Commuting to Loudon County... (Alexandria, Herndon: house, elementary school, live in)

[msjenkin]

I'm a teacher moving to Alexandria in the next two weeks, (near Eisenhower Ave) and I am considering teaching in Loudon County. I have mapquested a few of the schools in the Ashburn area and according to mapquest travel time ranges b/w 30-45 mins. In SC where I'm from a 30 min drive to work isn't that bad but considering what I have read on this forum the average 30 min drive is more like 50 mins to an hour. Is the commute worth it, or should I just stick to fairfax and arlington county?

[gnu]

Loudon is quite a drive away from Alexandria.

I can guarantee that you will not be on the road for only half an hour, more likely 60-80 minutes. I live in Falls Church, and take 495 to the Toll Road (likely the same route you'd take to Ashburn) but I only go as far as Herndon, and just that takes 45 minutes. Then again, it might depend on what time you leave your house - my time is based on leaving at 9:15 am.

[dullnboring]

I live in Ashburn. I'm not sure from where in Alexandria and Ashburn you'll be going, but whenever I go to Alexandria, with zero traffic, it takes me around 45 minutes. Again though, that's with no traffic and speeding. I also always take Route 7 as opposed to the Toll Road for the sole reason that I hate paying the toll (although Route 7 is so irritating that it's a pick your poison situation really).

The last half of your commute (or the first half depending on how you look at it), once you get off the Beltway from Tysons to Ashburn, will be a reverse commute and not horrific, but that other half can be killer. The interchange in Tysons with 495/7 and 495/Toll Road gets reallly backed up. I'd say you're looking at anywhere from a 60-90 minute commute each way.

Personally, I don't think it's worth the long commute unless there's something particularly outstanding about a certain school or teacher's benefits and pay in Loudoun vs. Fairfax, but then again, you know your tolerance for commuting better than anyone else. I for one would go bad with that sort of commute every day but there are plenty of people who do it.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by dullnboring

I'd say you're looking at anywhere from a 60-90 minute commute each way.

I'd say so too, and probably more to the high end. Particularly from the south side of Alexandria, there really isn't much choice for going west but to do a significant run on the Beltway, and there will be a lot of days when that's no fun at all. Even once you get off the Beltway, you've a long way to go out to Loudon, though at a more reliable speed from that point on. Maybe if I were still young and foolish, I'd give it a go, but it might be that I just remember myself as having been more foolish back then than what I actually was...

[gnu]

I also think it's worth mentioning that your evening commute home along that route will be around 50-100% longer than the morning commute. At least it is for me.

[dullnboring]

Originally Posted by gnu

I also think it's worth mentioning that your evening commute home along that route will be around 50-100% longer than the morning commute. At least it is for me.

That's true. There's something I just realized though that I didn't take into consideration. Considering that fact that you'll be teaching, your hours will probably be a bit different from the normal 9-5. If you're teaching at a school that starts at 7:30 and ends at 2:30, you'll face significantly less traffic. That may go without saying but I decided to, uh, say it.

[gnu]

Ah yes! In that case, the long, traffic-free drive along the toll road can actually be nice. So if you are a high school teacher, the drive might not be that bad. But if you are looking to teach elementary school, which has a more 9-5 sort of schedule...I guess it depends.

But in any case, toll rates are due to increase quite a bit soon for those who drive the entire stretch. And as dullnboring mentioned, the alternative of driving down 7 for such a length can be annoying with it's much lower speed limit, and many traffic lights (and the freshly re-activated red light cameras :-p)

[msjenkin]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I knew the drive would be longer than 30-45 mins but I just wanted to hear it from the people that make that journey everyday and not from mapquest. Needless to say, I won't be working for Loudon County.