What's the drive from Mars to Downtown like? (Bellevue, West View: townhouses, camp)

[Love2Golf09]

I've been looking at townhouses and saw some in Mars that are real nice. What's the commute like from there? Also, I looked online and saw several townhouses around Fox Run and Seven Fields. Is there much of a commute difference between Mars and these places? On the map, Mars looks a decent ways from 79. I'm hoping there isn't like a 15-20 min difference between seven fields and mars.

[Hopes]

Mars and Seven Fields are only 5 minutes apart. The commute downtown will be about 30-40 minutes depending on traffic.

[greg42]

Mars is about...5 miles, I think, from I-79. Seven Fields is only maybe 2 miles. Seven Fields and the area of Cranberry just east of I-79 have several traffic lights on PA 228. Fox Run is going to add somewhat to your commute because Rowan Rd is not an interchange with I-79, although it may not add too much more than Mars. A lot of that stuff probably has a Mars zip code and may be referred to as Mars while actually being closer to 79 and not in Mars boro itself. Also some may be referred to as Cranberry even if it's technically not. Fairly interchangeable. You just have to look at the locations precisely.

Commute to downtown is 30-40 minutes, as mentioned, down I-79 and I-279 (Parkway North). Maybe 45 or so at the worst part of rush hour. You may have to add a few more depending upon how far from 228 the place is and how close to Mars proper it is. You gain back a few if you have 2 or more people in the car and use the HOV lane, but only a few because it starts a little too close to the city. The 79 part slows a little bit at the 279 split. 279 comes to stop and go for a section starting between Camp Horne and Bellevue/West View exits. Sometimes it picks up again after the merging from 3 lanes to 2 is complete, but then it can get sluggish again down by Venture Street exit.

Given the distance, 25-30 miles, it's not a bad commute. But unless you're working off-peak hours I'd be budgeting 45 minutes each way, before figuring in parking and walking to office. Might be a little faster going home; the northbound traffic seems to be a little more spread out time-wise vs the southbound.