Drive time from Boston to DC?

[PattnFmly]

What do people average? AAA says to go out Pike to 84 route, we've done it before but I just can't seem to remember how much time to allow to get from here to just south of DC. We want to plan our departure time to pass that area around 4:00 in the morning and I'm just not sure what time to leave here. If it helps, we'll be leaving on a Sunday, so we want to avoid all the Monday morning traffic from here to there! Thanks!

 

[Iceman10]

UGH!!! What a drive.
You could take 84 to 81 to Harrisburg and then 15 South past Gettysburg past Leesburg VA to Warrenton. Then take 17 South to Fredericksburg if you are going that far South. Might be long but you avoid the horros of the I-95 corridor through Mass, CT, New York City, Philly, Balitmore, DC.

But to give you an idea of time (never driven to Boston) I live just West of DC and it takes about 8 hours to get to Killington VT going up 15 to 81 and so on.

Good luck and drive safe!

 

[bballbabe]

With no traffic it took us 5 hours to get from DC to the GW bridge taking the
I95 corridor. Once you get past the heart of DC the traffic will start going north as opposed to south.

If you want to avoid the tolls I would do what the pp said to do.

 

[BigTigger]

I drive from Marlborough to Elon, NC a few times a year, so I can give you some perspective. We leave Marlborough on a weekday at 3 am and take I-495 to I-90 to I-84 to the CT-15 connector to I-91 to I-95 and over the GW Bridge to the NJ Turnpike/I-95. We stop at the last rest area in NJ (Clara Barton) which is between exits 3 and 2 for cheap gas and a bio break. We are usually there by about 7:45 am or earlier. We then go right down I-95 through Baltimore and usually only hit short delays near White Marsh Road north of Baltimore and at the I-495 merge just north of DC. We are usually clear of DC by 9:30 am even with delays. So my summary would be about 6.5 hours to clear DC including a 15 minute break at the NJ rest area. I use EZ Pass for tolls, check 1010 WINS radio for NY area traffic alerts on the 1's, and use XM Traffic for Baltimore/DC Metro traffic alerts. The worst traffic we usually hit is south of DC where the roads merge and the traffic to Quantico area all funnels in.

 

[QT Pooh]

I drive from Marlborough to Elon, NC a few times a year, so I can give you some perspective. We leave Marlborough on a weekday at 3 am and take I-495 to I-90 to I-84 to the CT-15 connector to I-91 to I-95 and over the GW Bridge to the NJ Turnpike/I-95. We stop at the last rest area in NJ (Clara Barton) which is between exits 3 and 2 for cheap gas and a bio break. We are usually there by about 7:45 am or earlier. We then go right down I-95 through Baltimore and usually only hit short delays near White Marsh Road north of Baltimore and at the I-495 merge just north of DC. We are usually clear of DC by 9:30 am even with delays. So my summary would be about 6.5 hours to clear DC including a 15 minute break at the NJ rest area. I use EZ Pass for tolls, check 1010 WINS radio for NY area traffic alerts on the 1's, and use XM Traffic for Baltimore/DC Metro traffic alerts. The worst traffic we usually hit is south of DC where the roads merge and the traffic to Quantico area all funnels in.

This is also the route I would take instead of going 84. This route is much more direct - but there are more tolls and more traffic...but on a Sunday evening - it shouldn't be bad at all! I agree that it will only take you 6.5 - 7 hours.

 

[joeathome167]

I did this drive last summer with 3 kids. You'll most likely hit traffic in Connecticut around Bridgeport and at the GW. Avoid GW like a plague. Just my advice. We went from Bellingham to Baltimore. We left at 8am, made several stops and it took about 10 hours with trafffic. Another hour to DC. We went 495-Pike-84-91-95-Over GW-95 straight. A long haul. Next time I'll have AAA map out a route that avoid 95 in CT and the GW.

I think if you continue on 84 past 91 that bring you into NY and you can go south on the Garden State Pike.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[GranddadTom]

I agree with BigTigger. I do it a little differently in NYC (I don't like I-95 before the GW Bridge so I do 287/87 to the Bridge) but at the hour you'll be there, it's all the same. I did the Washington to Boston drive earlier this year (in the middle of the night) and I was amazed to be able to do it in 7 hours. The new section of the Mass Pike into Boston helps a lot. In order to "clear" Washington by 4:00 am, you really want to "clear" at least 30 miles south of Washington on Rt. 95. With a few comfort stops, I'd plan on 8 hours to get to milepost 140 on Rt. 95 in Northern Virginia. Once you get there, you're home free.

 

[Missytara]

Remember this is beach season.

I live in DE and several people from DC have places at the beach here. Traffic will get backed up around the bridges pretty quickly, in the later day hours.

 

[PattnFmly]

Thanks everyone for the help. We're hoping to do one really long day the first day before stopping for the night. Last year we drove straight through to WDW, (probably why I can't remember the timing! ) but this time we want to do one stop. We figure if we drive overnight then most of the next day before stopping, we'll only have a half day of travel on our check in day. Here's hoping!