Fredericksburg to DC Area?

[Badger21]

OP,

If you're looking for affordable housing and within an hour of DC, go West and not South as the other posters are suggesting. I made the mistake of getting on 95S off the beltway during the morning commute and decided to turn around using 95N. Never again.

[ChristineVA]

Just don't think that I66 will be your savior. It won't.

[Intellitech]

I have a job opportunity there. So it's still up in the air. But yes I'll stay west of the belt for sure. So 95 would be my main route. But keep in mind I see different job sites so there are miscellaneous variables.

Housing prices in Spotsylvania and some in Fredericksburg are in my range.

I really appreciate all of your comments :-)

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by Intellitech

I have a job opportunity there. So it's still up in the air. But yes I'll stay west of the belt for sure. So 95 would be my main route. But keep in mind I see different job sites so there are miscellaneous variables.

Housing prices in Spotsylvania and some in Fredericksburg are in my range.

I really appreciate all of your comments :-)

If 95 is your main route, then you should be south of the beltway - not west.

During rush hours, an hour from Alexandria is going to be the Woodbridge area. During non-rush hours, I have driven from Alexandria to Fredericksburg in 45 minutes. And ChristineVA is totally right when she says 95S on a Friday afternoon during the summer months will crush your soul.

[flyingbird]

Originally Posted by Intellitech

I might be taking a job in Alexandria. But will look to live an hour or so outside of the belt, Washington DC area. I'm a service tech and would service customers in that area and a 50 mile radius out from DC.

Just curious how the travel is from let's say Fredericksburg to the DC round about area if I start work in that area at 6:00am?

My husband used to live in Fredericksburg and worked in DC. The traffic almost killed him even if he left at 5am or earlier. I visited a customer in Alexandria in 2014 and left there at 4pm. It took me 3 hours to get to Fredericksburg

[MedvedActual]

Fredericksburg to DC would be rough. I used to do F'burg to Quantico for a while and it just became unbearable. Although there are guaranteed times when 95 will be crappy (e.g., Friday afternoon southbound, morning rush, etc.), it can be 10 am on a Saturday and 95 is jammed in both directions. Personally, I would never consider that commute having done half the distance before.

[weezycom]

What is your 50-mile work radius center point? If that means you'll be working in Maryland north of the Beltway as well,then you may want to consider if the job is paying enough for you to take it to make up for the commuting time lost. If you can park the company vehicle close to a VRE station that's inside the Beltway (with permission from the various powers that be), then VRE to say the station on Backlick/Hechinger Drive and commuting from there might make it less-than-hellish.

[greekchampion04]

I do the commute every day from Fredericksbug to DC. It sucks, but it is doable. Weezy has a very good idea. Stash your company vehicle at a VRE station (Springfield maybe) and then take VRE back and forth from Fredericksburg to there if you can.

[setisail]

Originally Posted by MedvedActual

Fredericksburg to DC would be rough. I used to do F'burg to Quantico for a while and it just became unbearable. Although there are guaranteed times when 95 will be crappy (e.g., Friday afternoon southbound, morning rush, etc.), it can be 10 am on a Saturday and 95 is jammed in both directions. Personally, I would never consider that commute having done half the distance before.

This.

Hubby works in Alexandria and with no traffic can make it from Stafford in 45-50 minutes. The wind blows wrong and it's hours of traffic.