Ashburn to Arlington commute (Reston, Herndon: lease, how much, place to live)

[p3t3r.griffin]

The wife moved up there months ago. Had to get her a place to live that would be suitable for her new job, so we are renting in Ashburn. I interviewed for a position in Arlington this morning, and was told it went well. Ashburn to Arlington will suck, I already know this, but can someone tell me how long the commute will be and how much I will spend in tolls.

The greenway is $3.50 right? Is that all the way down to I66, or will I be charged again before then?

Is there a better way to get there (like perhaps Old Dominion Dr)? I'll be located on N Quincy St south of 66.

[MacUser85]

Well you're looking at well over an hour, hopefully under 90 minutes. 66 is restricted inside the Beltway during the rush hours...in other words westbound is restricted 4pm-6:30pm and eastbound is restricted 6:30am-9am. So....you have two options Greenway in to 267 East to 123 North to Old Dominion into Arlington....OR just take 7 East into Tysons and then 123 North as above. Either way--pack some good music, radio shows, etc...you'll need them.

Is there any way you could move halfway between Arlington and Ashburn? Maybe Tysons or Reston?

[p3t3r.griffin]

She has been there 2 months already, of a 6 month lease. And she drives 30 minutes to Purcellville. So any closer to Arlington increases her time.

The job is support from 6am - 6pm. There are 3 shifts. If I can work from 6am - 3pm, will that avoid the traffic? What about 9am - 6pm? The gps says that using the toll road only saves 5 minutes over taking hwy 7, so I will definitely not be paying the troll.

[stax]

I would definitely look at the 6am to 3pm option, as you will miss the brunt of most of the traffic, and can still use 66 Eastbound. The only bad part may be going home, as 66 tends to back up around 2pm. And the toll is actually 4.25, when taking in account the toll plaza at Tyson's Corner. In terms of how much time it saves, it depends on where you are located in Ashburn, but 7 is simply brutal, you will get tired of taking that after a while. If you can, I would look into using the park and ride in Herndon, which may save some aggravation, and the parking is free. And as far as taking the 9am to 6pm shift...JUST DON'T...that would put you in the brunt of the traffic.