Commute from Brenham to Woodlands reasonable? (Houston, Austin: apartments, taxes, living in)

[CriticalMass]

My husband and I might have a situation where we are trying to have our cake and eat it too... We are both recent graduates and have been offered our dream jobs; only mine is in Austin and his is in Houston. Is it reasonable to attempt a commute from a centrally located town like Brenham? We don't want to be on the road for more than two hours (one way) and I am worried that the traffic might be too busy to keep our drive limited to this time frame.

Are there any alternative areas to look at, or does anyone have personal experience on this commute? We should only be in this situation for the next 6months, then we will be relocated again.

[dpn0121]

Once the new loop gets built it maybe easier, but to do it now WOW that will take a lot. Could you really spend 20 hours a week in your car? That 2 hours doesn't account for traffic and 2920 to 45 to get to The Woodlands just sucks. When I goto Austin I sometimes do it but traffic lights just make it horrible. To go the Toll rd could be just as bad. I wish you good luck!

[CriticalMass]

The traffic is our main concern; I lived in OKC where traffic is rarely an issue even in the downtown area. If the map says you are 60 miles away it usually takes 60 minutes to get anywhere, I have a feeling that the rules are a little different in Houston.

Neither one of us have been to Houston aside from brief one day visits. It seems that we might have to spend the next 6months apart if we want to avoid waking up a 4am to prepare for the long commute.

[Mom2Feebs]

If you work in the Woodlands, you won't even go near Houston if you're living in Brenham. It's north of the City.

You'd have an hour and a half commute. It's 62 miles from the center of Brenham to the front of The Woodlands.

Brenham is beautiful, so if you don't mind the drive...go for it!

[eastwest]

Wow that would seriously suck. You'd begin to hate it about ooh say..... 45 minutes into your first commute

[SkyeAnjel]

Good ice cream in Brenham! Worth the drive!

[mrsengle]

I know the drive from Austin to Houston very well. You'll get burned out on it pretty quick. If I were in your situation, I'd probably opt for the separate apartments if: 1. You can afford it, and 2. You can see each other on the weekends. Something else to consider are taxes. I'm not sure how it works, but if you live separately for that amount of time, you may be required to file separately. I could be completely in the wrong here, but it's worth checking with a CPA just to be sure (hopefully someone can chime in here with that info.). That would have meant and extra 8K in taxes for us if we had done that.

[CriticalMass]

Thanks for the advice, when it comes down to it a three hour commute will be too much of a burden not only because of the time, but because of the wear and tear on our vehicles.

I will definitely stop by Brenham anyway to check out the ice cream though!

[charris911]

I am from Navasota (small town on "The Woodlands" side of Brenham), and I was driving from Navasota to 290/610 loop everyday. It sucked, its a long drive.

How are you considering the drive, I would suggest to take SH 105 thru Navasota to Plantersville, then south on FM 1774 to Magnolia and over to the Woodlands. They may be a bit easier then, going 290 to 2920.

I would do the Brenham to Woodlands drive, over the Brenham to Austin!!! That will get old very fast. Its a long haul to just get to the Giddings area, and thats probably half-way, then the 290/Austin traffic. You will be driving so much, you wouldnt have much time to do anything else.

[BTNS_TX]

Wow, small world! We live in Navasota as well. And it's only a town of about 6000 people.

Austin traffic is bad. You don't say specifically where you would be driving to in the city, but I can say assuredly it would work out to well over two hours each way. Brenham to the Woodlands would work in under two except on the days (and there would be many) where you could not pass the slow pokes on the two lane highways you would need to travel.

Bottom line: you would both come to hate it very quickly.