Rush hour commute time (drive) from various NoVA neighborhoods? (McLean: mortgage, construction)

[chrikenn]

I'm moving to the DC-area in August for a job and am trying to get good estimates of the DRIVING commute times from various NoVA neighorhoods. I was able to find the metro commute times on the metro's web page, but I'll have parking at work so it might be preferable to drive. I'm most interested in rush hour commute times (i.e., 8-8:30am, 5:30-6pm or so). If anybody could give me estimates on how long it would take to do the following drives, I would greatly appreciate it:

1) Braddock Rd. Metro to McPherson Sq. Metro

2) King St. Metro to McPherson Sq. Metro

3) Clarendon Metro to McPherson Sq. Metro

4) Ballston Metro to McPherson Sq. Metro

5) East Falls Church Metro to McPherson Sq. Metro

6) West Falls Church Metro to McPherson Sq. Metro

7) Shirlington (say Village at Shirlington as a starting point) to McPherson Sq. Metro

8) Del Ray (say Mt. Vernon Ave @ E. Custis Ave. as start point) to McPherson Sq. Metro

Most of those involve metro stations as the start and end points, but just to be clear, I'm interested in approximately how long it would take to DRIVE between those points. Route need not necessarily follow the metro... I just want estimated commute times taking a reasonable route between the points in a car.

Many thanks to anybody who responds!

[FindingZen]

I'm sorry that I can't help with the drive times but I wanted to say that unless your employer would be subsidizing your parking, it will probably be more expensive to do so on your own than take the Metro...not that the train is exactly inexpensive either these days.

[Movinanshakin]

why not just use google maps and get rough estimates-?

[Pandoras]

For 1, 2, and 8 expect the rush hour commute at 8:30 AM to be at least 45 minutes and will usually be more than 1 hour. I assume you would take 14th Street downtown. Traffic has been particularly bad since the 14th St Bridge construction.

"1) Braddock Rd. Metro to McPherson Sq. Metro

2) King St. Metro to McPherson Sq. Metro

8) Del Ray (say Mt. Vernon Ave @ E. Custis Ave. as start point) to McPherson Sq. Metro"

[Carlingtonian]

I used to work at McPherson Square, and I live near Ballston.

Driving is tough; I-66 is HOV-only. But if you can find someone to commute in with you, it'll take about 20 minutes to get to the Kennedy Center.

And that's where you should park. Because it's $9/day (in by 10 and out by 7), and the walk to McPherson is maybe 30 minutes and actually quite pleasant if the weather is good. Or you can walk to Foggy Bottom and take Metro the two stops.

Parking at any of the garages at McPherson is gonna cost you about $18/day. Not sure what they charge monthly--but the traffic downtown is so bad, I can't imagine ever doing that.

If you can't take I-66, then you could take Spout Run to GW Parkway. A lot more traffic, but you wouldn't be on it for long.

[chrikenn]

Thanks for the replies.

To answer Movinanshakin's question, I don't think Google Maps will provide good estimates during heavy traffic. For instance, it tells me from Braddock Rd. to McPherson Square is 7.2 miles and takes 19 minutes. Doesn't give an estimate for traffic. So I needed somebody with some real world experience to help me out with that... because I knew (and Pandoras certainly confirmed) it wouldn't take 19 minutes at rush hour

I appreciate the suggestion of parking at Kennedy Center, but I would have subsidized parking at my office, so if I drive, the plan would be to drive all the way to the office which is near McPherson Sq.

So if anybody can estimate rush hour commute from Ballston/Clarendon, and Shirlington, all the way to McPherson Sq, I would appreciate it!

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by chrikenn

Thanks for the replies.

To answer Movinanshakin's question, I don't think Google Maps will provide good estimates during heavy traffic. For instance, it tells me from Braddock Rd. to McPherson Square is 7.2 miles and takes 19 minutes. Doesn't give an estimate for traffic. So I needed somebody with some real world experience to help me out with that... because I knew (and Pandoras certainly confirmed) it wouldn't take 19 minutes at rush hour

I appreciate the suggestion of parking at Kennedy Center, but I would have subsidized parking at my office, so if I drive, the plan would be to drive all the way to the office which is near McPherson Sq.

So if anybody can estimate rush hour commute from Ballston/Clarendon, and Shirlington, all the way to McPherson Sq, I would appreciate it!

In that case, a rough rule of thumb may be to take the Google prediction, double it, and consider that a "good day"....or "Government Friday"!

Unless you just prefer to be behind the wheel, it may be worth asking your employer about a Metro subsidy. I believe that unless there are other immediate obligations after work (e.g. picking up kids, a second job) then people who live in those relatively close-in areas you're considering and are commuting at the heart of rush hour usually choose the Metro.

[Carlingtonian]

395-N/14th St. bridge is horribly jammed up in the mornings, so you do not want to do that if you can avoid it.

If you can find another person to commute with so you can get to be on I-66 during rush hour--and the cops WILL ticket you if you go solo--then you could go straight on 66 till it becomes Constitution, then turn left onto 14th. I'd say from Ballston maybe 45 minutes on a good day, but up to an hour.

Or you could go route 50 to the TR bridge (where it merges with 66) and continue on Const. Definitely at least an hour from Ballston.

The very worst thing you could do would be to take K Street across town.

And don't even think about taking the Key Bridge.

Shirlington? Wow. Maybe an hour and a half, sitting in stop-go traffic on 395? You might as well live in DC at that point, because the rent/mortgage probably won't be any lower.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

395-N/14th St. bridge is horribly jammed up in the mornings, so you do not want to do that if you can avoid it.

If you can find another person to commute with so you can get to be on I-66 during rush hour--and the cops WILL ticket you if you go solo--then you could go straight on 66 till it becomes Constitution, then turn left onto 14th. I'd say from Ballston maybe 45 minutes on a good day, but up to an hour.

Or you could go route 50 to the TR bridge (where it merges with 66) and continue on Const. Definitely at least an hour from Ballston.

The very worst thing you could do would be to take K Street across town.

And don't even think about taking the Key Bridge.

Shirlington? Wow. Maybe an hour and a half, sitting in stop-go traffic on 395? You might as well live in DC at that point, because the rent/mortgage probably won't be any lower.

I think people often underestimate commuting times, but not here. I can usually get from McLean to Farragut (just west of McPherson) during the AM rush hour in 35 minutes on a good day and an hour on a bad day. I can't see why it should regularly take an hour to get there from Ballston. Was this really your experience?

Key Bridge is usually slow in the AM, but sometimes the Whitehurst Freeway and K Street aren't as bad as you suggest. Another option is to take the E Street exit off the Roosevelt Bridge, then turn on either 18th or 17th, and then take H or K over to McPherson.

If parts of Constitution are closed starting next month for construction, however, all bets are off. I don't even want to think about it.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by JEB77

I think people often underestimate commuting times, but not here. I can usually get from McLean to Farragut (just west of McPherson) during the AM rush hour in 35 minutes on a good day and an hour on a bad day..

Wow! You missed your calling as a race-car driver. I'm stunned you could make it in 35. I bet you took Chain Bridge to Canal to AZ Ave to MacArthur--but after that I'd have thought you'd hit major traffic where Whitehurst meets (is it M Street?) in G'town.

Originally Posted by JEB77

I can't see why it should regularly take an hour to get there from Ballston. Was this really your experience?

Key Bridge is usually slow in the AM, but sometimes the Whitehurst Freeway and K Street aren't as bad as you suggest.

I never tried driving all the way to Farragut or McPherson--but I've seen the traffic firsthand as a pedestrian all along that area near the White House, and other than weekends and nighttime, it's nuts. Everyone blocks the box, and it's a constant war between pedestrians and drivers making right turns. Utter mayhem.

That said, if the OP takes Const. to 14th and catches the lights, and there are no idiots blocking lanes, etc., then maybe my estimate is too pessimistic. Still--he's better off being pleasantly surprised!

I have driven (regularly) from Ballston to JFK Center in rush hour on 66, and it's 15-20 minutes from the Glebe on-ramp to the garage entrance.