HELP Is this a BAD Time to leave?

[Brook1099]

Driving from Lakehurst NJ which we always do but I think leaving @ 12:30 pm might be a bad idea for Wash/Balt Beltway traffic any advice would be appreciated I believe it takes about 3 hrs or more for us to get thru I don't want to be in work gridlock. We are trying to let the kids get a full day of school in but it may be a nightmare for drinving.

 

[bookwormde]

If it is a weekday then yes you wil hit traffic delays (I think you are going to be more like 4 hours to clear DC without traffic, 11:30 would likely get you past DC so you would just have the richmond traffic.

bookwormde

 

[Missytara]

If you absolutely have to leave at 12:30 pm, you can also consider coming through DE and taking the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. You do hit a lot of lights in DE, but you completely avoid the DC route. I have a lot of friends that travel south and they always take that route when it comes down to leaving at a certain time and they want to avoid DC at the height of rush hour.

At least, you can be glad you are past the beach season!

 

[GranddadTom]

You're obviously talking about a workday. It's going to be a good 3 hours for you to get to the Washington Beltway. Getting there at 3:30 puts you at an iffy time but I think the delays will be minimal and you could tough it out without losing too much time. What would scare me would be I-95 in Northern Virginia because you would be hitting that deeper in the rush hour. As a previous poster said, if you could just get off an hour earlier (or even better 2 hours earlier) life would be much better for you. Otherwise be ready for some slow going.

 

[sticker231]

are you stopping or driving straight through? We drove straight through and left at 6pm, got to our room at 10 am. We missed all possible traffic.

 

[Brook1099]

OK, plans have changed we are now leaving 2am Thurs morning! I really didnt want to take the kids out of school another day but what the heck, so we are driving straight thru with out any major delays should arrive around 5:30 pm Thurs night. Checkin to CBR for 2 days and then OKW for 14. Thanks for all the advice, I am going to look into the Chesepeake way also.

 

[sticker231]

at that time you should have no problem on 95

 

[GranddadTom]

In my mind that a good plan!