Washington D.C. (including Baltimore) - How long to get out of IAD?

I am flying into IAD for the first time (haven't flown at all before). I am flying Virgin America. I have to pick up a rental car at IAD and then head to Stafford, VA. What should I expect after I land, and how long will it take to actually get out of IAD and be on my way to Stafford? My flight is supposed to arrive at 4:20 p.m. I am sure that IAD is a busy place and this is close to 5pm rush hour, so I just want to know what a reasonable expectation would be.
Thanks!

You don't say whether you have checked bags or what car rental company. But, I generally plan 20-25 mins to the IAD "front door" with carry-on only and allow an additional 30-40 mins for checked luggage.

You don't say whether you have checked bags or what car rental company. But, I generally plan 20-25 mins to the IAD "front door" with carry-on only and allow an additional 30-40 mins for checked luggage.

Really? That sucks. Yeah, I will have a checked bag. My rental car company will be Budget.

So, I'm looking at an hour before I even get out of there, plus the hour and 15 minutes drive time? Darn, I was hoping for better news!

Thanks for the reply.

Really? That sucks. Yeah, I will have a checked bag. My rental car company will be Budget.

So, I'm looking at an hour before I even get out of there, plus the hour and 15 minutes drive time? Darn, I was hoping for better news!

Thanks for the reply.

i seriously doubt you can get from iad at 5:20 and to stafford by 6:30 if you are traveling on a work day. i think an hour from spfld interchange to stafford is optimistic and i think iad to spfld interchange in an hour is best one can expect.

welcome to VA. the home of low taxes and crowded roads.

With checked bags during the afternoon arrivals rush, an hour to walk out of IAD with your bags would be quite lucky. There are woefully few baggage carousels and delivery of bags can get quite backed up. This isn't to say that you won't hit it just right and get your bags as you walk up to the carousel, just have to plan the longer time. If you arrive IAD at 5:20 PM, 7:30-8:00 PM @ Stafford is the earliest I would plan.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm actually supposed to land at 4:20, not 5:20. Does that help my cause any, or will it be just as bad? I was optimistically hoping to get out of the airport by a little before by 5pm to be a little ahead of the traffic. Guess that's not likely to happen?

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm actually supposed to land at 4:20, not 5:20. Does that help my cause any, or will it be just as bad? I was optimistically hoping to get out of the airport by a little before by 5pm to be a little ahead of the traffic. Guess that's not likely to happen?

Unfortunately - no. The traffic in DC area is a nightmare and more so anytime after 3.30-4 pm headed south on I-95 until after 7 pm - you can count on being stuck at different points.

If you're going on I-495 to I-95, you are doomed. I would do work and have dinner in the vicinity of IAD and travel after rush hour.

I don't know the back roads, but what about alternatives? For example, going on the other side of the Quantico base and ending up on Fredericksburg and going north on I-95 a bit? Longer, but maybe faster if travelling during the rush?

Actually, my mistake, I am staying in Fredericksburg for an even in Stafford, so I'm actually going to Fredericksburg that night. I have never been anywhere on the East coast, so I don't know my way around. I was just going to use Mapquest. I would love any tips/pointers on potential alternatives to avoid being stuck in traffic. I am meeting up with my husband in Fredericksburg and want to get there ASAP after the flight.

If you're going on I-495 to I-95, you are doomed. I would do work and have dinner in the vicinity of IAD and travel after rush hour.

I don't know the back roads, but what about alternatives? For example, going on the other side of the Quantico base and ending up on Fredericksburg and going north on I-95 a bit? Longer, but maybe faster if travelling during the rush?

Mapquest tell me to go South on VA-28 (for 15 miles) , to VA-234 (14 miles), to I-95 South (for 19 miles).
Is this a good route, or would anothe route be better?

Mapquest tell me to go South on VA-28 (for 15 miles) , to VA-234 (14 miles), to I-95 South (for 19 miles).
Is this a good route, or would anothe route be better?

This is probably your best bet to go as far south on I-95 as possible - beyond the worst of the rush hour traffic.

The other option is 28 South to I-66 east (which is against the major traffic flow) to 123 south to I-95. That should put you past the main I-95 traffic jam. 28 can be fairly congested, but that is somewhat unpredictable. It's better than it used to be now that they put in real highway interchanges instead of traffic lights most of the way.

Is it too late to change your flight to Richmond? :)

The other option is 28 South to I-66 east (which is against the major traffic flow) to 123 south to I-95. That should put you past the main I-95 traffic jam. 28 can be fairly congested, but that is somewhat unpredictable. It's better than it used to be now that they put in real highway interchanges instead of traffic lights most of the way.

One slight alteration I would make to the above route would be to take 66 east to the 7100 exit (Fairfax County Parkway) south to 123, should shave a few minutes off and avoid the inane "downtown Fairfax" and GMU traffic.

Another option entirely would be route 28 all the way south to 17 (which goes to Fredericksburg). Traffic should be lighter than 95, at least past Manassas.

Good luck!

Actually, my mistake, I am staying in Fredericksburg for an even in Stafford, so I'm actually going to Fredericksburg that night. I have never been anywhere on the East coast, so I don't know my way around. I was just going to use Mapquest. I would love any tips/pointers on potential alternatives to avoid being stuck in traffic. I am meeting up with my husband in Fredericksburg and want to get there ASAP after the flight.

you and 1 million savvy commuters. apple gps has good traffic maps. wtop does not even report backups on 95S, as that would be like reporting the sun rose today.

RT 1 is the only alternate i can think of. to the far east, is 301 and the harry nice bridge(if 95 is closed, which happens more than once a year). the roads to the west of 95 are slow, and clogged.

i presume virgin american fly usa routes and you do not have to do customs and imigration.

WELCOME TO DC. home of a higher auto/road lane and auto/bridge lane density than anywhere in usa.

We are all assumng this is a weekday. Other points to consider is whether you are part of budgets program or do you have to get all your data entered at the counter? I would say figure closer to an hour to get on the road, and then be prepared to move very slowly almost the entire way.

Route 28 is better now that they removed a bunch of traffic lights, but that just means one long wait at the few lights there are, rather than multiple long waits :)

You are traveling with the rush, rush hour In this area starts about 3 pm and doesn't end until 8ish, it isn't as heavy at the edges, but in most directions that isn't saying much.

Thank you everyone for your advice. Not what I was hoping to hear, but I was obviously overly optimistic. Now I know what to expect. Thank you.

Thank you everyone for your advice. Not what I was hoping to hear, but I was obviously overly optimistic. Now I know what to expect. Thank you.

Optimism is a good thing. Just not when dealing with DC-area traffic ;).

28 to 17 is an option here - but it takes you WAAY west. Beltway is a disaster right now with the HOT lanes, and you never know what type of accident/wreck/havoc has taken place on 95 between Springfield and the Prince William County Border.

I would think 28 to the Prince William Parkway would be better, and then 95 South to Fredericksburg.

If your bag isn't out on the carousel by the time you get there, you could go pick up your rental, drive back to the terminal to the hourly lot, park there, pick up your bags then be on your way.

If your bag isn't out on the carousel by the time you get there, you could go pick up your rental, drive back to the terminal to the hourly lot, park there, pick up your bags then be on your way.
Be warned that it isn't cheap to do that if you need more than twenty minutes

28 to 17 is an option here - but it takes you WAAY west. Beltway is a disaster right now with the HOT lanes, and you never know what type of accident/wreck/havoc has taken place on 95 between Springfield and the Prince William County Border.

I would think 28 to the Prince William Parkway would be better, and then 95 South to Fredericksburg.

Agree 28 to 17 is an option... but how to get to 17? Can't take 66 west cause that's a disaster and 28 through Manassass? yuck.

I've grown to like 28 to 234 over 28 to PW Pkway to get to 95... PW Pkway is a PITA through Woodbridge/Potomac Mills.

i seriously doubt you can get from iad at 5:20 and to stafford by 6:30 if you are traveling on a work day. i think an hour from spfld interchange to stafford is optimistic and i think iad to spfld interchange in an hour is best one can expect.


IAD to Springfield interchange is an hour? You should be able to get from IAD to the Beltway exit from the Access road in 15 minutes, so 45 minutes from just past the toll plaza to Springfield? I haven't gone that way at rush hour in forever but it is it really that bad?

Be warned that it isn't cheap to do that if you need more than twenty minutes

The hourly lot is $4 per hour (not cheap as you said). But the "grace period" of 20 minutes to get in-and-out without paying was reduced to 10 minutes several years ago (about the time the cell-phone lot opened) - and it isn't advertised anywhere.

IAD to Springfield interchange is an hour? You should be able to get from IAD to the Beltway exit from the Access road in 15 minutes, so 45 minutes from just past the toll plaza to Springfield? I haven't gone that way at rush hour in forever but it is it really that bad?

try it, you'll like it.

then the trip down I95 to fdxbg is just another 10 min, right?

try it, you'll like it.

then the trip down I95 to fdxbg is just another 10 min, right?

Oh I won't ever take 95 at rush hour...

Just can't remember the outer loop being that awful... I don't always sit in traffic, but when I do, I prefer to sit on the Access road spur to 66E and on 66E in the evening.

IAD to Springfield interchange is an hour? You should be able to get from IAD to the Beltway exit from the Access road in 15 minutes, so 45 minutes from just past the toll plaza to Springfield? I haven't gone that way at rush hour in forever but it is it really that bad?

It's 26 miles. 13 miles of that is the Access Road, which should be done in 15 minutes. The remainder can be very, very bad at Rush hour with choke points at Rte123/Rte7, Rte 66, Rte 50 and then before the Beltway.

1 hour is not impossible. I'd lean more towards 45 to 50 minutes.

It's 26 miles. 13 miles of that is the Access Road, which should be done in 15 minutes. The remainder can be very, very bad at Rush hour with choke points at Rte123/Rte7, Rte 66, Rte 50 and then before the Beltway.

1 hour is not impossible. I'd lean more towards 45 to 50 minutes.

This foreigner allows up to 1 hour to a couple of miles short of the Springfield spaghetti ... that seems standard, even around 1300-1500 which is my usual time of use from/to IAD.

YMMV, especially if some lane-jumping idiot has managed to create yet another accident on I-495. ;)

To add insult to injury, Metro construction is even causing backups on the Dulles Access Road. I ran into a jam there this weekend because it narrowed to one lane at one spot.

To add insult to injury, Metro construction is even causing backups on the Dulles Access Road. I ran into a jam there this weekend because it narrowed to one lane at one spot.
It's even better when a bus runs into the back of a small car [demolishing the rear 50% of the vehicle]. However, those works will be finished in 14 years or so :D

I live right where I-66 and 495 meet, and the last time I went to Fredericksburg was on a Saturday and it took me two hours :mad:...going from IAD to there...DC traffic is not pretty, everything is under construction and it's a huge pain in the (insert) also people here can not drive worth a damn...enjoy you're trip and don't like the commute get you down...but seriously attempt to change the flight to Richmond