Commute from Tysons/McLean to Baltimore Airport (Herndon, Tysons Corner: home, to live)

[rd_jsm1863]

I may be having to do a job around Baltimore Airport and I live in Tysons Corner, VA.

The commute may look like this:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.9...m3!1m0!1m0!3e0

Luckily I am against traffic except for the traffic around 495N toward D.C. which I have to go left and go straight into Maryland.

Google says that without traffic it takes 49 minutes. And in typical traffic times it takes "1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes" based on typical-average-data. Is this accurate???

However it is 45 miles everyday, which means refueling almost every 2-3 days.

I'm wondering if anyone else did this commute and how long it took.

The job has some opportunities and they said later on I don't have to come in everyday after the initial setting up and understanding the job (although that might be to reel me in). I don't plan on moving to Maryland.

Thoughts??

[stpickrell]

No. You really don't want to do this every day.

[gomason]

Not a great commute, but could be much worse since it would mostly be reverse commute. It would be much worse in the evenings than the mornings. You could also consider taking metro to union station and then taking the Marc to the airport (about an hour trip).

[FCNova]

I live in Tysons and currently go to Silver Spring, by taking 495 around to route 29. So my commute is shorter than yours but similar, in that I get off the beltway at 29 and go north a mile, you go a bit further on the beltway and take 95 north to Baltimore. I can give you insight on my commute, which covers about 20-25 miles of your proposed one. Basically my commute averages about 45 minutes. A really good day I can do 30, a bad day it can be an hour. Most often it's somewhere in the middle. I would guess your looking at 1 hour on a good day, 2 hours on a bad day with that commute.

[flrnova]

The killer is going to be where 270 meets the Beltway.

In good traffic and fast driving you can reach BWI in 40-45 minutes from Tysons/McLean. I used to live there and flew out of BWI sometimes.

[P47P47]

Originally Posted by rd_jsm1863

I may be having to do a job around Baltimore Airport and I live in Tysons Corner, VA.

Where around BWI is the job? I can't help you with the Tyson's Corner-to-BWI trip, but I'm very familiar with the area around BWI and might be able to help you with details of driving in that area.

[acgood]

<back-handed compliment alert>
Honestly, that would be one of the more painless 90-mile roundtrip commutes you could have in this area...

The stretch on 95 each way should be relatively a breeze. Things will bog down sometimes in the PM on the top side of outer loop in Montgomery county (but sometimes is pretty clear except a backup getting on to 270). Then sometimes there will be thick traffic from the "big curve" until roughly the toll road exit. In the AM your only problem spot would be the couple exits after 270 (rockville pike, CT ave which have exit ramps that tend to back up).

For a time I did a 110 mile commute covering most all of your route (extending down to I-66 and up to Baltimore)

Do you know what hours you'd be working or if you'd have flexibility?

Everyone has their limit and I am waaaay jaded, but I wouldn't rule out the job, especially if it sounds like you might be able to reduce the number of days per week you actually have to make the drive.

[rd_jsm1863]

Well 1 hour on a good day is fine. I am slightly more worried about the fact that it's going to cost $100 a week of fuel :O.

I mean if you think about it, a lot of commutes in D.C. Area are about 40 minutes to 60 minutes. Going from Falls Church to Herndon area? 50min. Falls church to D.C.: 50 min. Mclean to alexandria, 50 min. Everything in this city revolves around 50 minutes.

I think I may have flexibility in hours but I'm not sure yet. i'm sure I can do like an early morning early leave type thing, or late morning, late leave but traffic doesn't seem to be the main issue in this commute. The problem is more of the miles.

Yeah I might be able to reduce it in the following weeks to only a few days or one day. It's very good for the resume and it won't be there forever.

[rd_jsm1863]

Originally Posted by flrnova

The killer is going to be where 270 meets the Beltway.

In good traffic and fast driving you can reach BWI in 40-45 minutes from Tysons/McLean. I used to live there and flew out of BWI sometimes.

Really cool. Though isn't maryland cops known for stopping people a lot and all dem speed traps?

[FCNova]

Originally Posted by rd_jsm1863

Well 1 hour on a good day is fine. I am slightly more worried about the fact that it's going to cost $100 a week of fuel :O.

I mean if you think about it, a lot of commutes in D.C. Area are about 40 minutes to 60 minutes. Going from Falls Church to Herndon area? 50min. Falls church to D.C.: 50 min. Mclean to alexandria, 50 min. Everything in this city revolves around 50 minutes.

I think I may have flexibility in hours but I'm not sure yet. i'm sure I can do like an early morning early leave type thing, or late morning, late leave but traffic doesn't seem to be the main issue in this commute. The problem is more of the miles.

Yeah I might be able to reduce it in the following weeks to only a few days or one day. It's very good for the resume and it won't be there forever.

There won't be a ton of good days but there shouldn't be a ton of 2 hour days either. Just be prepared for it to be in the middle of that range most often, probably like 90 minutes. That's during rush hour. If you can flex your hours or work from home some days it'll help you a lot. If it's a great opportunity for your career and it isn't something you'll do forever you should definitely consider it. But you are right, commuting cost will be pretty high with gas and all those miles on your car.