Washington D.C. (including Baltimore) - Richmond to NJ on a Summer Sunday Afternoon--Help

Crazy, I know. I'm forced to travel by car on a Sunday afternoon in July from outside Richmond back to NJ. I've had enough experience traveling 95 to know this won't be a picnic. Some have suggested picking up 301 and taking the backroads up the shore thru DE and hook up with the Del Mem Bridge for the final leg. Others say that's just as long as hanging out on 95.

I've even considered taking 17 north of Fredericksburg over to Winchester and then taking 81 up to 78.

What would the locals do?

Where in NJ? Then let's see what we can advise.

if you do not have an iPhone, or traffic update gps, this might be a good time to buy one. i think they are only a hundred bucks these days. get an EZ Pass.

first look is straight up I95, into DC on 395, out 295, the BW parkway, the harbor tunnel, back on I95

this is not a weekday route. only sun, and maybe sat.
be ready to bail at the first sign of accidents.

301 has lights and backups in MD on weekends, and trapping in va is a major source of revenue.

just be cautious, as the loony toons driving from FL to maine will be out in full force. i would not exceed 65, and would stay in the second lane from the right.

Yeah, you're kinda screwed.

I've done the 301 route through MD. It's not a bad way to go, but there's just a TON of lights ... and you end up wondering just how much time you're actually saving. But you do go the opposite way of traffic for folks coming from the MD beaches for a while, so that's not bad.

I'd go the alternate route ... you know you're going to have a horrible time on 95, so this way you at least get to see some of the local scenery.

Enjoy! I've made it my mission in life to avoid 95 on all weekends for the rest of the summer..

Where in New Jersey?

When my wife and I goto Upstate New York (Hudson Valley) to visit her inlaws, I will not go on the NJTurnpike anymore, because of the ridiculous tolls.

I'll take (from Washington, where we are) 295 to Baltimore Harbor Tunnel to 95 through Philadelphia to 206 to 287...but that will only work for you if you need to get anywhere in the West part of the state.

95 North of Philadelphia should be fine regardless of the Sunday (we do it all the time in the opposite direction, heading South) and 206 will be insulated as well, plus 287 is free, fast and has some decent stops compared to the NJT or GSP.

-jeremy

Thanks for the advise. Headed back to the northern end of the Jersey shore, off the Parkway, between the turnpike and 195.

We have all the traffic gizmos, gps, droid, iphone so we can monitor traffic.

Thanks for the advise. Headed back to the northern end of the Jersey shore, off the Parkway, between the turnpike and 195.

We have all the traffic gizmos, gps, droid, iphone so we can monitor traffic.

Haha - then forget my route :)

Enjoy your time and as long as you don't leave right in the middle of the day (so you get the worst in each city as you pass them), you shouldn't be that bad. We've seen some bad traffic, but mainly at the places you'd expect (DE toll corridor, DE Memorial Bridge exit [going North] and the early parts of the NJT where there are only 2 lanes [going North]).

-jeremy

One other data point for you: I live just off 95 in Northern Virginia. I've found that on the weekends, if the HOV lane is going your way, it's generally fine. But if it's not, there's traffic. It seems to be that way just about every day. So if the HOV is going North at that time (and I think on Sundays it should be), you can generally breeze from Richmond to DC.

Good luck!

One other data point for you: I live just off 95 in Northern Virginia. I've found that on the weekends, if the HOV lane is going your way, it's generally fine. But if it's not, there's traffic. It seems to be that way just about every day. So if the HOV is going North at that time (and I think on Sundays it should be), you can generally breeze from Richmond to DC.

Good luck!

Good call - the HOV lanes are generally better (not always) but staying tuned to the traffic every so often, should help.

The lanes on 95 and 395 in Virginia are going North and are open to ALL traffic from 16h00 Saturday to 06h00 Monday (when the HOV restrictions start), so you can take that way through the city or get off on 495 and head around on the beltway, but the HOV lanes should definitely help from Richmond up to Washington.

-jeremy

Thanks for the advise. Headed back to the northern end of the Jersey shore, off the Parkway, between the turnpike and 195.

We have all the traffic gizmos, gps, droid, iphone so we can monitor traffic.I think whatever you do, you're going to be stuck. Don't take the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Stay on 95 and consider taking the Commodore Barry Bridge to NJ in Chester if there is traffic heading toward Philly or either of the two Philly bridges (Walt Whitman/Ben Franklin). Then go on 295 north to 195 east and take that to your destination. Avoid the Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway.

Headed back to the northern end of the Jersey shore, off the Parkway, between the turnpike and 195.
I agree with slawecki's advice on getting up to and past DC. After that, grit your teeth and plow up I-95 through the DE tolls (that, and the spot a few miles later where DE-1 comes into 95, will be the worst part of the whole trip).

As you approach the DE Memorial bridge, keep monitoring the NJ traffic on your gizmos. If the Turnpike looks obnoxious, do yourself a big favor and get onto I-295 as soon as you get to the NJ side of the bridge. This road is FREE, multi-lane the whole way, and generally more pleasant than the Turnpike. Take it up to exit 60, then get onto I-195 eastbound and cruise on over to the shore.

I have lived in DE/PHL/DC for almost 20 years and my parents live near Asbury Park, so I've done this shlep about a million times in every possible permutation. Thank God, I now live north of the DE tolls and only go to DC on an infrequent basis, so I have escaped the multi-year construction nightmare there.

I've done the trip from Ocean City Md/ Rehoboth Beach a bunch of times, so I know even better than General Washington how to cross the Delaware River. :) The last couple trips we have stayed on 95 in PA and take it all the way up to RT 1 and then cross over in Trenton and 195, missing not only all of the construction on the NJ Turnpike, but the added traffic on 295.

That's good news about the HOV lanes.

i do dog transport frequently richmond to dc. you will not save time by on a sunday by taking 301, unless there is a major accident on i95.

I agree with slawecki's advice on getting up to and past DC. After that, grit your teeth and plow up I-95 through the DE tolls (that, and the spot a few miles later where DE-1 comes into 95, will be the worst part of the whole trip).

As you approach the DE Memorial bridge, keep monitoring the NJ traffic on your gizmos. If the Turnpike looks obnoxious, do yourself a big favor and get onto I-295 as soon as you get to the NJ side of the bridge. This road is FREE, multi-lane the whole way, and generally more pleasant than the Turnpike. Take it up to exit 60, then get onto I-195 eastbound and cruise on over to the shore.

I have lived in DE/PHL/DC for almost 20 years and my parents live near Asbury Park, so I've done this shlep about a million times in every possible permutation. Thank God, I now live north of the DE tolls and only go to DC on an infrequent basis, so I have escaped the multi-year construction nightmare there.
Agree ... your worst piece is just getting north of DC. After that, there will be traffic but it is not directly shore traffic so won't be as miserable as some folks are expecting (unless it is a long weekend Friday/Monday). EZ Pass is your friend and watch for the cops (I think MD is even worse than VA, for I 95 speed traps).

watch for the cops (I think MD is even worse than VA, for I 95 speed traps).I can second that. We drove to DC for Memorial Day weekend and the minute we got onto southbound 95 in Perryville, the state trooper population exploded. I mean really exploded. The highway was so lousy with them that we started counting--we got to 10 in less than 15 minutes.

Well, that was fun. Left NJ at 6am and arrived in Richmond around 4pm. An accident on 95 South before the Havre de Grace bridge took us 3+ hours for a ten mile stretch. google traffic offered the option of getting on to rt 40 but that was supposedly equally tedious. By the time we made it through DC, we were hitting weekend traffic headed out of the city.

Sunday has to be easier.

Well, that was fun. Left NJ at 6am and arrived in Richmond around 4pm. An accident on 95 South before the Havre de Grace bridge took us 3+ hours for a ten mile stretch. google traffic offered the option of getting on to rt 40 but that was supposedly equally tedious. By the time we made it through DC, we were hitting weekend traffic headed out of the city.

Sunday has to be easier.
Yeah not by much.. Good luck. And 40 can be tedious .but its effective and used by trucks regularly to bypass issues in that area. I blindly followed a few when I was in a similar back up, and was glad I had done so

Ugh. I heard about that accident and I can't even imagine how nasty it must have been to get caught in that mess. I've got people driving up from DC today to my place--hope the road is all clear for them. I have told them to get off 95 at Perryville anyway because it's easier and more pleasant to take Rte. 1 from there to my house.

rained couple days ago. 2 hrs from baltimore beltway to beltway dc(30 miles!!!). did a lot of back road dodges.

Well, that was fun. Left NJ at 6am and arrived in Richmond around 4pm. An accident on 95 South before the Havre de Grace bridge took us 3+ hours for a ten mile stretch. google traffic offered the option of getting on to rt 40 but that was supposedly equally tedious. By the time we made it through DC, we were hitting weekend traffic headed out of the city.

Sunday has to be easier.

That's awful... hopefully, your trip back will be better.

I live in Richmond and drive to North Jersey (near EWR) or NYC a few times a year. Lately I've been cutting through Pennsylvania to avoid almost $20 each way in tolls and some of the I-95 traffic. This route adds about 35 miles but is much more peaceful and scenic than the NJ Turnpike and 95, at least till you get to Baltimore. US 222 and 30 in Pennsylvania are Interstate-grade highways; PA 61 has a few stoplights but generally light traffic.


I-78 West from NJ into PA, past Allentown
PA 61 South to Reading area
US 222 South to Lancaster
US 30 West to York
<1 mile on local streets in York to I-83 South to Baltimore
I-695 outer loop around Baltimore
I-95 South in Maryland
DC Beltway (either direction depending on traffic)
I-95 South to Richmond.


The Pennsylvania route is more out of the way when going to central Jersey, but you could still hook up with US 222 via the PA Turnpike, or to I-78 via I-287.

As others have mentioned, US 301 from Caroline County, VA across the Bay Bridge and into Delaware is another option to avoid DC, but 301 keeps getting slower and slower in southern Maryland with all the sprawl near Waldorf. I remember 15 years ago the road was wide open in that area, but no more. I only take 301 nowadays if the I-95 route would put me through the Northern Virginia area at rush hour.

Good route - I mapped it on Google (http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=1+Hotel+Road,+Newark,+NJ+07114+(Newark+ Liberty+International+Airport)&daddr=40.63392,-74.90789+to:40.1462732,-76.1874001+to:39.21205,-76.73845+to:Richmond,+VA&hl=en&ll=39.300299,-75.168457&spn=4.981434,9.239502&sll=39.22587,-76.681824&sspn=0.298404,0.577469&geocode=FfDibAIdQSaU-yGG8tfFN7Tzsw%3BFUAGbAIdDv-I-ylTSGo9EIvDiTHIIkp-Yskbaw%3BFWGVZAId-Hh1-ymvIKiW3xXGiTGW-fGB15E4LA%3BFRJUVgIdbhBt-ymRM3_yAeK3iTHU8PJCMcJNDg%3BFUPcPAIdXOph-yntyZlXCRGxiTHFPELibT7Yvw&mra=dpe&mrsp=3&sz=11&via=1,2,3&z=7).

I think all considered I'd rather do 301, but this is a nice one to have in the quiver.