DC traffic question
 

I have to do a thing in Frederick MD in October and it lets out around 5:45 or so. The lastest flight I can get out of IAD, DCA, BWI to ATL is 9pm out of DCA. How bad is traffic going in to DC around that time? Mapquest says it's about 55 miles to DCA from Frederick, but obviously I'd have around 2 hours to make that trip (max). Is this do-able? Thanks.

Can't help you with the drive, but from what I understand- good luck getting a parking space at DCA. You will be going against traffic, so that's helpful. But I dunno- sounds like a tall order.

SI

The last time I had to drive from MD to DCA when I was in town for business, I had to go from Gaithersburg to DCA at around 5pm. It took me roughly 2 1/2 hours to make the drive as the traffic on the highway was pretty much like I-285 during rush hour in Atlanta. I missed my flight time by close to 45 minutes. The funny thing was my plane had mechanical issues and a 3 hour delay. Everyone on my flight was pissed off.. except for me. :)

Anyways, i don't travel to D.C. much so don't know if my experience was normal or abnormal.

You'll be fine.

Just take I-270 to I-495 S to GW Parkway to Reagan. Unless you have cataclysmic traffic you should be able to get there in under 2 hours.

Alternately, you could try taking 15 S from Frederick to the Greenway (a toll road) in Virginia. The Greenway will take you straight to Dulles. I haven't done that before, but I can't imagine it would be all that bad - particularly since you'll be avoiding 270 and the beltway.

I'll be flying from ATL, renting a car, and driving to Frederick.

He's going to DCA, not IAD. If he were flying into Dulles, I'd agree 100% I'd say it's a no-brainer to use 15 to get between Fredneck and Dulles.

From BWI, it's about 1 hour-ish without traffic (maybe a smidge more) to Fredneck.

At 9 p.m. once you're out of the city traffic shouldn't be bad unless they're doing construction. It still will be a long drive, but traffic at that time should be OK.

Man, for Frederick, I'd almost recommend Dulles Airport. Takes me 45 minutes to get to Frederick from my house just north of there if I use the Greenway. About an hour if I use 7.

/tk

Yeah, I'm split...I can fly Delta to DCA and leave any time I want on Wednesday, and try to get out Thursday at 9pm. IAD and BWI to ATL have last flights at 6pm :(

I can also try United, they fly out of IAD at 10pm, but I'd have to get there at like 3pm the prior day because there are only 3-4 flights.

Yeah, I'm split...I can fly Delta to DCA and leave any time I want on Wednesday, and try to get out Thursday at 9pm. IAD and BWI to ATL have last flights at 6pm :(

I can also try United, they fly out of IAD at 10pm, but I'd have to get there at like 3pm the prior day because there are only 3-4 flights.

He mentioned flying out of Dulles as an option in his original post.

But hey - thanks for correcting me. :thumbsup:

Anyway like I said in my original post - you are fine getting to DCA if you leave Frederick on time.

I assume you're talking about a weekday. If its a Saturday or Sunday, absolutely no problem. If its a weekday, Subby is right about 80% of the time, but you could also hit really, really bad traffic if there's an accident, or if its raining. Also, some of the car rental places are off-airport at DCA, although I think all the major ones let you return the car there. You're probably OK, but I wouldn't say any extended goodbyes after your meeting.

I'm placing odds at 3-1 *against* making the 9PM flight.

You're going to have to be pulling into DCA at 7:30 at the latest in order to turn in your rental, go through security on a Friday night in DC with the million other travelers, congressmen, and tourists leaving the city, and make it to the gate in time to check in before they close the doors 20 minutes before the flight leaves.

Unless you leave at 5PM, I say NO chance you make it.

This is a snap through BWI.

Hmmm...this could make me some money (or lose me some badly). It's a Thursday evening, and I'm still torn. I may end up doing the United flight in and out of IAD and just suck up being there a little early.

That was my thought as well.

It's a snap through IAD and BWI. The trick with DCA is the city factor which is impossible at best to plan for. For IAD or BWI, it's straight-forward and against the normal flow of traffic for that time of evening. Having done the BWI-Frederick drive once or twice and the Dulles area-Frederick drive many times, I think BWI-Frederick is a little longer than IAD-Frederick, but either would work, probably better than DCA, and both are straight-shots/direct.

/tk

It's not - this is the route we prefer to take when going there.

BWI isn't bad either - 70 to the Baltimore beltway, then you're on that for a few miles until you hit 95, which you're on not even a mile before going to 195. Either airport is fine.

We've never flown out of Reagan National.

(we've gone through Hagerstown though to Orlando Sanford, which is really pretty nice...terminal about the size of the one on Wings)

Well you never have to actually go through DC to get to DCA and you are going against rush hour traffic for a good portion of the trip (your biggest issue is going to be when you are on the outer loop of the beltway, and I think that would be about 10 miles.)

If DCA has the most flexible flight options, then it is probably worth it.

wow

oppps

well shit!

If it were me, I'd book the 10 pm out of IAD. If you get there early (and you will) - BEER.

Is it even that much? Going down to the Portals I think we take 15/270/495/GW Parkway - doesn't seem like we're on the beltway very long at all.

Main part I would worry about is 270. Even in off-hours it can be a crapshoot (traveled it yesterday actually, at about 5:30; was fine. Have had times on the way *back* where we've been slowed to a crawl at like 10PM).

This thread makes me very thankful for the Acela train.

Even with difficult traffic, 2 hours should be plenty of time. Just be sure that you do all the things you can so you're not wandering around aimlessly once you get to the Airport.

On the plus side, getting through security should be easier than normal. TSA puts their A team on the line at National on the Thursday and Friday evening shifts to ensure that their budget doesn't get cut.

I have to disagree here. There's no way they're getting BA in an airport.

Not without drugging his milk and putting him on a plane first

SI

Good point. And even if they did, he'd set off every metal detector in a half-mile radius.

Gonna bump this. I have to travel to Bethesda next month and my meeting ends around 4pm. It seems like IAD and DCA are both about 20 miles away, is there one that will be better that time of day? I'd like to hit a 7pm flight or so, if I'm in a cab/car by 4:30, it shouldn't be a problem? I couldn't imagine it would take 2 hours to go 20 miles, but one never knows. Thanks!

Don't know about Metro accessibility from Bethesda, but if you can get to Metro, DCA might be alright.

IAD should be fine once you get around the beltway, but it's always a crapshoot. Could easily take an hour to get to the Dulles Access Road, at which point it'd take another 20ish (depending on how fast the cab drives) to get to the airport.

/tk

Your quickest bet is probably Metro to DCA.

It is also your most reliable. The Metro website (wmata.com) says that you can catch the 4:37 out of Bethesda and be at DCA in about 40 minutes, switching to the Blue line in Metro Center.

Awesomeness. Looks like it's about 2-2.5 miles from the hotel, but considering it costs $3.50 or something as opposed to $40+tip, I'll take it. Thanks!