From CT to Balt. MD - how to avoid congestion without going via Pittsburgh
 

Have read here (and elsewhere) that taking NJ Turnpike/ I-95 between NYC metro area and Baltimore is a traffic jam nightmare. We'll be leaving from near Danbury and needing to get to Baltimore/DC area, not once but twice this summer.

Do you have a good alternate route that may save time and will definitely save nerves?

At all costs, avoid the Turnpike... especially the area between New Brunswick and Camden (exits 9 to 4). If you must travel thru NJ, use 1 to 130 to 295, then reconnect with 95 after going over the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Even better although a longer driving distance... find your way to 78 west out of north jersey, it will merge with 81 south in Pennsylvania. Continue on 81 to near Harrisburg, where you will take 83 south to Baltimore.

Good luck!

From Danbury we take I-84 west to Pennsylvania and jog north a couple of miles on I-380 to a left lane exit to I-81 south to Harrisburg and south on I-83. It's a rather pleasant ride with some traffic near Scranton and Harrisburg - but not nearly as much as the NJ Turnpike. Most of it is country type driving, some thru the mountains so it is more interesting and more relaxing.

I have always taken 84 to 684 over the Tappenzee to 287 to the Garden State to NJ Turnpike and never have issues. Just making sure to avoid high traffic times. Usually takes me 5 hours from Hartford to Baltimore.

I live in NJ and during the summer I avoid the turnpike at all costs. It is always a high traffic time in the summer!

The route suggested by RV traveler, in my opinion, only works well if your final destination is beyond DC area. I don't think the extra miles are worth the avoidance of delays.

As one who has driven this route 4-6 times/year for about 8 years (kids in college in south), I have tried a variety of routes. Certainly on any given day one may be better than the other, but on average I prefer the route suggested by tchoiniere.

Weather and time of day are major variables - If you leave Hartford between 6-8 AM you should hit NJ between various rushhours and arrive in Baltimore prior to evening rush hour. Mondays and Fridays are the worst - I imagine sunday evening in the summer might also be bad, but I don't travel then. Make sure you have a toll transponder to save some time.

And just try not to get mentally fried if you hit traffic - if you are from Danbury you are more than familiar with northeast traffic - I have driven this route many times and flown along the highway without problems. And hit infuriating traffic on a few occasions - sometimes with no real good reason why either occured. Except for once when there were several accidents in bad weather, never encoutnered "traffic jam nightmare" though

I do the Baltimore to NY leg about once a month and traffic is highly dependent on the time that you leave. I usually pick up I295 off of exit 7 and take it to the Delaware Bridge, but during some recent construction on I 295 I have also taken the turnpike with good results. I like I 295 mostly because it takes no longer, usually a bit less, I save some of the turnpike toll and the gas stations at exit 7 are cheaper than those along the turnpike. I also like the places to eat along that route better than the turnpike's. If taking that route south, be sure to follow the Delaware bridge signs or you will end on the way to Atlantic City.

Traffic to Great Adventure in the summer is the reason to avoid the Turnpike... many who go from NYC/North Jersey don't know about 130/295.

I live near exit 8A and see it every day. Sure on weekdays there can also be rush hour traffic on 295, but not on weekends.

Have done this trip - used to follow tchoiniere's route invariably, but recently the NJT leg is a killer. Your best advice is to try to avoid weekends and rush hours plus 2 hrs. either way. I think that means getting up at 4 am, but I'm not sure. Otherwise, try the various other detours and be prepared for it to take much longer than GPS says it's going to.