Ask the Local Experts - Interstate 95

[Delaware Mike]

Thanks for the gas information.

As I now have an Android device, I loaded the Gas Buddy app and was going to use it for locating less-expensive gas during our upcoming trip.

[tammymacb]

Georgia has inexpensive gas, until you get near Florida. Once you get fifteen miles away from the state line, you'll pay more for gas in GA than you would waiting to get it in Fla.

[Redhead58]

Hi everyone. I am looking for advice about driving down 95 through Jacksonville. My triptik from AAA says to go on 95 through the city but I was wondering if it is beneficial to take the bypass loops or not. I should be getting to that area about 3:00 pm on a Thursday in November, not Thanksgiving week.

I have not driven through this city in years and I am not sure if traffic on 95 is worse than the loops around the city.

Thanks for any information / suggestions!

[jedwards]

Originally Posted by Redhead58

Hi everyone. I am looking for advice about driving down 95 through Jacksonville. My triptik from AAA says to go on 95 through the city but I was wondering if it is beneficial to take the bypass loops or not. I should be getting to that area about 3:00 pm on a Thursday in November, not Thanksgiving week.

I have not driven through this city in years and I am not sure if traffic on 95 is worse than the loops around the city.

Thanks for any information / suggestions!

I have never needed to bypass Jacksonville. Ive always gone right down 95 and never been held up in traffic and we have driven several times.

[mrs.mickey]

I'm coming from PA and am driving next time we take the kids to the world. I would love to know how to get around the DC traffic cause I know it can be a huge pain sometime. I know that I can go across the state towards Harrisburg and pick up 81 but it will be a longer drive than a straight shot down 95. Has anyone else done this? Is it worth the extra miles to bypass DC traffic?

[MuppetMom]

Originally Posted by mrs.mickey

I'm coming from PA and am driving next time we take the kids to the world. I would love to know how to get around the DC traffic cause I know it can be a huge pain sometime. I know that I can go across the state towards Harrisburg and pick up 81 but it will be a longer drive than a straight shot down 95. Has anyone else done this? Is it worth the extra miles to bypass DC traffic?

I live north of Harrisburg, PA. We have tried the I81 to I77 to I26 once when we had to leave at time which would put us in Washington, DC evening rush traffic. We did not have any real traffic on the western route, but it took us over an hour longer than going our normal way - via DC.

If you are traveling through the DC area between 10 AM and 2 PM or 7PM to 6AM, I would use the DC route. We take 15 South to I 270 to I 495 to I 95 south of DC. It is not a bad trip during weekends or non rush hours. We make certain that we are totally clear of the DC area - Rockville MD through K Quantico, VA during rush hours. We try to travel to WDW on Saturdays so we can go anytime. We end up driving home through DC at 11 PM. There is current construction on I 495 - they are adding lanes. There are at least 5 lanes each way open. The directions on google maps are excellent for this part of the trip.

Have a fun trip

[carolina_yankee]

Originally Posted by Redhead58

Hi everyone. I am looking for advice about driving down 95 through Jacksonville. My triptik from AAA says to go on 95 through the city but I was wondering if it is beneficial to take the bypass loops or not. I should be getting to that area about 3:00 pm on a Thursday in November, not Thanksgiving week.

I have not driven through this city in years and I am not sure if traffic on 95 is worse than the loops around the city.

Thanks for any information / suggestions!

I always bypass Richmond and never bypass Jacksonville. If you have a smartphone with a map app that offers a travel over-lay, it might be worth checking about 30 minutes before you hit Jacksonville.

Oddly, my GPS wanted us to take the bypass that runs you along the Eastern side of Jacksonville this last trip, but it was a timing/mileage thing. Going through JAX, the speed limit does drop to 50 mph at some points, but we've never had a traffic snarl there. I wouldn't hit it at rush hour, though.

Originally Posted by mrs.mickey

I'm coming from PA and am driving next time we take the kids to the world. I would love to know how to get around the DC traffic cause I know it can be a huge pain sometime. I know that I can go across the state towards Harrisburg and pick up 81 but it will be a longer drive than a straight shot down 95. Has anyone else done this? Is it worth the extra miles to bypass DC traffic?

We take 295 (Baltimore Washing Parkway) either to 495 and head South to 95 going clockwise on the Beltway (along the southeast side of DC), or take 295 all the way to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and get on 495 there. Honestly, we've done that route at 7 am, 8:30 am, and 9 am and haven't really had more than a 10-15 slow-down and have often gotten through in the anticipated time frame. Unless you know you're going to hit a big blotch of traffic, I would just suck it up and do it. The other route is guaranteed to add an hour or more of travel time.

Dirk

[Redhead58]

Originally Posted by jedwards

I have never needed to bypass Jacksonville. Ive always gone right down 95 and never been held up in traffic and we have driven several times.

Thanks for the advice / comments. They are much appreciated!

[OttawaWendy]

Originally Posted by mrs.mickey

I'm coming from PA and am driving next time we take the kids to the world. I would love to know how to get around the DC traffic cause I know it can be a huge pain sometime. I know that I can go across the state towards Harrisburg and pick up 81 but it will be a longer drive than a straight shot down 95. Has anyone else done this? Is it worth the extra miles to bypass DC traffic?

We drive sometimes from Ottawa, and come through Pennsylvannia on the 81. From Harrisburg, we take the 15 by Gettysburg, and then meet up with the 270 in Fredrick, which goes east to the 495 around Washington. You bypass most of Washington, and you are only on the 495 for about one-third of the distance around the city (see a map to explain). However, the 15 can be slow.

From Harrisburg, you can also take the 83 south to meet the 95, which is much more direct, but then you need to get around Baltimore, and you have a much longer trip around Washington. We much prefer the route via Gettysburg.

You can also take the I-81 south almost all the way to the south border of Virginia, then take the 77 straight south, and then at Columbia, take the 26 southeast to meet the 95 again in South Carolina. This route is longer by distance, but there are no slow roads and less chance of major traffic (although you are still going through Charlotte).

I would personally make the decision between the first and third routes based on what time you intend to go through Washington. If you can hit Washington at a very low time, then the 81/15/270/495/95 route from Harrisburg to south of Washington is your best bet. If you are going to hit Washington during traffic, take the 81/77/26/95 route.

EDIT - you didn't say where in PA you are, but if you are in the west, there are also routings that would take you south (i.e. the 79 from Pittsburgh, or the 99 from State College) to meet up with the 81 somewhere southwest of Harrisburg. These are worth exploring, if going to Harrisburg means going east only to come back west. It's always worth remembering that Florida is west, with regard to the eastern seaboard. It is almost due south of Detroit and Columbus.

[trlenoir]

Whatever you do . . . . do NOT stop and eat the tamales from PEDRO at SOUTH OF THE BORDER!

Consider this your public service announcement . . . . if you decide to eat the tamales, you will visit every reststop and gas station with a bathroom from South Carolina until your destination . . . .

We made that mistake ONCE driving from North Carolina to Baton Rouge - never again!