I'll be working in Bethesda and my wife in Chantilly. Thoughts on where to live are appreciated. (Reston: moving, commute)

[LuvVA]

I think your best bet is Vienna (closer to I-66). This way, your wife's commute will be easier as it's against the traffic flow (even traffic on Chain bridge rd can be hell during peak hours). And your commute to Bethesda isn't too bad either.
You can probably take I-495 express lanes (even if its very short), this could save you 10-12 minutes time.

If you like the place and decide to settle there, it isn't a bad place. Lot of very good public schools in the area.

If you feel commute from Vienna to Chantilly is too far, then you may consider moving closer to Chantilly area. From there, your commute would be doubled at least.

[acgood]

Another vote for Oakton

[Shelborne_22033]

Oakton, Vienna are good starts. I would also suggest McLean and Falls Church as well. The drive to Chantilly from 495/Rt 7 on 66 or 496/267 (toll) can get interesting at times. Good luck.

[dkf747]

Don't forget Falls Church. It is as easy as Vienna to get to MD from there.

[Middlin]

Another vote for Oakton/Vienna near the Vienna metro

[Xandersun]

Originally Posted by Ffxdata

Oakton to Chantilly commute would be a breeze. There are several different options and you would be going against traffic. You could find a very nice rental home in Oakton or Vienna for that price.

My wife is looking to avoid the freeway if possible. Are there any particular routes you recommend?

[choff5]

Originally Posted by Xandersun

My wife is looking to avoid the freeway if possible. Are there any particular routes you recommend?

If you look at a map there are over hill and dale ways to get from the Oakton area to Rt. 50 to Chantilly, or just go down 123 to Rt. 50. Freeway for you probably would be consider I-66 and you can avoid it but will also pick up a lot of stop and go traffic with stop lights as well.

[acgood]

Originally Posted by choff5

If you look at a map there are over hill and dale ways to get from the Oakton area to Rt. 50 to Chantilly, or just go down 123 to Rt. 50. Freeway for you probably would be consider I-66 and you can avoid it but will also pick up a lot of stop and go traffic with stop lights as well.

Traffic is not too bad going west on Route 50 (which is not a freeway) to Chantilly in the morning. One would likely come down Jermantown Rd to get from Oakton / Vienna to Route 50. There are a number of schools on Jermantown Rd which can be a factor depending on what time of day your wife would be commuting.

[Middlin]

Originally Posted by Xandersun

My wife is looking to avoid the freeway if possible. Are there any particular routes you recommend?

Depends where exactly in Chantilly

[ssa78]

My wife and I have a similar situation with her working along the beltway in Maryland while I work further out west in Virginia.

We chose to live in Vienna mainly because we find Virginia to be more appealing to live in than Maryland, and because she gets to work from home 3 days per week. The commute going west from the Vienna/Oakton area towards Chantilly is a breeze. If you live closer to the Oakton side (a few minutes from the entrance to 66 on Chain Bridge Rd) her drive to Chantilly is probably 15-20 minutes essentially stress free.

Your drive going into Bethesda will probably be in the 40-60 minute range if you leave around 7am (if you leave more like 6, it will be a little shorter). You will hit traffic around Tysons on the beltway, and then again crossing the bridge and approaching the 270 interchange (depending on where you exit). Your drive will be a crawl no matter what unless you leave early. There will be days where it will be over an hour - that's just life here so be prepared.

You can shave 10-15 minutes off your commute if you live up by Tysons. Her commute will increase by about 10 minutes.

I can vouch for Vienna being a fantastic place to live. The people are great and the town is a pleasure and filled with great little spots for food, coffee, shopping, etc. It also has many parks and the ODW bike trail goes right through the heart of town (if you're into biking/running). Tysons has more of an urban feel and has direct access to the big malls - but you're still only 5-10 minutes from the town of Vienna. Reston has the town center, which is great, and much more of a walking/urban feel.

With your budget, I think you can find reasonable places to live in any of these areas. It will come down to what you want your individual commutes to look like and what kind of personality you're looking for in your neighborhood.

Good luck!