Commute from Ellicot City- DC Pls Help (Columbia, Ellicott City: home, college)

[jassis]

Howdy!

I got a new gig in DC. My family and I (of course) are now planning to move to EC. Can anyone tell me what is the commute like if I decide to take public transportation?Or drive?

Are there any in van-pool services offered in the area that will take you to DC?

What would be the best way to get to DC from EC?

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all these questions.

J

[NCScrapmom]

I'm not sure anyone can answer the question about which one is the best. That's going to be a personal thing and will depend on the time of day you travel and where you're going. Some places in DC will have acceptable parking and some will not, so that's going to be a factor. There is MARC train service to the DC metro from Ellicott City which is pretty easy. This link has some helpful information:

Transit Services - Howard County Commuter Services

[jassis]

I'll probably start my commute at 7:00am or so.

Thanks for your information. I hope I can get some more advice from other users.

Thanks again.

J

[BMWZ4RUlz]

Originally Posted by jassis

I'll probably start my commute at 7:00am or so.

Thanks for your information. I hope I can get some more advice from other users.

Thanks again.

J

Ellicott City to DC isn't bad even if you drove unless you work right in downtown DC, then I would definitely take the metro.

Ellicott City is a nice area. Good luck in your new job.

[jassis]

Great to hear that. An acquaintance told me that it could take up to two hours each way

[J_Lurk]

Sorry to disagree, but can take up to 2 hours each way if traffic is bad. It takes 45 minutes if things are incredible, 1 hour if things are good and it isn't rush hour. It probably takes 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours on an average day to downtown DC. There isn't a MARC stop in Ellicott City; the closest one is the one at Dorsey. There is no metro up here; you would need to drive to Greenbelt and take the metro from there or drive to Dorsey, take the MARC, then connect to metro.

Everyone I know who commutes from this area to downtown DC uses the bus. It takes about 1 1/2 hours, but they use the time to read, pay bills, etc., which is better than looking at traffic. The bus routes are on the link previously posted; you drive to a local park-n-ride (there are several) and take the bus from there.

[jassis]

Originally Posted by J_Lurk

Sorry to disagree, but can take up to 2 hours each way if traffic is bad. It takes 45 minutes if things are incredible, 1 hour if things are good and it isn't rush hour. It probably takes 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours on an average day to downtown DC. There isn't a MARC stop in Ellicott City; the closest one is the one at Dorsey. There is no metro up here; you would need to drive to Greenbelt and take the metro from there or drive to Dorsey, take the MARC, then connect to metro.

Everyone I know who commutes from this area to downtown DC uses the bus. It takes about 1 1/2 hours, but they use the time to read, pay bills, etc., which is better than looking at traffic. The bus routes are on the link previously posted; you drive to a local park-n-ride (there are several) and take the bus from there.

Thank you for the info. I'm really trying to get different perspectives here.
Thanks again.

[gosling357]

My sister lives in Columbia MD and commutes to NASA in DC. She did the commuter bus for about a week and hated it, cause the bus gets stuck in traffic just like a car would. She didn't like the feeling of sitting on the bus and doing nothing while it was stuck. She drives to College Park metro stop now and takes the metro in from there. She likes that better.

[jassis]

Originally Posted by gosling357

My sister lives in Columbia MD and commutes to NASA in DC. She did the commuter bus for about a week and hated it, cause the bus gets stuck in traffic just like a car would. She didn't like the feeling of sitting on the bus and doing nothing while it was stuck. She drives to College Park metro stop now and takes the metro in from there. She likes that better.

Thanks for the info. I really appreciated. Do you know how long is her commute?

Thx

[AlicynD]

My father lives in Catonsville, right on the Ellicott City line, and drives to Chantilly VA most days - a little past DC but this still gives you an idea. In the mornings he is on the road by 6:30am at the latest and arrives to work fairly early - 8:00amish. If he left any later he'd be late for work. On the way home it typically takes him 2 hours to get home. There are many routes to take from the DC area home but you end up getting stuck in traffic. I know there are buses in Howard County that take people to the metro stops. I think someone linked you to the transit.