vacationer23

I really hope someone can help me avoid traffic and I want the shortest route. I can leave anytime on Thursday or Friday. Just don’t know what’s best. I want to avoid traffic and hopefully minimize construction traffic at night. Can anyone advise me. I don’t want to stop except to use the restroom get a snack. Thanks in advance!!

J62

This is about a 12-13hr drive, not including those stops....

There are 3 basic route options.

• I95 corridor thru NJ. this is the shortest - my preferred route is below. Since it's only 2.5 to 3hrs from Hartford to NYC area I think you can time your trip to avoid problems in this area...
• I81 to Harrisburg, then back to I95 near DC. This would add some miles, and IMO not help you much as you'd still hit DC traffic..
• I81 to Harrisburg then to Roanoke VA. This would be more miles, but less risk of getting stuck in Baltimore or DC area traffic.

The route I would take is I84 over to NY, then NYS Thruway/I87 S to NJ.
In NJ, Rt17 from the NYS border connecting to I80 then the NJ Turnpike /I95.

That would avoid going thru NYC, but you'd still be going through several traffic pinch points if you hit at the wrong time.
CT: I84 Waterbury area
NJ: RT 17 from Paramus, until you get on the turnpike.

To Newark it's about 3hrs, so I'd time my drive to be either before or after the Waterbury CT slow down, and be past Newark by 1 or 2pm.

The next stretch / pinch points will be DE Memorial bridge / Wilmington DE/Baltimore area - Others can tell you the best route there - i'd rely on google maps/waze to tell me what traffic conditions are like real time...you can avoid this area if you take a different route from CT that loops you through Harrisburg PA, but I'm not convinced that's a better overall route.

Then after that DC - which may be the worst pinch point of all if you hit it at the wrong time which would be any time after 2 or 3pm, until maybe 7pm at night.. Once past DC you should be relatively clean sailing.

If you are doing a 13+ hr day, I'd leave home by either by 4am, or around 7am to time the traffic around NYC. A 4am departure would get you past DC before afternoon rush.

vacationer23

Thank you for your response, I’ll have to further examine these routes, but definitely not looking to add on a lot of extra miles. I’ve only done the drive once before and it took way longer than 12-13 hours mostly because we left at the wrong time. Hit traffic And every stop was way longer than expected. I am. It looking at doing that again. I am curious about driving through the night to ensure no rush our traffic. Seems I would miss all of the areas of concern traffic wise unless there’s some major construction projects along the route. Thai would allow me to go the most direct route. Still debating on leaving at say 10pm Thursday vs 2 am Friday or would it be better to leave Friday 10pm or the wee hours of the morning Sat?

Thanks again for your response! I’m hoping I’ll have a few more words of wisdom before I head out later this week. If anyone knows how I can find out what major construction may be going on I’d appreciate it. As you’ve said I am sure my gps will help me know where there’s any construction along the way.

J62

Personally I can't do overnight driving but it is definitely an option if that works for you. Check google maps real time traffic conditions during early this upcoming week and you can see if there are any delays enroute. Even if there are it will be less than daytime congestion which can be on many different highways.

If I had to pick a departure time, 10pm vs 2am, I'd pick something like 6 or 7 pm. That would get me to NYC /NJ area well after rush hour, then past DC before the next morning. If you left at 2am Fri you'd risk hitting DC traffic right in the middle of the morning, so that would seem the worst option of all. That would also leave you enough time to take a 30min power nap at a rest stop in NJ or MD if you felt you needed to.

oldemalloy

When visiting DS in Wilmington NC, we found that leaving central CT by 4 AM, got us through NYC before 7 and through DC by noon using 91 to 95 to Jersey Turnpike then 95 until we turned off to Wilmington was usually the fastest. Now I would download WAZE for real time info on traffic,alternate routes etc. Good luck

shelemm

DC to Richmond on 95 can be more of a standstill than getting around DC.

Fra_Diavolo

Why route 17 south rather than the Garden State Parkway to the Turnpike?