Commute time from I-270 Rockville to NIH/Bethesda? (Gaithersburg, North Bethesda: apartments, to rent)

[user2011]

My wife and I are moving from Boston to the area and working at the NIH. We're looking to rent a modern apartment near the Bethesda campus and we heard that Rockville may be a reasonable commute (car/metro). However, we've also heard that I-270 could have very bad traffic. Does anyone know how long it would take to commute by car from Rockville to NIH/Bethesda campus? Also, does anyone have recommendations for nice modern apartments are in the area that aren't too expensive? Thanks.

[yayayards]

It would usually take about 18/20 min on highway, but to avoid traffic on 270 is rockville pike/old georgetown rd. but thats pretty bad too. look at google maps directions and you'll find info. Where are you planning on living in rockville? It's pretty big and heavy on traffic. Most apts are pretty expensive in rockville but look at apts by montrose, or by rockville pike and they are kind of cheap. those are pretty expensive areas. i heard some people pay a million dollars for a condo in bethesda!

good luck!

[tonyc]

Originally Posted by user2011

My wife and I are moving from Boston to the area and working at the NIH. We're looking to rent a modern apartment near the Bethesda campus and we heard that Rockville may be a reasonable commute (car/metro). However, we've also heard that I-270 could have very bad traffic. Does anyone know how long it would take to commute by car from Rockville to NIH/Bethesda campus? Also, does anyone have recommendations for nice modern apartments are in the area that aren't too expensive? Thanks.

I go that way everyday, if you're close to 355 in Rockville, it should take at most 20 mins....before 8 if there are no accidents/rain etc.. If you go on 270, you can easily get stuck on the spur if there's an accident on 495/95....

[MDAllstar]

The metro takes about 10-12 minutes. Commute time varies on where in Rockville you will live. I-270 during rush hour which lasts from 6:30 am-10:00am can take over 1hr if its raining. The commute home from 5:00pm-7:30 pm takes as long as 1 hrs. It really depends though because you can have a 20 minute swing based on where you live. If possible everyone working in Bethesda takes metro. I hate driving to Bethesda.

[user2011]

I am considering moving to Avalon Decoverly in Rockville, but it isn't exactly near the metro. There is another place 'King Farm' that is pretty expensive but walkable to metro. Any thoughts?

[user2011]

Originally Posted by tonyc

I go that way everyday, if you're close to 355 in Rockville, it should take at most 20 mins....before 8 if there are no accidents/rain etc.. If you go on 270, you can easily get stuck on the spur if there's an accident on 495/95....

The place I am thinking about is west of 270, so I would need to cross 270 to catch 355. I'm not sure if that would be quicker than taking 270 south?

[MDAllstar]

Originally Posted by user2011

I am considering moving to Avalon Decoverly in Rockville, but it isn't exactly near the metro. There is another place 'King Farm' that is pretty expensive but walkable to metro. Any thoughts?

Avalon at Decoverly is a 5 minute drive to shady grove metro station via I-370 which you can pick up right next to the community. King Farm has a free community shuttle that will take you to metro so you don't have to walk. If you are living that far north in Rockville basically Gaithersburg really, you need to take Metro. The problem with Bethesda isn't really I-270 which does move slow. It's 355/Wisconsin Ave. which can take 20 minutes just to exit onto from the highway. It's a parking lot exiting I-270 onto Wisconsin Ave. that can back up for a mile or further.

[diplomat74]

I would recommend looking into the White Flint/Twinbrook metro stop areas there are several new developments (North Bethesda Market) that have gone up recently that would be a short commute

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by user2011

The place I am thinking about is west of 270, so I would need to cross 270 to catch 355. I'm not sure if that would be quicker than taking 270 south?

I live near the place you mentioned. I commute from there to Arlington in Virginia 3 times per week. I leave at 6:30 am and usually arrive to Arlington bt 7:10 am. That's 5 minutes more than without traffic. If we wait until after 7 am, it takes an hour or more. You're only going to NIH in Bethesda. It will depend on what time you leave, but it would be around 30 minutes or less, even in traffic on 270. It's only 10 miles or so. 355 will take forever.

Here's a better alternate routethan 355: take Great Seneca highway to its end at Darnestown road. Turn left and go 2 lights to Glen Mill Rd. Turn right and keep left to go on the Wooton Parkway. Take that to Falls Rd and turn left. Keepo right and enter 270 there. Gets you closer to where you're going and avoids some of the stop and go on 270. It can be slow on Wooton Pkwy, but it keeps moving better than 270 sometimes.
You can avoid more of 270 by staying on Wooton pkwy to 7 Locks road and turning right. Go down to Montrose rd and turn left. Enter 270 there. The only thing here is that to get to NIH, you would need to merge over 2 or more lanes to get to correct lane. Entering at Falls rd gives you more time to do that. Both of these work better than 355.

[MDAllstar]

Bethesda commute home after work = death! You can beat the traffic if you leave before 7:00 a.m. to get to your job. You can't beat rush hour home though unless you leave at 4:00 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.