Driving/traffic Question Vancouver, WA to Eugene. (Portland, Salem: home, live)

[eric351982]

Hi everybody,

I would appreciate your advice. I work in Vancouver and get off at 3:20. I am driving to Eugene either tomorrow (Friday) afternoon or early evening. In the past it has taken me two hours to get to Hillsboro (leaving north Portland at 4) with a total time of 3.5 hours traveling, but it feels much longer. Fridays driving from north Portland to Eugene would make LA traffic blush.

Would you leave at 3:20 and risk it? What would traffic be like leaving at 3:20, wheels rolling? Is the 205 crazy stopped at 3:20 to wilsonville??

Other option is to drive home, relax til 6:30 and leave.

What would you do for an enjoyable trip down? I would like to get there earlier but I hate those 4 hr drives to Eugene.

Second question. What would you say is the earliest I can leave North Portland, hit the freeway, and not dip below 50 mph from Lombard to Wilsonville?

[J24]

Traffic on Fridays is usually lighter than the rest of the week. Unless there is an accident, you will be fine. Driving FROM Vancouver, you'll be driving against traffic. I'd probably recommend driving down 205 and connecting up with I-5 down south. You shouldn't have much of an issue driving from that point down to Wilsonville, and it should be clear after that.

[bler144]

Probably a bit late to see this, but it's a coin toss. It can be ok, or it can be slow. I haven't found Fridays to be lighter consistently - if anything I'd say there's more unpredictability. The 205 is rarely slow the whole way from the bridge to Wilsonville, but instead alternates between smooth and stop-go at a few key spots.

I'd be pretty surprised if it took you 4 hours leaving at 3:20, but I wouldn't be shocked if your 1:45-2 hour drive was in the range of 2:30-3 instead at that time, with some slowing between the airport and Sunnyside, and probably again around OC. But yeah, once past Wilsonville it shouldn't be too bad (55+) the rest of the way if there's no accidents.

[NWGirl74]

I'm curious as to how this turned out. I live and work in Vancouver and am planning to head down to Roseburg on Friday. I've also seen Friday traffic be hit or miss - I've had it take 2 hours to get to Tigard on a Friday afternoon before, leaving at 3:15 (usually it takes at least an hour at that time).

I need to be there at 8:00 in the evening and am hoping to get ahead of the metro area traffic by leaving at noon. (205 to I-5)

[J24]

I don't think it turned out very well. Last Friday was a nightmare. I'm not sure what was going on, but the whole city was a parking lot. I drove down to Gresham from Vancouver at about 5pm and it took 45 minutes (normally ~25 min). It usually isn't near that bad, especially on Fridays.

[NWGirl74]

Originally Posted by J24

I'm not sure what was going on, but the whole city was a parking lot.

May Day protests probably had something to do with it.

[eric351982]

Hello! Original Poster here. Thank you all for your replies.

In my original post it was supposed to say it has taken me two hours from Lombard in North Portland to WOODBURN. Not Hillsboro. I hope people put two and two together because Hillsboro made absolutely no sense.

So here's how the drive went.

I left Vancouver (Mill Plain and 205) at 3:20, accelerated onto the freeway to 60 mph, windows down, music playing, gorgeous sunny day, with every intention of going right to Eugene. Well, we very quickly screeched to a dead stop as we got onto the 205 bridge into Portland. If you've driven in Portland enough, you know that it 205 south is stopped on the 205 bridge, it is not going to get any better until Wilsonville, which yes, can take up to two hours (to Woodburn at least).

I swerved off the exit, went home to North Portland, enjoyed a nap and iced tea and got on the freeway at 7 pm to open lanes and never dipped below 60 mph to Wilsonville. Then set the cruise at 73 to Eugene and made it in one hour and 50 minutes.

I am shocked and confused to hear that people think the traffic in Portland on a Friday is "hit or miss." I find it to be a miss every Friday. I posted on here to see if 3:20 was just early enough to possibly miss the traffic but holy moly, it was stopped at the 205 bridge.

[eric351982]

Originally Posted by NWGirl74

I'm curious as to how this turned out. I live and work in Vancouver and am planning to head down to Roseburg on Friday. I've also seen Friday traffic be hit or miss - I've had it take 2 hours to get to Tigard on a Friday afternoon before, leaving at 3:15 (usually it takes at least an hour at that time).

I need to be there at 8:00 in the evening and am hoping to get ahead of the metro area traffic by leaving at noon. (205 to I-5)

Hey, Your best bet is to simply get on the freeway at 3:15 and make the best of it. I hope you have some good music/podcasts! With no traffic it takes two hours 40 minutes to Roseburg. I'll bet if you leave at 3:15 you'll get there by 7:15 probably.

[J24]

Originally Posted by eric351982

I am shocked and confused to hear that people think the traffic in Portland on a Friday is "hit or miss." I find it to be a miss every Friday. I posted on here to see if 3:20 was just early enough to possibly miss the traffic but holy moly, it was stopped at the 205 bridge.

I drove from Vancouver to SE Portland every day last year and Friday was almost always the lightest day of the week. Traffic reporters often refer to it as "Friday light". Last Friday, there was a large wreck just south of the 205-84 merger which jammed up traffic for you on the bridge. It had 2 lanes blocked at one point.

[NWGirl74]

Originally Posted by eric351982

Hey, Your best bet is to simply get on the freeway at 3:15 and make the best of it. I hope you have some good music/podcasts! With no traffic it takes two hours 40 minutes to Roseburg. I'll bet if you leave at 3:15 you'll get there by 7:15 probably.

I'm leaving around noon. If I'm way ahead of schedule I'll stop in Salem or Eugene and collect McMenamin's passport stamps.