Commute from Willow Street to Exton (Philadelphia, Lancaster: apartments, high crime, home)

[cds234]

I'm getting a new job and I have an offer from a place in Exton, PA and I live in Willow Street. I have to be at work at 9am if I go with this job and I would get off at 5 Mon-Wed or 6 Thu-Fri. About how long would the commute be on the daily to Exton? When should I leave to make sure I get there in time? And what time would I expect to get home for both end times? Is the commute typically the same each day or are there some days that are crazy bad and others that aren't as bad?

I'm not planning on staying in Willow Street if I take this job, I would likely move to Coatesville. So if possible, would you mind telling me commute times to/from there to Exton as well?

Thank you so much!

[briantroutman]

I assume you’ll be coming across PA 741 from Willow Street through Strasburg to US 30 at Gap, then follow US 30 to Exton. That route avoids traffic on US 30 through the tourist trap zone east of Lancaster. Realistically, I’d expect the drive to take a little more than an hour, depending on exactly where you’re starting and ending. Just to be extra safe, give yourself a lot of extra time (like 90 minutes—leaving at 7:30) for the first few days, but then you should realize by the end of the week that you don’t need to leave quite so early.

I’ve never had a daily commute over that route, but I’ve driven it at all hours of the day and night on weekdays and weekends and haven’t had to deal with much congestion. In my experience, the little bit of traffic in Gap seems to be worse on summer weekends when beachgoers are headed down PA 41 toward Delaware. But generally, traffic seems to move through Gap more smoothly since US 30 was divided and reconfigured around the PA 41 intersection. There’s occasionally a bit of a slowdown at the PA 10 intersection near Parkesburg, but I’ve never experienced worse than maybe having to wait through one cycle of the traffic signal.

Really, the one likely traffic tie-up that you’ll encounter is the last couple of miles from Downingtown to Exton. In the morning, people from Downingtown are generally headed east on US 30 with a large number of them exiting onto PA 100. As I recall, traffic peaks earlier—maybe around 8—assumably because many commuters have to catch an early train into the city or have a long drive elsewhere in the suburbs. So you’ll probably avoid the worst of it, but there maybe some lingering congestion when you roll through at 8:45-ish.

Depending on where you’re headed, you might be able to save some time by exiting the US 30 freeway on the east side of Downingtown, then take the old road (Business 30) to Exton.

The return trip should be easy and relatively traffic-free—about an hour.

I hope this information helps!

[cds234]

Thank you so much! That was so detailed and beyond helpful
I’m not as nervous of the commute now haha

[chessimprov]

I think Coatesville can be a rough area. I'd look elsewhere unless you can't afford anything else or know the area well.

[Patmcpsu]

As far as relocation to Coatesville goes, that stretch of Chester County along Route 30 has always been considered a bit trashy, but at the same time, in prime position for an upturn due to its unspoiled beauty and relative proximity to developed areas.

The suburban sprawl out that way has been an uphill battle, but I bet that it will eventually be considered a "nice" area. This probably won't happen until the 2nd ring suburbs (i.e. West Chester, Exton) fall out of fashion, and even then, I'm unsure if demand will shift outwards to "3rd ring suburbs" (in this case, Coatesville) or inwards to the 1st ring suburbs, or even Philadelphia itself.

This is a long-term outlook, however. You would probably need to wait decades to see if it actually happens. For what it's worth, Victory Brewing recently opened a taproom in Parkesburg, which is a promising sign for the short-term.

If you use the "Where is Toll Brothers Building Index" to speculate where the next big hot-spot is; it's pointing towards Chester Springs and Phoenixville.

[Pilot1]

Yeah, Coatesville is not the best, but areas around Coatesville can be very nice, and often rural. There is extreme development where I live (north/central part of the county) that is currently happening. It has been happening for a long time. They are building more apartments in Exton also.

[JacksonPanther]

Nice work, guys. Way to insult people who may not have as much money as others. "Rough, trashy, not the best." Really? We all aren't 1%ers, how about a little empathy?

[chessimprov]

Sorry about my wording. I had a former friend who lived in Coatesville for years, and her home got burned by arson twice, and every year during many holidays, she and her family would get robbed and they would just stand their quietly and let thieves take what they wanted, and the proceed with their gatherings afterward. I try to be empathetic to my friends' situation in this case from personal experience. I don't have a reason to doubt her word, but who knows. . .

[Patmcpsu]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

Nice work, guys. Way to insult people who may not have as much money as others. "Rough, trashy, not the best." Really? We all aren't 1%ers, how about a little empathy?

The purpose of this board is to describe reality; not portray every area through rose colored glasses. I'm sorry if your feelings got hurt, but would you prefer that OP makes a regrettable life decision instead? At a minimum, they should be aware of what they're getting themselves into.

And philosophically, there's alway going to be some other area that's nicer than yours. If you're living in Beverly Hills, Bel Air is right there. Likewise, I'm sure there are people in the greater-Philly area who would kill to be living in Coatesville.

[Pilot1]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

Nice work, guys. Way to insult people who may not have as much money as others. "Rough, trashy, not the best." Really? We all aren't 1%ers, how about a little empathy?

You don't have to live in a high crime area if you don't have a lot of money. It still can be done in Chester County. There are still small towns, and rural areas that you can get less expensive housing to purchase, or at lower rents.