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Sterling VA to BWI in rush hour


TheGoodBits

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I'm leaving around 6pm and have to be at BWI around 8-8:30pm. 
 

Seeking advice on route options. The conventional idea would be rt 7 toward Tysons, cut over to Georgetown Pike, and pick up 495 there until 95. I figure that's about a 50 minute route with no traffic, and somewhere between 1.5 hours and 3 hours in rush hour. 

 

Or... I could take Rt 7 to Leesburg, 15N to Frederick, I70 toward Baltimore, and then cut down to BWI from there.

I know Rt 7 going to Leesburg is going to be kind of rough, but I have no idea what to expect from the rest of this route. Anyone have experience with 15N or I70E in the afternoon?

Would this be a really stupid, out of the way route, or would it be longer but more consistently moving than 495? 

 

 

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Or... I could take Rt 7 to Leesburg, 15N to Frederick, I70 toward Baltimore, and then cut down to BWI from there.

I know Rt 7 going to Leesburg is going to be kind of rough, but I have no idea what to expect from the rest of this route. Anyone have experience with 15N or I70E in the afternoon?

 

 

That route has the chance of taking 17 hours. You are willingly subjecting yourself to a hundred redlights through suburbia for hours in order to drive 50 miles from Frederick to BWI.

 

Just grit your teeth through 495 to 95. It's fewer miles from McLean to BWI than Frederick to BWI.

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Traffic MIGHT not be as bad in the region today, as many area schools are on spring break.  There have been a couple of occasions that it's taken me 3+ hours to get from the Tysons area (via 495) to Baltimore when leaving during rush hour. 

 

It's a lose-lose regardless, bro. 

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That route has the chance of taking 17 hours. You are willingly subjecting yourself to a hundred redlights through suburbia for hours in order to drive 50 miles from Frederick to BWI.

 

 

Well, there aren't really that many lights on 7 before you get to Leesburg, and 15N until you get to MD isn't bad on lights either. Not familiar with 15 between Point of Rocks and Frederick though. There will definitely be volume congestion on 7 until Leesburg, but after that I don't know. 

 

The route is 87 miles vs 61 miles going 495/95. No traffic is supposed to take 1hr 37min vs 1 hour 1 min according to google maps. I'm pretty sure I want to go the round about way, I just don't know how 15N and I70E are this time of day. 

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Yeah figured that was the case, just have no experience with that road so didn't know if weird things happen as you get close to B'more. 

not usually in the afternoon, as 80% of the traffic is moving away from the city. It is a 2 lane highway though starting at about 10 miles out...so if something does happen, it's all snarled up.

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Looking at trafficland.com you better pray for a quick breakup.  495 to 95 is bricked right now. 

 

Yep two accidents near the Legion Bridge. Glad I was leaning toward going the other way. Going to come down to how traffic looks for each around the time I leave. 

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I heard google bought them but they are trying to merge it with google maps but they can't figure out the technology to merge the two. 

 

The live updates are so fast its like playing a video game. Htf can google not figure this out?

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Actual update: 

 

I left at 6:30 from Sterling to BWI by way of Frederick MD. It took me 1 hour 40 minutes. The only spot I ran into any significant traffic was a 2 mile stretch of 15N immediately after leaving Leesburg. Weird traffic pattern has it jammed up pretty consistently it seemed like. 

 

So not at all a bad trip. I made good time and kept my sanity.  Appreciate everyone's input. 

 

Unfortunately, it was also kind of a wasted trip. My brother was supposed to have a 14 hour layover at BWI, traveling between duty stations. He was on a military flight so we couldn't track it, and found out when we got to BWI that his flight was delayed until 1:30am. My wife and I couldn't stay (dog at home and we both had to work today). :-/  But my parents got a hotel and got to see him, so that still worked out. 

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Easy answer.

 

...

 

Or the MARC train.

 

For future reference for DC area folks, MARC is a great way to get to BWI.  From Union Station in DC, it's a comfortable train ride that costs 6 bucks.  They run all day Monday-Friday.  There's a free shuttle from the BWI station to the terminal.

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