wash DC. M- F AM rush hour hours... Sat. AM traffic patterns

[joeokw]

We are driving to WDW from the NYC area in July. I am asking ...What time does the AM rush hour end going into and out of DC? and does DC have any summer traffic woes like we do up here in NEw York/ jersey shore ? We may be driving through The DC area around 9 am - 10 am on one those days. Thank you

 

[4dizfans]

Sorry for the bad news but...

But if you're planning to go through DC at that time you're in for some major traffic. You gotta take 495 around DC to continue south on 95. 495 can be horrible if there is any accidents/broken down cars.

If you hit the beltway at 9 you might be alright. Rush hour starts around 7 and starts to lighten up around 9-9:30. If you're running ahead of schedule and are hitting the beltway before 9:00 I'd stop and get breakfast. Weekends arent that bad btw.

 

[TimonTracy]

I totally agree with joeokw - Have some breakfast. After 10 it should be smooth sailing...

 

[Slainte]

I agree...rush hour is bad here, but the majority of it is over by 9ish, barring any accidents. It starts up by 5:30-6:00 AM.

The evening rush is stretched out. It's terrible between 4:00 and 7:00, but bearable after that. Use the HOV lanes once you get south of the city and you'll be ok.

 

[joeokw]

thanks for the info....it sounds like rush hour up here in NY....one time on a Sun. two summers ago it took us 3 hours to get from south of DC to outta of Balt. heading north.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I agree--keep it near 10:00 and it won't be too bad--relatively
speaking, of course.
As an aside, we drove back from WDW last week and hit the DC area at around 9:30 AM on a Saturday--in the rain!! What a nightmare!! Mercifully no accidents, but the avearge speed from N. Va. to just over that awful Wilson Bridge was in the neighborhood of 15-20 MPH.

 

[trayletha]

As an aside, we drove back from WDW last week and hit the DC area at around 9:30 AM on a Saturday--in the rain!! What a nightmare!!

Yeah rain around here will make the drive extra-horrible. If it's raining rush "hour" will spread out a couple of hours more either way.

 

[DaveH]

I95 South on Saturdays going towards Richmond gets backed up also.