[deana]

i have read may posts saying that orlando areas are too crowded....just wondering what cities near orlando are too crowded and should be avoided...then what areas are newer and not so crowded....will be moving in 1 year. also can anyone compare the crowdedness of orlando to south florida???? cannot imagine it is as bad there as here. thanksssssss

[BigJimSlade]

Well, I actually prefer Miami traffic to Orlando traffic. I can give you this perspective. To visit my wife's family over the past couple years, we have taken I-4 to Orlando from Tampa. This should be about a 90 minute drive. It often became 4-5 hours because of traffic. This could be at noon or midnight.

As for traffic actually in the Orlando area, I guess it depends on how far you want to drive (or are willing to drive) to do things. Longwood is a nice area. It is sorta built out, so the traffic shouldn't get much worse. I have had real traffic difficulty with many of the citys just South of Orlando, like Kissimmee.

[mich2fla]

Originally Posted by BigJimSlade

Well, I actually prefer Miami traffic to Orlando traffic. I can give you this perspective. To visit my wife's family over the past couple years, we have taken I-4 to Orlando from Tampa. This should be about a 90 minute drive. It often became 4-5 hours because of traffic. This could be at noon or midnight.

As for traffic actually in the Orlando area, I guess it depends on how far you want to drive (or are willing to drive) to do things. Longwood is a nice area. It is sorta built out, so the traffic shouldn't get much worse. I have had real traffic difficulty with many of the citys just South of Orlando, like Kissimmee.

I have driven from Orlando to Punta Gorda (I-4 to I-75) every year and I never seen the traffic BJS is talking about. This drive normally takes us between 2.25 to 2.75 hrs.

I have noticed that Orlando is getting crowded, adding extra minutes to our normal drive. Don't let a few people scare you.

[BigJimSlade]

I don't know when mich is driving, but he/she is very lucky. Guaranteed gridlock at one point somewhere on I-4 between Disney and Altamonte any time of the day every day (almost).

I don't drive it once a year. I drive it 30 times a year.

[Prichard]

I make the Orlando-Tampa trip quite frequently. Now that they've 6-laned I-4 all the way to Tampa, my average drivetime from downtown Orlando to downtown Tampa is about 70 minutes during the day.

However in the reverse direction (Tampa to Orlando), getting through Orlando can be a bear, once you hit intercession city (Champion's Gate), mostly due to construction on I-4 from downtown southwest to that area. On a good day that could add 20 minutes to the drive. On a bad day, you'll wish you got a room in Lakeland and waited for a good day.

Anyone who is driving I-4 from Champion's Gate 50 miles to Sanford during "rush hour" can expect that drive to take about 1.5 hours to 2 hours. We just don't do that around here. You either live north of downtown and do business downtown or north. Or you live south of downtown and do business downtown, or south. People who live in northeast Greator Orlando have no interaction with people who live in southwest Greator Orlando. It's not that we don't like each other. It's just that we won't make that drive. Life's too short.

[mich2fla]

Last time we was there it was between Christmas and New Years. We made several trips on I-4 both directions. Traffic was heavy, mostly 60 mph but cruising along.

We are coming down again in a few weeks for Thanksgiving week. We will land in Tampa and drive to Orlando.

We've been coming down the last 20 years, usually 1-2 times a year to visit families and friends. Florida is gaining new people each year and you need to expect more traffic.

[s01]

At last count (that I have read) Tampa (er, the Tampa bay area where I am located at the moment) is 2.7 million people. South Fl and Orlando both are larger and a ton worse then we are.
Still I am finding Tampa is growing too big and gettign too crowded. Plenty of jobs etc, but be prepared for what comes with a large city- Traffic, crime, road rage, rude people, etc.

[fromFL]

Originally Posted by s01

At last count (that I have read) Tampa (er, the Tampa bay area where I am located at the moment) is 2.7 million people. South Fl and Orlando both are larger and a ton worse then we are.
Still I am finding Tampa is growing too big and gettign too crowded. Plenty of jobs etc, but be prepared for what comes with a large city- Traffic, crime, road rage, rude people, etc.

Actually Tampa-St. Pete has almost 1 million more people than Orlando. We stand at roughly 1.9 million (not including Deltona).

[summergal]

I heard on the news recently that Pinellas County is the most densely populated co. in the entire state and I can believe it! Very crowded. Tampa is very crowded as well.

[gta3expert1989]

Orlando is the fastest growing city in Florida. Traffic has always been a problem due to the fact that nobody uses public transportation except tourists. Orlando only has a bus system which is extremely inadequate. But I've learned to take the bad with the good when it comes to traffic. The east side of Orlando towards UCF isn't terrible, I used to say the same about Hunter's Creek but that's changed. Areas in Seminole County like Longwood are also ok, there's also more rural areas like Apopka, Winter Garden, and Windermere