Is it easier to get downtown Raleigh from north Raleigh (north of 540) or Cary (south or west)? (Fayetteville: schools)

[mmemk]

Is it easier to get downtown Raleigh from north Raleigh (north of 540) or Cary (south or west)?

(Yes, I know, another pesky commuting question! By the time we move, I'll have put in 8 years of a 75-90 minute each way commute and so a short commute is key!)

Thank you!

[lamishra]

I thin it depends on where downtown and where in CARY/Raleigh. I would probably say that south Cary would be the fastest. I live in EAST Cary and pick my daughter up from school downtown near the capitol everyday. It takes about 15 minutes, probably add 10 minutes onto that for peak traffic times. It would probably be about the same from south Cary (again, depending on where)

[mfrank2109]

I live off Six Forks just north of I-540 and it takes me 20-25 minutes to get to my office downtown off Fayetteville Street.

[Dire Wolf]

Most parts of Cary are going to be closer to downtown Raleigh that outside the I-540 loop. There are probably some exceptions depending on where in Cary and where on I-540. For instance, if you are near the 264 bypass it may not be that bad to take 540->264->Capitol into downtown. If you are buried deep in the middle of Cary, it may be slow going to get to a major road.

[byogman]

If any easy downtown commute is your focus, you may want to consider turning your attention east.

The 64 bypass really moves, and took enough traffic off 64 business/New Bern that that moves, too, so it's very quick to get into downtown either way. I don't commute downtown, but I can get to all the festivals at Moore Square in 10-12 minutes starting in the Edgewater Subdivision (New Bern at Rogers Lane). Fayetteville Street is just two blocks over.

[Funky Chicken]

I would rather approach Downtown from the South or East than from the North. Any of the major roads that feed central Raleigh from the north (Creedmoor, Falls of Neuse to Wake Forest, Capital Blvd.) aren't limited access highways-they are lined with shopping, offices, and schools on both sides.
Number 1 north to the beltline is not bad-this would give you options in Cary or Apex (64 East to 1 North). 40 East to Wade is hit and miss-some days you can fly and some it's just awful.

[cncracer]

The answer would be based on your starting point and the time of day. I live in Western Cary, and in the morning will take I-40 to Wade than on to Raleigh with very little problem. Afternoon it is another story and I will take the Cary Parkway (my favorite road in the area) and go to US-1 than on to downtown. If I am in Raleigh and the afternoon is congested with game traffic at the RBC center I will take the North 540 from Highway 64 back around to Cary. I have to slip through that area so the North Raleigh crews won't catch a Cary person in their territory

[Dire Wolf]

I always wonder why a thread from months and months ago gets suddenly resurrected?

[rnc2mbfl]

Originally Posted by mmemk

Is it easier to get downtown Raleigh from north Raleigh (north of 540) or Cary (south or west)?

(Yes, I know, another pesky commuting question! By the time we move, I'll have put in 8 years of a 75-90 minute each way commute and so a short commute is key!)

Thank you!

Why not consider living closer to downtown? If you are going to work downtown and want more of a suburban feel and convenience, look in Raleigh's midtown area (just north of I-440). If you want a burb, you can also look in Garner. It's really easy to access downtown from many parts of Garner or even South Raleigh between Garner and Cary on Tryon Rd. Eastern Cary along Tryon is probably going to be a pretty easy commute too compared to the other areas you are considering.