Avg Commute times to Tyson's Corner?? (Arlington, Alexandria: apartments, to rent, condos)

[graceosu1101]

Hi,

I am relocating to northern Va for a new job in Tyson's Corner. I've heard traffic in this area can be horrendous, so that is one of my biggest factors in determining where I live. I have been looking at various communities in the northern Va area, but I don't know how to predict what my work commute is going to be. I have been looking at Vienna, Falls Church, etc in the immediate area, but also have a few options I've found that are further out (as far as going into Md even); I'd like to see if the money saved in rent would be worth the extra commute time. Do any of you work in the Tysons area that could give me an idea on commute times?

If you could post where you are coming from and about how long it takes to get to Tyson's Corner during rush hours, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

[DavidS827]

Originally Posted by graceosu1101

Hi,

I am relocating to northern Va for a new job in Tyson's Corner. I've heard traffic in this area can be horrendous, so that is one of my biggest factors in determining where I live. I have been looking at various communities in the northern Va area, but I don't know how to predict what my work commute is going to be. I have been looking at Vienna, Falls Church, etc in the immediate area, but also have a few options I've found that are further out (as far as going into Md even); I'd like to see if the money saved in rent would be worth the extra commute time. Do any of you work in the Tysons area that could give me an idea on commute times?

If you could post where you are coming from and about how long it takes to get to Tyson's Corner during rush hours, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

I live in Gainesville and when I worked in Tysons (International Drive) it took me about an hour and fifteen minutes to get there and about the same to get home. Before I lived in Gainesville, I lived in Annandale and it took me 50 minutes to get there.
Also be aware that your commute times will vary greatly depending upon your work hours. Many companies in the area offer "flex" hours and/or let their employees work from home 1-2 days per week. The earlier or later you can get into the office, the easier your commute will be.


ps. Congrats on the new job.

[Dorothy1960]

I have friends that live in Vienna & work in Tysons..it can take you 40 min. to go 4 miles during rush hour. But if you can get flex time, like going in early or later, it might be a good commute for you. I also have friends in Falls Church City - right off of Rte. 7. Not too bad to Tysons - kind of a reverse commute since you are going West on 7 to Tysons. Now if you chose to live in the part of Falls Church that is a bit further south, it might not be so good b/c you would have to go North on the Beltway up to 7 or International Drive area.

You might try & look at apartments in McLean or even Great Falls. Kinda pricey, but its very very close. You might luck out & find an upstairs of a house to rent, or a duplex, etc.

What towns are you looking at to rent in? Also might consider social life for yourself if you are single. If you are single you might want to be closer in to Tysons so you can participate in Happy Hours and social events in that area and in Alexandria, Arlington & DC easily after work.

[Sharon R.]

Falls Church, if you stay close to Route 7, is very good. So is Great Falls, though it is an area of very high end homes -- no apartments or condos. However I lived there in a shared house for several years and just loved it. Leesburg is proximate, but traffic coming East on Route 7 towards Tysons would be tough. Same thing with McLean -- if you're going to be renting I'd look into sharing a nice home close to work. There are a lot of single professionals doing the same thing in the area. Good luck, hope you enjoy it!

[graceosu1101]

Thanks for the responses, that helps me out a lot. I'm excited to start the new position, I'm transferring from Raleigh up to there. I've been looking in the vienna, arlington, and falls church areas mainly for places to live. I'll look into the shared houses in McClean as well. Are there any roads or routes I should avoid in particular during my commute?

Thanks again for the responses thus far, I appreciate it a lot.

[bmensah]

I live in Gainesville and work in Vienna (Tyson's Corner) I take 66W because it is such a direct route. I leave 7-7:20AM and arrive between 8:30-9 Mon thru Fri. There really is no time when there are no backups,in this commute, it is tiresome and nerve racking. The commute home is pretty much the same.The only real bad jams are around the entrance and exits. Just always count on more than an hour to travel.

[Sharon R.]

Falls Church and McLean would be your best bets. They are east (or is it south?) of Tysons, closer in to DC, so you'd be going against the main flow. The main roads are Routes 7 and 123. But there are lots of side roads, you'll just have to try different routes.

[graceosu1101]

Thanks for the tips. I looked at a few places in Falls Church this weekend, but didnt have luck with any of them. I found a great place in fairfax right next to 66 an exit down from 123. The people I found a room with told me it's about 30-40 minutes with traffic. I just have to find where all the good restaurants are now!! I'm excited for the move and starting the new job.

[Dogbert]

Invest in a set of Books on Tape. If you are trapped in the metal box full of hazardous materials you might as well learn something.