I-695 & I-495 During Morning Rush Hour?

[Bill From PA]

Can anyone advise me on the driving conditions along I-95 from north of Baltimore to south of DC during the week-day morning drive? I'm a veteran of those parts in the 10 pm to 2 am time frame, but I suspect that rush hour is a different experience. I can take 81 to 66 (I think) to 17 to 95, but that adds an hour. Is the 695 - 95 - 495 corridor terrible on weekday mornings?

Thanks,
Bill From PA

 

[Uncleromulus]

Bill:
"Terrible" hardly does it justice, especially the I-495 around DC.
We always leave at 4:00 AM, just to get by the DC rush hour, which seems to begin around 5:30 or so. At 6:00 we're around DC and just beginning to head S. on I-95. Even at that time, there is a line of cars as far as the eye can see heading into DC from Va.
And that's on a "normal" day. Add an accident or rain, and it's even worse.
And not to minimize the trip around Baltimore--it's a mess also.

 

[Belle1962]

If you're coming down 81 to 66 how long would it be to do 81 through VA to 40W to I75? Or there's aroute (77 I think) that cuts across VA over to I95). That's how we travel from our home North of Atlanta to the DC/MD area to visit family. I agree---traffic around DC is awful and that area around Springfield on I95 with all that construction is bad bad bad bad bad. My father takes 301 until he is past Quantico and then moves over to I95.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

and then down to WDW.
Many travelers who don't want to travel I-95, just take I-81 to I-77 at Wytheville,VA and then follow I-77S to Columbia,SC, picking up I-26E to I-95 near Charleston,SC.

Bill, you might want to consider that route.

 

[JudithM]

Personally I would add an extra hour or so to my trip to avoid both the Baltimore Beltway & the Washington International Speedway ... ooops I mean Beltway .

On our last trip we avoided most of I95 & I4 in FL by taking "back roads" like 301. It was well worth the additional time added to our trip (maybe an hour or so).

 

[JerseyBob]

At what time in the morning does the traffic thin out or become reasonable? Thanks.

 

[madhouserobey]

it never let's up .just thins out .between maybe10 pm to 4 am on weekday.i know drive to d.c. every day for work

 

[WDWisTheBest]

It does become manageable around 10:00 am M-TH. Fridays normally are not very good after around 2 pm on non-holidays.

Holiday weekends: all bets are off on Fridays.

Many people coming from the north try to get through before 6am.

 

[Belle1962]

WDWisthebest: thanks. I knew there was a crossover somewhere in VA (I've taken it once--but then I'm directionally challenged).