AM/PM commute from McMinnville to Salem?

[veg_head]

I keep hearing -- in this forum and from others -- that although McMinnville and Salem are physically close, the lack of a convenient bridge makes the prospect of commuting to Salem daunting.

I've been offered a job north of Salem, but McMinnville seems like a much better fit, in terms of the type of town my family and I enjoy. I'd love to hear from someone who has actually driven the route via the Wheatland Ferry.

[sav]

I think it depends on where in Salem you work. I live in Idaho now, but lived in McMinnville for 4 years and knew lots of people who commuted both ways. Obviously, it is better if you live or work in West Salem. The drive is about 1/2 hr. In the winter there were a few days when people were delayed due to freezing rain. Good luck! McMinnville is a very sweet little town.

[dachmom]

Originally posted by veg_head:
I've been offered a job north of Salem, but McMinnville seems like a much better fit, in terms of the type of town my family and I enjoy. I'd love to hear from someone who has actually driven the route via the Wheatland Ferry.

I used to work north of Salem (Gervais) and I had a couple co-workers who lived in Dayton and took the Wheatland Ferry. The only thing is, it shuts down sometimes in the winter when the river gets too high and it only runs until about 9PM at night. Not sure what time it starts in the morning though. I know you can get monthly passes (like a bus pass) so you don't have to pay to cross every day.

[veg_head]

Thanks for your thoughts, sav and dachmom Glad you liked McMinnville, sav. I'll actually be working a bit east of Brooks. It sounds like a reasonable drive, certainly scenic. I think I can deal with ferry closures and probably work at home on freezing rain days.

Keep the comments coming, folks!

[RogueWolf]

I used to live in West Salem and would commute to McMinnville each morning for an 8-5 job at the County offices downtown. Since most commuters are traveling the opposite route from Mac to Salem, my commute was consistently about 38 minutes each way. I sure enjoyed the drive through the beautiful wine country, and would travel from Salem through Lincoln on Hwy. 221 and cut over at Maud Williamson Park, which takes you to Hwy. 18 and into McMinnville. I would recommend this route, while it is slightly quicker than traveling through Amity or Dayton. Farm equiment on the roads, at least for me, was hardly ever an issue. Maybe a few school buses, though, through Hopewell, where the kids actually wave at you!

[kimhamblin]

I live in the Sheridan/Willamina area and really like it here. Many people here commute to Salem daily- Hwy 22 connects right to Willamina and Grand Ronde is just a few miles away.
I think McMinnville is a great city, but a bit of a commute for both of you. Do you want to live in town or in the country?