Best route from NJ to Columbia

[BarbaraNJ]

Originally Posted by Palmetto Heel

Aha, thanks for the clarification. I'm still curious about why so many students come from NY, NJ, and CT to SC if anyone cares to answer.

Actually my daughter is going to USC and actually only applied to schools in the Carolinas. Coming from the northeast I think the weather was the first draw but my daughter also wanted a big 10 rah rah football school and fell in love with the campus. Believe it or not NJ turns away alot of it's native students. Obviously they make more money on out of state kids. My daughter received a scholarship to USC and with tuition, room and board we will be paying less than a NJ state school! Last year only one student from her high school applied to USC, this year I think about 20 did. Alot of the kids from her school are going south: Clemson, Tulane, James Madison, VA Tech, College of Charleston. Quite different from years past where most either headed to the CT./MA corridor or Penn. Hope that answere your question some.

[BarbaraNJ]

Originally Posted by mettler

I would skip 95 south of DC entirely.. I would get on the 495 beltway, exit on 66 toward 81 to 77.. That will take you thru the mtns and it is a beautiful drive...much better than 95. I have done it numerous times with no problems and nice scenery the whole way. I think it is 50 miles longer, but much MUCH less traffic.

Rt. 81 sounds familiar. I think we may have taken that last year coming home from our college tour to the Carolinas. I think we took it all the way to PA. Will have to dig out the map. Thanks for your suggestion.

[BarbaraNJ]

Originally Posted by waccamatt

You would pickup 85 in Petersburg, Va., about a half hour south of Richmond.

I'm afraid it's going to be in the neighborhood of 12 hours no matter which way you drive.

Thanks Matt. I know I'm not getting away from the 12 hours. Just don't do well on long car rides. I am probably worse than the kids! LOL.

[waccamatt]

I don't blame you; that's a long drive. I have done it in a single day before, but I usually split it up into 2/3 one day and 1/3 the next.

[Chi2Midlands]

Originally Posted by BarbaraNJ

Rt. 81 sounds familiar. I think we may have taken that last year coming home from our college tour to the Carolinas. I think we took it all the way to PA. Will have to dig out the map. Thanks for your suggestion.

I would second the suggestion of taking I-81 South to I-77 South routing - depending on where you are in NJ, I would try to get onto I-81 as quickly as possible to avoid as much of I-95 and the Philly/Baltimore/DC traffic as possible. You could take I-78 or I-76 West (PA Turnpike) towards Harrisburg and catch I-81 around there. If you're already in the Baltimore/DC area, you could take I-70 or I-66 West to I-81, but you're probably already hitting traffic in the region and might as well continue south on I-95 (since after DC, the only possibility of traffic is around Richmond, which isn't as bad and is only a moderate issue around rush hour). Past Richmond you will not hit any major city until Columbia (you'll pass through medium-sized towns/cities like Rocky Mount, NC, Fayetteville, NC, and Florence, SC).

The only major issue you may have with I-81/I-77 is that in Southwest Virginia and Northwest North Carolina, you'll be hitting some pretty mountainous terrain, which while beautiful, can be somewhat iffy in poor weather (rain, fog) or in the dark. I would not have a problem going through that area in the daytime in clear weather, but be prepared if fog or rain or darkness sets in.

[Luvsdabeach]

BarbaraNJ, I hope you and your family have a safe trip down. Wow, that's a long ride.

[BarbaraNJ]

Originally Posted by Chi2Midlands

I would second the suggestion of taking I-81 South to I-77 South routing - depending on where you are in NJ, I would try to get onto I-81 as quickly as possible to avoid as much of I-95 and the Philly/Baltimore/DC traffic as possible. You could take I-78 or I-76 West (PA Turnpike) towards Harrisburg and catch I-81 around there. If you're already in the Baltimore/DC area, you could take I-70 or I-66 West to I-81, but you're probably already hitting traffic in the region and might as well continue south on I-95 (since after DC, the only possibility of traffic is around Richmond, which isn't as bad and is only a moderate issue around rush hour). Past Richmond you will not hit any major city until Columbia (you'll pass through medium-sized towns/cities like Rocky Mount, NC, Fayetteville, NC, and Florence, SC).

The only major issue you may have with I-81/I-77 is that in Southwest Virginia and Northwest North Carolina, you'll be hitting some pretty mountainous terrain, which while beautiful, can be somewhat iffy in poor weather (rain, fog) or in the dark. I would not have a problem going through that area in the daytime in clear weather, but be prepared if fog or rain or darkness sets in.

I have to find the map we used last year but I do think we were able to avoid alot of 95 by taking 81. Thanks for the advice

[BarbaraNJ]

Originally Posted by Luvsdabeach

BarbaraNJ, I hope you and your family have a safe trip down. Wow, that's a long ride.

Thank you LUVS. Actually I am dreading the trip back more without my daughter. Cutting those apron strings is defiantely hard!

[Luvsdabeach]

Originally Posted by BarbaraNJ

Thank you LUVS. Actually I am dreading the trip back more without my daughter. Cutting those apron strings is defiantely hard!

I understand totally. I'll be in your shoes next week when we take our daughter to college in Columbia. There should be a mom's group for mom's like us to help us through this.