Commute from Woodbridge to McLean (Burke, Dale City: new home, to buy, to live)

[gamadi55]

Hi Everyone,

My family and I are planning to move to Woodbridge by the end of the year. My job will be in Mclean. Ideally, I'd work from 8-5. Any ideas on what time I should leave home to get to work on time? What do you think the average commuting time would to to/from Mclean? Any shortcuts?
Also, are there any nice areas in between Woodbridge and Mclean? (hubby has to work in Woodbridge.)
I love all of the new homes in Woodbridge so I'm looking to find a nice spot with the same types of homes.

Any info/advice would be appreciated.

[NOVAmtneer82]

That commute isn't going to be pretty. I work in Tysons Corner (McLean) and have several co-workers who come in from Woodbridge and Dale City, they are always complaining about how long it takes them. It is usually around 75-90 minutes each way depending on exact departure times, the back-ups on I-95 start very early in the morning. I recall attending a Friday evening cookout down there, it took me almost two hours to finally make it...NO FUN. Welcome to NoVa!

[Margery]

Look in Burke, it is a good compromise for you both and it is a great area. The homes won't be new, but you can commute on 123 and stay off 95. I don't know what the commute is like on 123 at rush hour, but others on the site will know.

[American Arrogance]

I live in Woodbridge area and commute to Tysons Corner every day. It takes on average 60 mins to arrive at work. Sometimes I can get to work in 30 mins flat. Holidays, thursdays and fridays seem to be the worse. Pretty much holidays you can forget getting home in 60 mins. But I'd say carpool so you can hop the HOV lane up to 495 and that should cut your commute down a bit.

My exact route is from 234 up 95N to Tysons 495 and get off at Chain bridge. I leave out between 6am-6.30a. Sometimes I leave out after 7am. But the worse traffice is between 6.30-7.30am. After that its pretty free.

[American Arrogance]

Originally Posted by Margery

Look in Burke, it is a good compromise for you both and it is a great area. The homes won't be new, but you can commute on 123 and stay off 95. I don't know what the commute is like on 123 at rush hour, but others on the site will know.

123 during rsuh hour is a bad move. i did that commute and everytime in Vienna its like a crawl. It took me 2-3 hours to get to Tysons using 123

[gamadi55]

thanks - so here's a question. if i work from 9-6, and leave home around 8, I should be ok? what about commuting back home at 6?

[American Arrogance]

Originally Posted by gamadi55

thanks - so here's a question. if i work from 9-6, and leave home around 8, I should be ok? what about commuting back home at 6?

Yea you should be fine on 95N around 8...495 is a differnet animal but it slows near little river turnpike, then picks up then slows near the 66 exit then picks up. But there are so many alternative routes off 495 to get to Tysons. Coming back in the evenings off 495 at 6 you should be fine too. HOV opens up to all drivers after 6pm. The worse traffic on 95S is between Lorton and Lake Ridge, then Dumfries to Quantico depending on the day.

Thursday and Fridays are the heaviest so no matter what time you leave out you are due to hit bad traffic. But I would suggest getting on the HOV lane if you hit 95S, get off at Dale city exit and from there you have quite a few ways to go to different portions of Woodbridge. Depending on where it is you live.

Also my husband commutes to Chantilly and he take the PW Pkwy through Clifton and Fairfax and he averages about 60 mins back and forth from Chantilly to Dumfries.

Once you figure out where exactly you are going to live, I can give you alternative routes to hit in PW county and Fairfax county. Im a road warrior so I have plenty of routes to get you to where you need to go.

[gamadi55]

thanks for all of the information - you've all been very helpful.

currently i live off the route 1 near the walmart and q-mart. what would be the best route to get up to mclean without having to tear my hair out?
i'm planning to buy a home off of cardinal rd in a few months as well..

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by gamadi55

thanks for all of the information - you've all been very helpful.

currently i live off the route 1 near the walmart and q-mart. what would be the best route to get up to mclean without having to tear my hair out?
i'm planning to buy a home off of cardinal rd in a few months as well..

At your time, both Rt. 1 and 95N through the Prince William Pkwy exit to the Occoquan are a CRAWL!! I might stick with Rt. 1 all the way to the exit onto 95N that puts you above the Occoquan Bridge. I used to do that route when I had to drop my daughter off at a bus stop off of Rt 1 in the morning. It was better than 95N.

I live off of Cardinal Drive. When I leave in the morning, I take Cardinal Drive down to Benita Fitzgerald Dr. Follow that to Dale Blvd, hand a right and take that to the 95 exits. I leave the house now at 5:15 a.m., so traffic is a breeze for me.

I don't envy your commute to McLean. Several times a year I have to take my son to a doctor off Rt. 50. I've had to stop any appointments early in the morning because it was taking me 90 minutes to get there and, while 95N wasn't too bad, I found 495 to be a bear from Braddock all the way up to my exit. That nightmare seemed pretty consistant.

[gamadi55]

the commute does sound scary!
is it better to leave after 8am to get up there?