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Took me 7 hours to go from Alexandria area to Chapel Hill one time. Just bad DC traffic, no wreck that I could see.
Google maps says it is 275/4:15 miles from downtown Raleigh to DC vs 247 miles/3:51 to Asheville, so a bit shorter both time and miles-wise for Asheville. That's certainly my experience. DC is an unpleasant slog on 95. Asheville is a pretty easy and nice ride on 40.
Use to leave Downtown DC (US DOE HQtrs on Independence Ave where I worked) at 2pm and arrive at my place in Durham (near Southpoint Mall in 3 hours and 40 minutes...usually 1 quick stop in South Hill). No way in hell I would try to leave 3pm or later...easy 5-7 hour trip.
Part of the reason why I thought D.C. was closer is that I usually view Fredericksburg as the gateway into the D.C. area, which is about 230 miles north of Raleigh and closer than Asheville. However, I know northern Virginia technically isn't D.C.
But Fredericksburg is where the traffic horror begins. There have been times when it took me almost three hours to go the 52 miles from Fredericksburg to DC.
Part of the reason why I thought D.C. was closer is that I usually view Fredericksburg as the gateway into the D.C. area, which is about 230 miles north of Raleigh and closer than Asheville. However, I know northern Virginia technically isn't D.C.
Nothing "technical" about it. Fredericksburg is 50+ miles from DC. If you are going by that metric, you might as well say Morganton is Asheville.
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Originally Posted by Tarheelhombre
But Fredericksburg is where the traffic horror begins. There have been times when it took me almost three hours to go the 52 miles from Fredericksburg to DC.
Yup. That's where the slowdown was for me too. The stretch between Alexandria and Fredericksburg. Once we finally got past Fredricksburg it started to thin out again. I hate that drive.
But Fredericksburg is where the traffic horror begins. There have been times when it took me almost three hours to go the 52 miles from Fredericksburg to DC.
It begins before you even get to Fredericksburg these days. And I'm preparing to make that drive as we speak...ugh.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Aristotle
Use to leave Downtown DC (US DOE HQtrs on Independence Ave where I worked) at 2pm and arrive at my place in Durham (near Southpoint Mall in 3 hours and 40 minutes...usually 1 quick stop in South Hill). No way in hell I would try to leave 3pm or later...easy 5-7 hour trip.
When did you work there? I worked near you - at 1001 Penn. - from 1989-1998 (Yikes I'm dating myself!)
When did you work there? I worked near you - at 1001 Penn. - from 1989-1998 (Yikes I'm dating myself!)
Off and on for the last 30 years but most recently 2009-2011 on Independence Ave., L'Enfant Plaza. Yes, you were near there. I have move/worked between DC and NC 4 times, well didn't quite move the last 2 times because I kept residence in Durham. I have lived off of and commuted on just about every metro line (green, blue, red, orange, red).
DC is cool but I loathe the traffic and cost of living there, and vowed to only become an official tourist moving forward. Riding the metro during rush hour versus non-rush hour is two different worlds. RDU might not offer as much socially and culturally but in the grand scheme of things, it levies a powerful social and cultural punch for its size....and a weekend visit to DC once every year or so is more than enough for me. Most people I know would prefer to live here...but that gubment money (security) and related jobs are powerful reasons to keep residence there.
It's a second home because of all the family, relatives and friends in DC...it really is "NC North" for a lot of North Carolina African Americans with so many friends and family that live in DC.
Back to the topic, NE NC is definitely Tidewater influenced and vice versa. With much more so a connection to VA, DC, MD.
Off and on for the last 30 years but most recently 2009-2011 on Independence Ave., L'Enfant Plaza. Yes, you were near there. I have move/worked between DC and NC 4 times, well didn't quite move the last 2 times because I kept residence in Durham. I have lived off of and commuted on just about every metro line (green, blue, red, orange, red).
DC is cool but I loathe the traffic and cost of living there, and vowed to only become an official tourist moving forward. Riding the metro during rush hour versus non-rush hour is two different worlds. RDU might not offer as much socially and culturally but in the grand scheme of things, it levies a powerful social and cultural punch for its size....and a weekend visit to DC once every year or so is more than enough for me. Most people I know would prefer to live here...but that gubment money (security) and related jobs are powerful reasons to keep residence there.
I wish my job would go 100% virtual once this pandemic is over. That's how it is now and things are fine for the most part. Two guys on our team work from Denver anyway. If they announced that, I'd be back in Charlotte with the quickness.
Quote:
It's a second home because of all the family, relatives and friends in DC...it really is "NC North" for a lot of North Carolina African Americans with so many friends and family that live in DC.
Same with SC. Initially I thought Black DC natives were a good bit more likely to have roots in NC than SC, but after a "spirited" discussion on the topic elsewhere on the forum some years back by a former DC resident poster who schooled me a bit, reading about current residents with SC roots (such as the now 111-year-old Ms. Virginia McLaurin who was shown meeting the Obamas in the White House a couple of years back and dancing with them who is from Cheraw), and coming across more residents personally with SC roots, including one homie whose grandmother is from my hometown, I discovered that both Carolinas have a very deep connection with DC. Now whenever I meet a DC native, I just automatically ask "What part of Carolina are your people from?" Half the time I get "How did you know?" before they name a town somewhere in Eastern NC or the Pee Dee of SC. But yeah, that familial connection makes DC feel more "home-y" to me.
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