Driving through VA area to get to WDW

[DVCMikey]

We have driven a few times now, we haven taken a longer route out of NJ that takes us to Harrisburg PA and then 81 to 77 to 26.

We will now have an infant and a toddler with us. I was wondering if anyone knows how the traffic is on a Saturday morning through the DC area?

Looking for the quickest route. We will be stopping and staying a night somewhere, but would like to be only about 6 hours out from Disney for the 2nd leg of the trip

 

[ksinniger]

If you can get through to Fredericksburg before 10 am, you should make it on 95 south with little delay (barring an accident). By 11 am on saturday mornings, 95 S is pretty much stop and go, with pockets of faster movement, from the DC beltway to the Richmond bypass.

 

[CurtisB]

As the PP said getting south of Fredericksburg early enough is the key. The Beltway should be fine. It's 95 south that's the issue.

 

[katew449]

Driving down now. Were in Baltimore and we got no traffic. Obviously we have a long way to go...I'll keep u updated. We got a little bit of a late start than I would have liked, so well see how this traffic pans out for the rest of the day...I also have a toddler in tow...

 

[PlutoPony]

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, traffic starts building ~ 6 a.m. on Saturday mornings on I-95 south from DC. This is beach traffic to the Outer Banks, and when it becomes stop and go varies but certainly by mid-morning it's pretty slow going (and sometimes much earlier). Much of this clears in Richmond at the by-pass. Sunday going south is better but can still back up, as there aren't as many beach rentals that are Sunday-Sunday.

When are you going? We've found June to be manageable, you still hit traffic but typically not stop and go for miles on end. Late June on, when school is out and vacations in full swing are the absolute worst traffic between DC and Richmond. Most of my neighbors leave home at 4-5 am those months just to have a decent drive . It does get better (usually) late afternoon + on Saturday.....

 

[Love Tink]

I concur with the other posters. From northern Virginia to Richmond, the traffic on Saturday mornings/early afternoon is miserable. I would try to come through as early in the day as possible.

However, even if you hit the traffic, as long as you stay on the interstate you won't lose too much time - maybe an hour. Just don't think you can jump off and take back roads. Getting back onto 95 from an of the exits (especially in the Fredericksburg area) can be a nightmare.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, traffic starts building ~ 6 a.m. on Saturday mornings on I-95 south from DC. This is beach traffic to the Outer Banks, and when it becomes stop and go varies but certainly by mid-morning it's pretty slow going (and sometimes much earlier). Much of this clears in Richmond at the by-pass. Sunday going south is better but can still back up, as there aren't as many beach rentals that are Sunday-Sunday.

When are you going? We've found June to be manageable, you still hit traffic but typically not stop and go for miles on end. Late June on, when school is out and vacations in full swing are the absolute worst traffic between DC and Richmond. Most of my neighbors leave home at 4-5 am those months just to have a decent drive . It does get better (usually) late afternoon + on Saturday.....

THIS!!!

It's not just OB, it's also all the Virginia beaches. The OB area is mostly houses that rent week to week- i.e. Saturday to Saturday.

You need to get past the "mixing bowl" and "lane merge" by 6am. Also be aware of construction, and accidents.
There's further a bit of a dining desert south of the lane merge. So stopping to eat after you get past the merge doesn't work very well, unless you are ways past the merge.

The DC beltway can be a nightmare at any hour of the day. Rush hour is miserable, accidents happen at any hour, and the only time crews can contemplate construction/repair work is overnight/weekends.

So the short answer is, if at all possible, you'd do well to aim to be at/near Richmond by 6am.

Oh, and one more nasty little detail....VA speed traps are common, and rather pricey.

Another fine strategy is to give those kids a break in DC! Try a pit stop at any Smithsonian Museum. They are FREE! Many have great, inexpensive places to eat, and you could get back on the road after Sat morning traffic subsides. What toddler doesn't love the zoo, natural history, airplanes? All Americans should see the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials at least once!

 

[wmpenguin]

I live in Northern Virginia. As others said, 95 South is terrible until Richmond or so in the summer months or long weekends. We were stuck on 95 S for hours on a Saturday in April due to spring break.

 

[DVCMikey]

Thanks everyone, mapquest is telling me its about 5 hours to Fredricksburg from where we live in NJ.

so if we leave 1-3am, we should be good I would assume?

 

[North of Mouse]

Another fine strategy is to give those kids a break in DC! Try a pit stop at any Smithsonian Museum. They are FREE! Many have great, inexpensive places to eat, and you could get back on the road after Sat morning traffic subsides. What toddler doesn't love the zoo, natural history, airplanes? All Americans should see the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials at least once!

But not if you're driving!! The metro is about the only way to go - it's a nightmare trying to find places to park!

 

[kastoney]

Thanks everyone, mapquest is telling me its about 5 hours to Fredricksburg from where we live in NJ. so if we leave 1-3am, we should be good I would assume?

That should work, provided everything is accident free. Hopefully all will go well and you won't experience the traffic h*ll we have the priveledge of driving in every day ; )

 

[kam1011]

We always leave NJ around 4pm, which gets us down there after rush hour. It's about 1hr. 45mins. to the Delaware Memorial Bridge from here, to give you an idea. We've never hit traffic at that time. (I went to college in VA and I'm still scarred from the Baltimore/DC traffic.)

 

[NavyDad]

We have driven a few times now, we haven taken a longer route out of NJ that takes us to Harrisburg PA and then 81 to 77 to 26.

We will now have an infant and a toddler with us. I was wondering if anyone knows how the traffic is on a Saturday morning through the DC area?

Looking for the quickest route. We will be stopping and staying a night somewhere, but would like to be only about 6 hours out from Disney for the 2nd leg of the trip

Saturday mornings on the beltway and onto 95 South to Richmond can be MISERABLE from 8 AM on. The rest of the year is hit or miss. I would say make sure you are past the Beltway BEFORE 8 AM.

If you have an EZ pass and take the west side of the beltway they have a really sweet "speed lane" that can get you around much of the traffic.

When we lived in PA we took the "long way" 81 south like you describe in your post. It does add some distance but it is the most pleasant way you can travel from North to South on the east coast in terms of traffic and scenery.

I would say stick with the "long way" or just make sure you get through DC very early.

 

[NavyDad]

Thanks everyone, mapquest is telling me its about 5 hours to Fredricksburg from where we live in NJ.

so if we leave 1-3am, we should be good I would assume?

Yes - should be

 

[Iamthequeen]

We live north of Baltimore in PA and drove to Florida on a Saturday in March. We left home at 4:30 am and made it through with no problems at all. We were in South Carolina by noon. I agree with the speed traps in VA along 95, be careful!

 

[laura3773]

I live in Fredericksburg and 95 is worse than normal these days. Between the NB and SB sides they have 2 HOV lanes that run north at some times and south at others, sometimes they are carpool lanes and other times not. They currently end just north of Quantico but are being extended about 10 miles which is causing all kinds of traffic nightmares.

But I will echo other posters - do NOT get off 95 and try to take an alternate route. The only one there really is is US Rt 1 (unless you want to drive through a million random neighborhoods), and if 95 is really bad, it will be worse. Unless you want to bail in Maryland and take US 301 all the way to Richmond (which would be ridiculous), just suck it up and stick it out.

Oh, and you don't really need to take 295 around Richmond. 95 shouldn't be too bad in the city unless there's an accident, and all the VA Beach traffic will be getting onto 295.

 

[PeterPanic]

We have driven a few times now, we haven taken a longer route out of NJ that takes us to Harrisburg PA and then 81 to 77 to 26.

We will now have an infant and a toddler with us. I was wondering if anyone knows how the traffic is on a Saturday morning through the DC area?

Looking for the quickest route. We will be stopping and staying a night somewhere, but would like to be only about 6 hours out from Disney for the 2nd leg of the trip

Seems like the long way to go. There are many options from NJ that do not involve tolls. I-81 to Rte 66/17 in Middletown, VA. across to Fredericksburg will be one of the shortest ways to go to avoid Baltimore and Washington, DC. From Fredericksburg it's I-95 all the way to Daytona Beach, then Rte 4 to WDW.

Leaving from NJ I would think that a good half way or a little over half way would be in Central to southern NC. I live in Raleigh, NC (mid NC) and it is a 10 hour drive from here to the gates of WDW. If you want it to be about 6 hours then I used to stop in Walterboro, SC. That is close to the Georgia border and an easy drive to WDW.

 

[hes122]

You can avoid DC by taking I-81 to I-66 about 20 miles or so to US-17, which will put you onto I-95 in Fredericksburg.

 

[cruisingmom1977]

We always leave NJ around 4pm, which gets us down there after rush hour. It's about 1hr. 45mins. to the Delaware Memorial Bridge from here, to give you an idea. We've never hit traffic at that time. (I went to college in VA and I'm still scarred from the Baltimore/DC traffic.)

this!! We live at the jersey shore (7A on turnpike) and always leave around 2-4 pm. Our kids are currently 2 and 4 but we have been doing this since out oldest was born. We get an afternoon nap in the car and then drive until dinner time...around 7:00 (we drive thru the night). The kids tend to fall asleep after dinner and then sleep thru). We go to Key West twice a year driving and it has always worked for us...so far...lol).

 

[DVCMikey]

You can avoid DC by taking I-81 to I-66 about 20 miles or so to US-17, which will put you onto I-95 in Fredericksburg.

We are thinking of trying this. Are 66 and 17 highways? Not like traffic lights or anything right?