Personal experience commuting from Lawrence to KC or Topeka? (home, travel)

[TheTravellers]

Hello,

I've asked about Lawrence here before and want to thank y'all for the answers, it sounds like someplace that's a possibility for us to move to. However, I am concerned about the commute to the KC metro area or Topeka. I know the highways are fairly wide open (don't go through lots of other metro areas on the way to each city), and I've heard lots of "lots of people commute, it's 30-45 min, etc." comments. But it looks to me like it could turn into an hour-long + (one-way) commute fairly easily if there's any amount of traffic... So I was just wondering if anybody here actually does commute from Lawrence to Topeka or the KC metro area daily and what the times are? Just looking for some actual hard data to go by... Thanks!

[KevK]

If you want to make the commute- and pay for the gas- traffic is no problem but do keep in mind that Kansas has very bad winter weather and commuting that distance in a snow or ice storm will not be pleasing to you.

[straw hat]

The commute is not what takes the time. It’s the traffic that you run into in KC. Yes the winter ice and snow can be a bit of a mess. However the highway crews do a very good job of keeping the worst of it under control. My husband commuted from Lawrence to KC for the better part of fifteen years. He complained more about having to drive into the morning sun.

[TheTravellers]

KevK - weather might not be that much of an issue, I've lived in places that have had comparable/worse winters (OK and IL), thanks for the reply, though.

straw hat - would you mind posting the time that it actually took for him to get to/from work (if you know)? Thanks...

[wicked_wisdom]

There are a couple of factors to remember when you're thinking about commute time:

1) when are you driving to and from work & 2) what's the weather like & 3) what's the route you're taking.

I had to be at work at 7am. I lived in Lawrence and worked in Topeka. I'd take I-70 sometimes. And sometimes take Highway 40. My drive to work was pretty uneventful because it was so early in the morning.

The drive back was worse. Everyone trying to get home at the same time. Some people aren't good defensive drivers and I always seemed have to deal with those people on the way back to town.

[TheTravellers]

Originally Posted by wicked_wisdom

There are a couple of factors to remember when you're thinking about commute time:

I had to be at work at 7am. I lived in Lawrence and worked in Topeka. I'd take I-70 sometimes. And sometimes take Highway 40. My drive to work was pretty uneventful because it was so early in the morning.

Hi,

What time did you have to leave to get to work by 7 AM (on a normal, not icy/snowy, day)? Thanks...

[wicked_wisdom]

Originally Posted by TheTravellers

Hi,

What time did you have to leave to get to work by 7 AM (on a normal, not icy/snowy, day)? Thanks...

Sorry its taken me so long to get back to you.
When I needed to be at work at 7am, I'd usually leave around 610am. No later than 615am. T

[straw hat]

Sorry to take so long in replying to you. My husband said it depended on how he felt in the morning. Usually about a half an hour. The winter months he allowed extra time.

[jagmeister]

My first post here, but I could be much help if you are commuting to KC. Where are you going to in KC area would be my first question, and what time you have to work at would be my second. I used to commute the opposite way (KC to Lawrence), and it was just fine, but the highways going the opposite direction were sometimes a mess, evening mostly. Commute to Johnson county or KCK wouldn't be bad, but if you are going to the MO side it could be bad.

[rubato]

My hubby commutes to the west side of KC. His biggest complaint is the Lawrence portion of his drive. If you're going to be commuting to KC, it's better to live on the east side of town. If you're commuting to Topeka, the west side is better. To get from one side of town to the other can sometimes take 20 minutes, and to get from our driveway to his parking lot at work only takes 30 minutes (we live right in the middle of Lawrence). He leaves at 7:15 and gets there at 7:45. Yes, the sun can be a factor.