Commute Time from Scottsdale to Downtown Phoenix (apartments, school)

[sman222]

I have been looking at some apartments in the Scottsdale Area and google maps says that the commute time from the area to downtown Phoenix is about 25 min, or up to 50 with traffic

is the traffic really this bad coming from this area?

a little more detail - coming from around Drinkwater Blvd

[exit2lef]

It depends on where in Scottsdale. Scottsdale runs 30 miles from top to bottom. I'd say that 20 minutes would be the absolute minimum to drive from the southern end of Scottsdale to Downtown.

[sman222]

Originally Posted by silverbear

It depends on where in Scottsdale. Scottsdale runs 30 miles from top to bottom. I'd say that 20 minutes would be the absolute minimum to drive from the southern end of Scottsdale to Downtown.

One apartment I was looking at is off Drinkwater Blvd if that helps

[joninaz]

It's about 35 minutes and you need not take the freeway. During rush hour(s), the freeway is probably busier than surface streets, since it combines cross town/state/country traffic as well. Getting downtown via one of the larger E/W streets isn't too bad.

[sman222]

Originally Posted by joninaz

It's about 35 minutes and you need not take the freeway. During rush hour(s), the freeway is probably busier than surface streets, since it combines cross town/state/country traffic as well. Getting downtown via one of the larger E/W streets isn't too bad.

Thanks. 35 minutes isnt too bad during rush hour.

[fcorrales80]

I would say 35 to 40 minutes is a good estimate off the freeways. Rush hour in Phoenix seems a little different to me than in other cities. For instance, while the traffic does come to a stand-still from time to time and in certain areas, in Phoenix traffic seems to move along but at slow speeds and lacks the stand-still gridlock.

Another thing I have noticed in comparison to other metro areas, besides L.A., is that traffic seems to remain heavy in Phoenix for extended periods of time, including the "rush-hours." They seem to start early...around 2pm and end around 7:30pm for the evening commute, I didn't notice such heavy, sustained traffic flows for such a long period of time in other cities. Most cities I have been to have this much traffic between 4 and 6:30 pm.

[shiphead]

Originally Posted by sman222

I have been looking at some apartments in the Scottsdale Area and google maps says that the commute time from the area to downtown Phoenix is about 25 min, or up to 50 with traffic

is the traffic really this bad coming from this area?

a little more detail - coming from around Drinkwater Blvd

That estimate is no lie at all. I use to commute from 12th st and indian school to scottsdale community college. I couldn't take the highway during the morning because the 101 is too full. Taking the streets is much faster.

[sablebaby]

Whereabouts in Downtown? Sometimes people think they are working downtown, when in fact they are far from it. Do you have an address of your work?

Drinkwater is very far south in Scottsdale, so it's not as far as other areas.

[HX_Guy]

Good question...where downtown? And also, Drinkwater and what other street? What's the closest major intersection?