Driving down from NJ.. Traffic around DC

[yaya74]

We plan to drive down from NJ. Heard about the horrible traffic around DC. Is the traffic bad during weekend? Any tips on avoiding it?? We plan to leave early Saturday morning. TIA

 

[howaboutme]

Hello...I live in the DC area. Generally, if you are driving on the weekends, the traffic is fine. If you are here pre Noon, even better. There may be pockets of slowness at certain merges but you will be avoiding most of that possibility since I95 will take you around the east side of DC in Maryland. Once you get past the DC area, there may be certain opportunities of slowness along I95 until you get past Woodbridge and Fredericksburg.

Now....if you planned this for a weekday...well, bring patience. Good luck!

 

[strat68]

As the PP mentioned, it depends on the day. Weekends are fine and traffic will, at times, backup heading south out of the DC beltway. If you are talking weekdays then don't travel around DC between 7 and 9 in the mornings or in the afternoons 3 and 7. But backups can happen at any time due to accidents.

Try plotting the route on google maps at the time and day you plan on traveling and you will get an idea of the issues. google maps takes traffic into account. Do it for a few days and the picture gets pretty clear.

 

[monorailsilver]

I live in CT and the past 2 times we drove to FL, ok one was the auto train but we drove 5 hrs to get there and 4-5 hours after the train.

Anyways, we left on a Friday both times. We left CT by 6am and we were in NJ by 7 (i stayed at my moms so we were about 30 min from the westchester line).

We made it to the AT by 11:10 and we drove straight thru DC, we did not take the loop. The year before and other trips we have take. To SC we always take the eastern loop.

But Waze told us to go straight and was I checking out the map until the last second.

So yes we made it thru without traffic, both ways.

The year we drove down, we hit more traffic just north of Richmond due to construction.

 

[nono]

Define early.

 

[PlutoPony]

I-95 south from DC to at least Fredericksburg and often as far as Richmond is a parking lot Saturday and Sunday mornings in the summer. It's mainly traffic going to the Outer Banks and it's bumper to bumper. People around me leave (VA suburb west of DC) at 5-6am to try and get ahead of it, and are only partially successful. The worst of it is late June thru August, Late May through June is busy but not as bad.

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

I-95 south from DC to at least Fredericksburg and often as far as Richmond is a parking lot Saturday and Sunday mornings in the summer. It's mainly traffic going to the Outer Banks and it's bumper to bumper. People around me leave (VA suburb west of DC) at 5-6am to try and get ahead of it, and are only partially successful. The worst of it is late June thru August, Late May through June is busy but not as bad.

I was just coming in to say exactly this. We left southern NJ around 7am on a Saturday in early June and Baltimore through DC was fine, but Fredericksburg to Richmond was tough.

 

[mar21]

I live in CT and my family and I were seriously considering driving down to Disney World before we found a good deal for airfare. We were going to take the "scenic route" and avoid Philly and DC via I-81 and I-77. Although it's a longer drive in terms of distance, we were told by friends who regularly drive south from CT that it's less stressful.

 

[yaya74]

I live in CT and my family and I were seriously considering driving down to Disney World before we found a good deal for airfare. We were going to take the "scenic route" and avoid Philly and DC via I-81 and I-77. Although it's a longer drive in terms of distance, we were told by friends who regularly drive south from CT that it's less stressful.

I have heard of that route. I was told that route adds 1.5-2 hours more to the drive. Hope someone from DIS can share some insight regarding that route.

 

[sharadoc]

That beach traffic is a nightmare on the weekends. The only way to survive it is to hit DC by 6 am. Otherwise, you're stuck.

It's honestly a stressful and painful drive.

 

[monorailsilver]

I live in CT and my family and I were seriously considering driving down to Disney World before we found a good deal for airfare. We were going to take the "scenic route" and avoid Philly and DC via I-81 and I-77. Although it's a longer drive in terms of distance, we were told by friends who regularly drive south from CT that it's less stressful.

I am sure it is less stressful but the time...that dreaded time in the car, more time...ahhh... Our drive ended up being 24 hrs, maybe 23 from CT but we went to Ft. Myers. It was a long drive.

I tell everyone I would rather drive NY, NJ, basically DC and north any day and suffer thru a little traffic (or a lot that's why we plan our drives around traffic if possible) anyways I'd rather drive those states then drive thru So. Va to the FL because it's just trees. Hey kids look a tree, no it's not like what we have in CT it's a southern pine, oh look another tree.

 

[mar21]

@monorailsilver

Haha... oh my... I'm sorry that drive was so miserable for you!

Our upcoming trip consists of all adults - my parents, my older sister, and me. I'm pretty sure I was the reason why we never considered driving down to Disney before. As a child, I would have been miserable driving through rural Virginia. I remember being miserable on trips to Vermont... "Mom, are we there yet?" "I'm bored!" "I think I'm carsick!", etc.

Thankfully, I've matured a lot, and as an adult, I was actually looking forward to the drive through the Appalachian mountains. Go figure!

 

[Robert P]

I have heard of that route. I was told that route adds 1.5-2 hours more to the drive. Hope someone from DIS can share some insight regarding that route.

From the Tappanzee Bridge to WDW is @ 1128 miles, if you went down to 95 and took that to I-4 in FL. Going the 'inland route', it's 1226. That's the Tappanzee to 78-81-77-26-95-I4. Inland, there is 1 toll both at the NJ/PA line, I think it was $1.00 last time we drove there. Returning, the only toll is at the Tappanzee Bridge.
When I drive from NC to MA, I have went this 'inland' route for the last 12+ years. Too many big city traffic issues on 95, aside from the fact you have to stop at toll booths frequently. As best I can recall, the last time I took 95 from Richmond up to MA, we paid @ $26 in tolls.
The biggest downside I read about going 'inland' is the increase in large tractor trailer trucks. I prefer driving inland with a higher % of professional drivers on those roads, rather than the 95 route and the inexperienced drivers on that route. The lack of tolls is a plus, as is the lack of stopping to pay tolls.
Time wise, mileage says it 1.5 hours longer. In reality, it's quicker, if normal traffic applies on both routes, and definitely cheaper.

That's my info on the 'inland' route.

 

[yaya74]

From the Tappanzee Bridge to WDW is @ 1128 miles, if you went down to 95 and took that to I-4 in FL. Going the 'inland route', it's 1226. That's the Tappanzee to 78-81-77-26-95-I4. Inland, there is 1 toll both at the NJ/PA line, I think it was $1.00 last time we drove there. Returning, the only toll is at the Tappanzee Bridge.
When I drive from NC to MA, I have went this 'inland' route for the last 12+ years. Too many big city traffic issues on 95, aside from the fact you have to stop at toll booths frequently. As best I can recall, the last time I took 95 from Richmond up to MA, we paid @ $26 in tolls.
The biggest downside I read about going 'inland' is the increase in large tractor trailer trucks. I prefer driving inland with a higher % of professional drivers on those roads, rather than the 95 route and the inexperienced drivers on that route. The lack of tolls is a plus, as is the lack of stopping to pay tolls.
Time wise, mileage says it 1.5 hours longer. In reality, it's quicker, if normal traffic applies on both routes, and definitely cheaper.

That's my info on the 'inland' route.

Awesome analysis.. thank you!

 

[monorailsilver]

@monorailsilver

Haha... oh my... I'm sorry that drive was so miserable for you!

Our upcoming trip consists of all adults - my parents, my older sister, and me. I'm pretty sure I was the reason why we never considered driving down to Disney before. As a child, I would have been miserable driving through rural Virginia. I remember being miserable on trips to Vermont... "Mom, are we there yet?" "I'm bored!" "I think I'm carsick!", etc.

Thankfully, I've matured a lot, and as an adult, I was actually looking forward to the drive through the Appalachian mountains. Go figure!

I didn't know there was a tagging option!

I have taken the inland route on our way to Nashville (no kids just pre dh and I and his Fiero for a car show). We did the Merritt to the GW (I prefer that if traffic allows and upper deck because if it breaks I want to be on top vs crushed...yeah like I am going to live if it breaks...), and then 78 or 80 to Harrisburg area-I forget which route and then south.

I can recall lots of trucks and my dh just stayed right behind them going 80 or 90 (he only told me that recently). Time wise because of his lead foot: we left Trumbull/my home then, about 5 min from exit 48 on the parkway at 6am. We made it to Bristol, TN by 5pm.

 

[spleuchan]

I live around DC. Obviously, the earlier, the better. Even worse than I-95 south on Saturdays is I-95 North on Sundays. Don't try to travel between Richmond and DC on a summer Sunday afternoon/evening.

 

[s.r.disney nut]

We live in central NJ (exit 9 turnpike) and have had good luck leaving 2 or 3 a.m. missing traffic in that area.

 

[River Country]

Yea NJ here and I have driven 4 times since I was I a kid in the early 80's the last time was 20 years ago but I want to say that we took 495 around DC but don't hold me to it I am sure someone that has gone recently would be better equipped to answer, in any event I remember leaving around 3 am in order to be out of the DC area before rush hour. My wife now uses the "F" word when I suggest driving. FLY

 

[joedplumber]

Drive from southwestern CT at 4am on a Friday and always take 495 around DC. We never had an issue with traffic usually hitting DC metro around 9:30am in the summer.

 

[EpcotQueen]

We routinely drive from the Lehigh Valley in PA to the Atlanta area. We take the 81 to 77 route. Traffic easy, few bottlenecks, if any. When we drove back on New Years day, no construction. It's a beautiful drive with roadside rests along the way. We pack a picnic lunch to eat along the way at one of these roadsides. How the roads are beyond 77 I cannot say but this part of the drive beats the 95 corridor. I did that once and will never do that again! In fact we got so fed up with it that we cut across country to get back on our usual route!