just drove from Los Angeles to San Francisco. When I arrived at the fringes of the Bay area, I found myself in a 60-mile long traffic jam of cars trying to get from the Central Valley into the Bay. Fine, but this was at 5 in the morning, I hear that it finally clears up around 11-ish and then the other side of the highway grinds to halt from 2PM to around 8-ish( at night). 580 and 680 in CA are bad in the morning once you enter the Alameda County Line. AVOID IT. What streches of road in your hometown should weary travellers steer clear of, and when?

WELL, THERE ARE 6 MILLION REGISTERED AUTOMOBILES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA!! THAT RANKS THE REGION 3RD IN THE NATION BEHIND LA AND NYC, AND 5TH AMONG WORLD URBAN AREAS IN NUMBER OF AUTOMOBILES, ON TOP OF THAT, YOU HAVE ABOUT 2.5 MILLION MORE CARS IN THE SURROUNDING CITIES LIKE SACRAMENTO AND STOCKTON CREATING TRAFFFIC WOES BEYOND THE COMPREHENSION OF MOST AMERICANS. STRANGELY, PEOPLE STILL STICK TO THEIR CARS AS IF DEAR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT. EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET A LIFE AND TAKE THE BUS!!!!!( VISITORS INCLUDED)

Gee Aaron, no need to scream, we hear ya just fine.

Now then, I suggest that when visiting the Seattle area, to avoid driving in the regular commute hours(6-9AM;4-6PM).
Like San Fran., We have bridges, unlike San Fran., ours are narrow, so theres a huge bottleneck. Well at least you can enjoy our breathtaking views.

Avoid driving into Manhattan between 7:30 and 9:30 AM. If you are in Manhattan and planing to drive out it's advisable to be heading out of the city by 3 PM. Entering the city can also be a hassle from the NJ side between 4 and 7PM. After 7:30 PM things ease up in both directions. If you are forced to cross Manhattan either direction at busy times of day it's often far easier in midtown (i.e. Lincoln Tunnel to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel) than downtown (i.e. Holland Tunel to the Manhattan or Brookly Bridge).

Ive lived and driven in several cities domestically and abroad and I agree that its gotten worse. My suggestion is to stop and smell the roses. Plan activities around traffic times so that you can optimize your time.

Avoid all roads leading into Atlanta in the morning. Specifically the perimeter corridor. Downtown can be pretty hairy at rush hour.

If any of you are going to Salt Lake, traffic is terrible on I-15 around downtown because of construction. But a plus is that the Airport is really close to downtown, you dont even have to take the freeway, and they recently opened their lightrail.

Also in NY, avoid the Gowanus Expy. Its hell on earth during traffic.

I find there are awesome airfaires to be had out of Baltimore. But if you are touring in D.C. and planning to drive from BWI toward the District, or Bethesda, or Northern Virginia (or vice versa), you really have to pay attention to your flight times. Long story short: You don't want to be driving toward BWI from 3-6 in the afternoon, and you don't want to be driving from BWI from around 7-9:30 a.m.

Amen to Cindy's post. 495 (the Beltway) circles Washington D.C. and it can be a real nightmare. One time I was trying to get to Baltimore from D.C. on the Beltway and this 45 minute trip took 4 1/2 hours. Stay away from the Beltway between 7 - 9a.m., from 4-6:30p.m. and any holiday.

Just at San Fran in March. If there are two or more in car, immediately get in the designated far left lane. We went a long way in from San Jose before the traffic slowed down.

Just to add on to Boots' and Cindy's comments about DC traffic, if you're driving on I95 in the next 8-10 years, be aware we're widening the beltway near the Wilson Bridge, and we're rebuilding that bridge as well. It will be a mess ... thus you may wish to use the map and head into Md. the other way. Same advice coming south.

I have a solution in line with Road Warrior.
I have a built in DVD player in my car.
Watch a movie, do work, whatever.
My car is an office on wheels with an entertainment center for really slow traffic.

Just to respond to the post about Carpool lanes in the San Francisco. In most freeways, carpool hours are between 5AM to 10PM in the morning and 3PM to 7PM in the evening Mon.-Fri. The rest of the time solo drivers are allowed to drive there also.
The problem with the Bay Area is that all roads lead to San Francisco bt now the vast majority work elsewhere and so small roads that are only 4 lanes carry a volume fit for 10-lane mega freeways Case in Point, 880 in Milpitas( Which to its credit is being widened even as we speak.) It carries 300,000 cars each day, but its inly 2 lanes on each side. Thats almost the same as the 405 in LA at Century( Imagins if that were only 2 lanes each way.) and then you have Oakland, which seems like ground zero for the Bay areas traffic misery. The place where the bay bridge bound freeways create this 25-lane,( COUNT EM, 25 lanes) westbound hell that doesnt clear up until lunch.

The best solution: TAKE BART, Muni Metro, or BUS, or CalTrain or VTA or ACE or ferry or GGT.

OK, as a person who commuted an hour and a half EACH WAY to and from work (a distance of some 20 miles) for the past two years.. I can say Los Angeles traffic is sublimely evil. Basically if you can help it DO NOT go onto any Los Angeles Freeway between 7:30 AM and 10 AM or Between 3:30 PM and 7M.
I just read in the paper that we Angelenos spend a week and a half of our lives on the Freeways every year...

It even takes me half an hour to go 3 miles on surface streets in Palo Alto at 5 pm on a Thursday! The worst problem with the Bay area is that the Bay is in the middle of it! and only 3 bridges. I think that's probably why Seattle has traffic too. The L.A. freeway plan at least started out being efficient, but they've just added too many cars.

The I5 in northern San Diego county (CA) has gotten terrible recently. Daily commuter traffic is heavy (mornings southbound and evenings northbound), and then Fridays southbound and Sundays northbound get the additional weekenders. The only saving grace is that the border patrol check point in Oceanside always shuts down in periods of expected heavy traffic (otherwise you have to slow way down and be waved through by an officer). I guess convenience trumps border security when push comes to shove!

I have to widen those DC rush hour times. Avoid the Beltway, 95 south of the city, and 66 from 7-10 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. Sometimes 95 south from the Beltway is backed up all day.

Leaving the Bay Area on a Friday afternoon heading to Tahoe on 80. In winter you battle the elements, in summer it's the heat of Sactown. Either way it's a big ole pain.