DC Traffic

We will be coming into the city around 2:00pm - how is the traffic then? I know rush hour can be bad - but I wasn%26#39;t sure when it might start getting that way. Thanks!

DC Traffic

Overall, you shouldn%26#39;t have a problem given ';normal'; traffic...but that%26#39;s also to say that accidents and construction tying up traffic happen fairly frequently and there are no guarantees with anything.

Rush hour nowadays pretty much begins around 3 and over the last few years includes folks going every direction, not just out of the city. You don%26#39;t provide a lot of info, i.e. which direction you%26#39;ll be coming from, but your biggest rush hour challenge coming into the city will usually be if you need to use the Beltway.

DC Traffic

It depends on where you are coming from and where you are going. While is it not prime rush hour, it is prime %26#39;let%26#39;s close several lanes down so we can pretend to work%26#39; hour.

At 2pm, the ';rush hour'; hasn%26#39;t begun yet. Usually rush hour technically starts around 3:30 pm -4:00 pm and only lasts about 2- 2.5 hours (6:30pm or so)

Always take into consideration construction, which for some reason, there is a lot of that around here now. It seems like everywhere I go to get out and into the city there is some type of construction or road closure.

Also, it depends on which direction you are coming from, where your hotel is. The actual city traffic of downtown DC can be bad (to some people) all day long depending on where your hotel is.

what part of the metro area does rush hour only last for 2hrs? I need to move there.

66, 95 and most of the belway begins backing up by 3pm and rarely clear out before 7pm.

Well everywhere that I have traveled which includeds 95 (between the bridge and around Rt. 50, 395 (SE/SW FRWY), NY Avenue/295

I have used all of these roads at varying times. I leave early on some days (3:00 pm- 3:30pm) and have never run into any traffic. I live in southern PG County near Charles County and have made it from upper Georgetown to home in less than 45 minutes. From Capital Hill area in 25 minutes leaving New Jersey Avenue to the Branch Avenue Metro Station Location.

When I have stayed late for work (for me that%26#39;s leaving after 6:00 pm) I have never seen any traffic going the routes that I go. Usually Friday nights are the worse because of the happy hour and club goers and people coming into the city. Also, I have left Branch Avenue Metro Station on any day of the week around 5:30 pm and have made it to my hair appointments in Annapolis, MD by 6:00 pm just by Annapolis Mall/Parole exit.

So, once again as I said before, it all depends on where you are coming from and where you are going. My commute, typically the rush hour is 2 hours 4:30 pm- 6:30 pm on the routes that I use. Not taking into consideration, a fender bender or broken down vehicle. Or if the President is going somewhere and they want to block your street.

I think Virigina probably has the worst traffic but since I don%26#39;t live there and have no need to go in that direction, I wouldn%26#39;t know about how horrible your traffic is. I did however get to Tysons Corner for a meeting at the FBI leaving my home at 6:30 and have made it to the meeting by 7:15 am for the 7:30 meeting. That isn%26#39;t bad at all just having to cross the bridge was my only problem.

Wow - you guys are scaring me!!!! We will be coming in from 270 and down the GW Parkway - From my calculations - we should be hitting the city - OHHH about 4:00!! Guess we better get an early dinner outside of the city and plan on coming in later. HUH?

I think that%26#39;s a good idea, tweetybird. Have dinner outside of the area and then drive in well after rush hour. The beltway (I-495) is horrible during rush hour.

';Wow - you guys are scaring me!!!! We will be coming in from 270 and down the GW Parkway - From my calculations - we should be hitting the city - OHHH about 4:00!! Guess we better get an early dinner outside of the city and plan on coming in later. HUH?';

Kind of depends on how close you%26#39;re cutting it. You%26#39;ll be going against traffic on I-270, the flow will be northbound and you%26#39;ll be coming south. From 270 to the GW Parkway on the beltway isn%26#39;t that far, it will back up later in rush hour but shouldn%26#39;t be too bad at 3:30 or 4:00. So if you hit I-495 (';The Beltway';) at 3:30 you might get into a bit of %26#39;stop and go%26#39; traffic but nothing worth worrying about.

I would just go for it and understand that you might sit in traffic a little more than you would like. But that early it won%26#39;t be a nightmare. People in DC get a thrill from complaining about their ';horrendous'; commutes, but it%26#39;s not like you%26#39;ll be sitting still until midnight. And the restaurants are probably much better in DC than where you would stop and wait outside the Beltway.

Thanks for the info guys - we are going to bump up our departure time from Indianapols to 5am - and just go with it. We don%26#39;t have a schuedule until Thursday - so whatever happens, happens!! Just can%26#39;t wait to be there! Our 11 year old is going nuts would probably kill us if we wasted time getting into the city!!

Thanks for all your help!! See you all on the streets of DC soon!!!