Driving west from Newark on I-80 - How far will I get in about 4 hrs? (State College: construction, college)

[BullyLover]

Hi everyone,

In December I'm going to be driving from Newark westbound on I-80 through [URL="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/pennsylvania"]Pennsylvania[/URL] on my way to [URL="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/pacific-northwest/portland"]Portland, OR[/URL]. I've never driven this route and am not familiar with traffic in the region so I thought I'd ask anyone who is approximately how far I'd get in say 4 hours assuming normal road conditions and also if I left Newark around noon?

I want to book accommodations in advance but not sure where that timeline would land me. :-) I'll be on the road with a dog so any suggestions for an area with a good selection of restaurants, etc. but also close to an area for dog walks would be gratefully received. Given the time of year I'd like to stick as much as possible to main roads.

Many thanks! :-)

[Moosicman]

4 hours would put you in the middle of nowhere on 80. If you take 99 you can stop in State College, or if you keep going on 80 you can stop in Clearfield.

[BullyLover]

Thanks, Moosicman. It doesn't have to be 4 hours exactly so a little shorter or longer is fine. And anything slightly off track is fine also so long as it's still on a main road so your suggestion could work. I just looked at the map, and it looks like 4 hours is a lot more progress than I expected. (I wasn't sure what the terrain was like, etc.)

[Cpt.Trips]

I'd strongly suggest you re-evaluate your expectations. Unless you plan on leaving Newark during off peak hours, you my friend are in for a surprise. First, you need to take 280 out of Newark. Second, if you leave on a weekend during Dec. you need to get past Willowbrook Mall, Rockaway Mall, the toll road at the Gap and then end up smack in the middle of the Crossings. Traffic nightmare...The only way you will get as far as Moosic says is to leave at 2 am. Good Luck

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by Cpt.Trips

I'd strongly suggest you re-evaluate your expectations. Unless you plan on leaving Newark during off peak hours, you my friend are in for a surprise. First, you need to take 280 out of Newark. Second, if you leave on a weekend during Dec. you need to get past Willowbrook Mall, Rockaway Mall, the toll road at the Gap and then end up smack in the middle of the Crossings. Traffic nightmare...The only way you will get as far as Moosic says is to leave at 2 am. Good Luck

That isn't exactly true. You are partially correct if you would leave in the early to later afternoon. Then you would be fighting all the rest of the traffic headed in our direction. Also; one serious accident or road construction could be a major roadblock to your progress. PA is great at 'little' road construction projects that back up traffic for miles. Our winter driving over the hills on 80 can also deter your progress.

I am sure that BullyLover is more than familiar with his local traffic in NJ. I would still think that it would be possible to end up anywhere from Bloomsburg, PA to State College.

Early Saturday and especially early Sunday mornings were always great times to travel. Everybody got to their destinations the night before or partied and were then late to get on the road. Of course the traffic starts to get heavier around 9 or 10.

[BullyLover]

Originally Posted by fisheye

That isn't exactly true. You are partially correct if you would leave in the early to later afternoon. Then you would be fighting all the rest of the traffic headed in our direction. Also; one serious accident or road construction could be a major roadblock to your progress. PA is great at 'little' road construction projects that back up traffic for miles. Our winter driving over the hills on 80 can also deter your progress.

I am sure that BullyLover is more than familiar with his local traffic in NJ. I would still think that it would be possible to end up anywhere from Bloomsburg, PA to State College.

Early Saturday and especially early Sunday mornings were always great times to travel. Everybody got to their destinations the night before or partied and were then late to get on the road. Of course the traffic starts to get heavier around 9 or 10.

Thanks, Fisheye. I anticipate leaving around noon on a Saturday so am hoping that won't be too bad traffic-wise. I'm actually not familiar with any of the areas as I'll be coming from abroad. I know flying would simplify matters, but my dog can't go on a plane, hence the road trip. It sounds like based on feedback on this forum and one other that I could realistically expect to make it to State College? I'm basically interested in what a local in the area would plan for if they were making a similar journey. Where I currently live, a map could say the drive is 10 miles, but that usually means at least 25 minutes or more.

[johnp292]

Why only 4 hours? We drove from the Lehigh Valley to central AZ in late June and drove 8-9 hours a day. I thought it would be a nightmare with 3 kids in the van but it wasn't bad at all. Took us 4 days to get to Flagstaff, where we detoured to visit the Grand Canyon. I did 100% of the driving.

[BullyLover]

If it weren't winter, I'd driver longer. But I won't be able to leave Newark before noon, and I'd rather drive when there's daylight. It's dark by 5:00 there in the winter, isn't it?

[Cpt.Trips]

Fisheye, What experience do YOU have with the traffic patterns in NJ??? I worked in Newark for 14 years, commuted to Parsippany, Long Branch and Bernardsville to name a few. I forgot more about the traffic messes in NJ than you know. If this poor guy is leaving around noon on a Sat., before Christmas, he'd be lucky to get past the Gap. The wild card is rain or snow flurries and he is really screwed. Also he is coming in from abroad and not at all ready for the "style" of Jersey driving. It's posts like yours that make Colorfulchic bash the mentality of the people in NEPA, and rightfully so.

[BullyLover]

Originally Posted by Cpt.Trips

If this poor guy is leaving around noon on a Sat., before Christmas, he'd be lucky to get past the Gap.

Oy! Thanks for pointing out that it's the last Saturday before Christmas. So that's a big shopping area that I'd be driving through??? Maybe I should rethink this afterall.