Drive Times??? (Austin, Round Rock, Spring: low income, house, neighborhoods)

[neverendingsummer]

Moving to Austin within the next year... Not sure where yet.

I've heard a lot of people talking about different drive times for their commute but none of them have really been generalized. What is the actual commute like during rush hour times from these places to Downtown/Capitol??
Round Rock?
Cedar Park?
Pflugerville?
Lakeway?
Dripping Springs?
Circle C?
Lake Austin?

I won't even ask about east of 35 because all I hear is that it isn't the best place to move to.

Thanks.

[love roses]

I live East of 35. There are two ways to describe East. There is East of downtown, which would be East of 35. Then there is East of Austin. That would include Round Rock and Pflugerville. Pflugerville doesn't really extend West of 35. Round Rock does. It's got different topogrophy than West, but it isn't worse. Housing and lot sizes are different. Housing is less expensive than West, and lot sizes tend to be larger East. This is a general statement though, as you will find small lots East, and some large one's West. People will say East doesn't have the appreciation that West does. East is still growing, but I bet there are areas West that that is true for as well, since it is also still growing. I've heard some people say that East of Austin is for low income people. Not necessarily true if you've driven around and seen that there are neighborhoods that start near 200,000 this way. I think that's somewhat of an snobbish opinion. Schools East are comparable to ones West, Excepting Elgin. East/West opinions are exactly that....opinions.
The commute from RR or Pflugerville runs under 20 minutes to downtown.

[mark311]

I agree with loveroses. The whole "East of 35" opinions I believe are generally directed at directly East of 35 from downtown. Pflugerville and Round Rock ARE East of 35, although some parts are West. The majority of Round Rock is East.

For the commute, to North Round Rock, if I get on I-35 at 5:15PM going north, it takes me between 45 to 70 minutes to get home from downtown. That will vary slightly depending on where you are downtown and where you are in Round Rock. It might take you 10 or 15 minutes just to get to the freeway in both places due to traffic and stoplights depending on exactly where you are. If you live anywhere near Dell Diamond, add extra minutes to your commute home on game nights.

I get on the road early in the morning and it only takes about 35 minutes to get downtown from North Round Rock (leaving at 6:30AM). Leaving any later will increase the commute time dramatically.

[love roses]

Yep, you're right about the commute times..with traffic. One thing for sure...I can always be counted on to state the quickest times with no traffic! 70 minutes sounds really bad though. That has to be if an accident or some horrific construction obstacles are present. 30-35 minutes, maybe 40, depending where you are coming from and the traffic flow. East of Austin has more access to the toll road, which shaves about 20 minutes off the commute.

[mark311]

Yes, there are two places that have been backed up quite a bit for the past 6 months or so in the evening on 35. Between Rundberg and Parmer on 35 there is quite a bit of stop and go traffic. The main offramp for Parmer has been closed for months now while they do construction. The other area that backs up during rush hour is between exit 250 and exit 254 in Round Rock. If you get off at 250, you're in great shape, but if you need to get off at any of the North Round Rock exits, then it can easily add another 15 minutes or so. You're right that 70 minutes is not the norm, but on Fridays afternoons especially, it can easily get to that. I forgot to mention the third place where traffic bunches up and that's actually right at UT up until about 183 at times.

It's another one of those situations where leaving downtown to go home to Round Rock at 4:30PM is a lot different than leaving at 5:15PM (the earlier, the better up until about 6:00PM). I've been making this drive for exactly a year now and it does ease up during the summer a bit as less students are on the road, but all it takes is a little rain (and we've been getting a lot of it) to move it closer to a 70 minute commute especially on Fridays.

[achtungpv]

Anywhere outside of Austin will take a 30-45 minute commute easily. It'll be worse on bad days. I have no idea how people get downtown from Pflugerville or RR in 20 minutes during rush hour. I get the impression people don't really pay attention to how long it takes. We're closer than all of the places listed except for Circle C and only 15 miles from downtown (SW) and it takes my wife 30 minutes to get to her job on 4th street...and that's leaving at 6:45 to be in by 7:30.

[love roses]

Note the above statement where I say I am notorious for excluding rush hour traffic in my calculations. Although, my husbands job requires him to drive nearly all day, and he can get to North Austin from Hutto in about 30+ minutes by back roads. He tells me he avoids 35 like the plague, and takes the toll road whenever possible. I think if you can get anywhere by not getting on 35, you should do it if its the better time.

[achtungpv]

This morning left my house on FM1626 SW of Manchaca. Went up Brodie and Slaughter to Mopac. Exited Bee Caves where I work. It was a very slight drizzle but traffic was moving pretty well and no accidents. Left home at 7:15 and exited at 8:13. 58 minutes total. 15.4 miles per Google Maps. Take it for what it's worth.

[love roses]

Guess it just goes to show that commute times just depend on where you live in relation to where you work.