Why do you prefer I-75 over I-77/99 or vice versa?

[MamaLema]

We are driving down for our third trip. Twice we have done the 77/79 route because it works out to be about 3 hours less.

I was wondering which route you prefer to use and why?

 

[canadaman]

I have only done i75 and have only done that once so i can't comment on the other way. I choose the i75 route because to me it seemed simpler. You just get on the i75 in Michigan and go. People say the other way is faster but it took us 22 hours to use i75 after you take out stops.
I just looked it up on google maps. From where i live in Hanover Ontario to pop century it says the i75 route is 21 hours 58 minutes and the other way is 22 hours 28 minutes. So by that the i75 way is actually shorter.
I figure either way is good, but i will use the i75 route next year on our trip.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

My family and I have driven down I-75 every year since 1996 and we like it because we think it's the most direct route, plus we always purchase the Along Interstate 75 book which lists all the hotels, restaurants and gas stations for every exit in each state.

 

[dancin Disney style]

We are driving down for our third trip. Twice we have done the 77/79 route because it works out to be about 3 hours less.

I was wondering which route you prefer to use and why?

It depends where you live and the time of year you are driving. If you live in the GTA or east it's better to take the 77/79 route It will be the shortest most direct route. If you live west of the GTA were you are along the 401 it can be faster to take the I-75 route. The I-75 is the better route if you are driving in the winter.

 

[DonaldDC]

It depends where you live and the time of year you are driving. If you live in the GTA or east it's better to take the 77/79 route It will be the shortest most direct route. If you live west of the GTA were you are along the 401 it can be faster to take the I-75 route. The I-75 is the better route if you are driving in the winter.

We're thinking of driving down for the first time next March. Why is I-75 a better route during the winter?

 

[Ham Ham]

Either route during the Winter can be treacherous.

Ohio is flat and prone to white outs further down 75 you go through the great Smokey mountains.

79/77 near Erie can have lake effect snow and down in WV there are mountains.

I don't subscribe to the theory that one is better than the other during inclement weather. Pay attention to which route you plan on taking and follow the weather before your leave.

Folks in SW Ontario I-75 is the fastest Route.
Major US cities on the route Detroit, Cincinnati, Atlanta

For those is Southern Ontario I-190/I-90/I-79/US-19/I-77/I-26/I-95/I-4 the most direct.
Major US cities on the route, Buffalo, Charlotte, Jacksonville

In eastern Ontario I-81/I-77/I-26/I-95/I-4 is one route that helps avoid the traffic black hole that is Washington, DC.
Major US cities on the route Charlotte, Jacksonville

A few more tips.

Avoid cities durings rush hours
Know your route, CAA can provide great info along the way. Construction, speed traps, sights to see, special events that make impact your travel.
Book several motels a head of time. Stagger them along the route and at some point decide how far you want to drive.
Have real maps. Printed directions from web may not be of much help if you encounter a detour. A GPS is also a good resource but I always have maps.

Click maps for links to Google Maps.

I-79/I-77 Driving directions to Walt Disney World Resort 2,080 km – about 20 hours 27 mins



I-75 Driving directions to Walt Disney World Resort 2,232 km – about 21 hours 48 min

 

[dancin Disney style]

Well put HamHam.

 

[beavdisfan]

I have driven both ways several times and find that the weather on the day I leave is the deciding factor.
I prefer 77/79 as it IS faster and a nicer drive. 75 is flat and boring.
Also there are four times you get off 77/79 if the weather gets bad.
You can go west to 75 or east to 95 in four different places. If you are on 75 and the weather craps out you can only go east and as most storms go west to east that may not be any help.
Route maps and times done by Google, Mapquest etc. do not take in to account slowdowns for traffic and major cities. 77/79 has less traffic and fewer cities than either of the other routes. It also has 70mph speed limits in some areas.
The 77/79 route also gets you farther south fast than 75 and into better weather faster. Part of the fun of driving south is watching the outside temp. readout going up.
Drive safely whatever route you take.

 

[MamaLema]

Thanks everyone. We live in the GTA and are driving down in August. I think we'll stick to the 77/79 Now if August would just hurry up and come faster

 

[rjan67]

75 is faster for us as we start in Sarnia. I think that 77/79 is by far a more scenic drive. I would also venture to say that you can drive (for the most part) faster on 75. Something else we learned one summer coming back from Fort Wilderness was that 75 is a better route than 77 when pulling a trailer. Although you are going through the mountains on 75, it is a only for a few hours and are gradual inclines. 77 is very hilly! We often make it to Daytona Beach between 19-22 hours. As we drive straight through from Friday night, we miss all but the first (Friday night) rush hour (in either Detroit or Toledo) than we are done with those! Definitely look for the bypass routes if you are getting close to a rush hour! Have fun!

 

[Ham Ham]

I-75 is the route to take if you are in SW Ontario. Never thought about hauling a trailer. Great points!