Commute from Columbia to Bethesda (Rockville: home, live, safe)

[shortcake_md]

can someone tell me the best morning and evening times to commute from Columbia, MD to Bethesda? Also is 29 better than 495?

[Bong477]

My wife does Federal Hill to Rockville regularly which isn't exactly the same route, but same general idea. She always takes the highway route 95->495->270. She tried the side roads a few times, but it still had plenty of traffic, lots of lights, and ended up taking just as long if not even longer. I don't know how 29 is, but imagine its similar. The biggest plus is we live about 3 mins from 95 and her office is <5 mins off 270... so basically the whole drive is the highway. Each way is almost 40 miles.

Fortunately she has a flexible schedule job and can sometimes work from home. *Generally* its safe to leave before 6:30am or after 9:30am. In the evening generally its safe to leave around 3:30pm or after 6:30pm. You can often push those times by 30 minutes and still be okay, but its more hit or miss at those times. She'll average an hour commute by sticking to the good times... but there have been some days it takes two hours one way. It doesn't take much to make things grind to a halt on these roads.

Your route could be a little better or worse depending on how far your home and office are from the highway... Columbia and Bethesda are big places. If you have flexible hours, you should be okay. If you have to work 9-5, mon-fri it will be a real pain.

[DreamworksSKG]

A back route suggestion might be

to take 108 South from Columbia
(clarksville Pike)
just after Ashton GA turn L on 182 S
to 97 S in Glenmont and then take a R on
Randolph Rd.
Take Randolph Rd. to 355 S (rockville Pike)
to Bethesda

------------------------------------------------------

alternatively you could take
108 S
L turn on 650 S at ashton VA (New Hampshire AVe)
take 650 - New Hampshire AVe. to Randolph Rd
turn R on Randolph Rd.
take Randolph Rd. through Glenmont VA
and turn L onto 355 S which you can take into Bethesda

follow along with
Google Maps