rock slide back in March/April. It was supposed to be open in May, but a friend came through there about two or three weeks ago and said it was still closed, and they had to take the detour around the mountain. This was on top of Jellico Mountain right near the Stinking Creek Road (for those of you familiar with that area) exit.

 

[Chelley00]

We live in north western KY. We leave at 3 p.m. central time and go through Nashville during rush hour. I use to live in Nashville so I just curse my way through. Then we go through Atlanta around 10 or 11 eastern time. Driving through Atlanta is not my problem it's the eternal road construction through the remainder of GA no matter what month or what year in GA. They should be the best roads in the US!

We come from Indiana, and we've never had a problem with Atlanta traffic, we just try to hit it late morning to mid afternoon or nighttime. However, we got stopped in Nashville by traffic or accidents every freaking time we drive through there no matter what time of day we go through. It's the running joke at our house now.

 

[LadyBeBop]

LOL! I thought that only happened between Cincinnati and Dayton!

Seriously, I think they have been working on I-75 on the south end of Macon, GA for the last five years.

Actually, they should put a "Road Construction" sign up at Sault Ste Marie, MI..."Road Construction - Next 1,786 Miles."

By the way, any one know if they got I-75 open in north Tennessee yet? They had a rock slide back in March/April. It was supposed to be open in May, but a friend came through there about two or three weeks ago and said it was still closed, and they had to take the detour around the mountain. This was on top of Jellico Mountain right near the Stinking Creek Road (for those of you familiar with that area) exit.

It's one lane open each way. Your friend probably took it after the "opening." You can still get backed up, especially going southbound, going up the mountain. If there is a truck that can only do 30-40 miles an hour up the mountain, that can cause a massive traffic jam.