I have several friends and clients who live in Arlington and commute to Montgomery County, my husband commutes from Arlington to Sterling in Loudoun County, and I know even more people who commute to DC or Fairfax or even farther. If you’re looking to move to Arlington, here are some tips for figuring out your commute time.
Metro
The Metro website does a great job of giving you an estimate of your commute time from your metro stop to destination. It’ll give you a general idea of time, but it won’t account for metro delays on a random day.
Bus
The bus is another way of giving you a general idea of time, but again, won’t again for traffic delays or road construction on any given day. Check out the Bus website for timetables.
Driving
Your only option may be driving, depending on where you’re going. So if you’re planning your commute, I would recommend avoiding these areas if at all possible:
- I-66 in Ballston from about 7am-830am, can sometimes be backed up down Fairfax Blvd; 66 towards DC is usually red lights from Arlington into DC
- Rt 50 – usually stop and go heading in both directions towards DC or Fairfax
- Key Bridge/Rosslyn/Lee Highway – normally a total nightmare to get over the Key Bridge, GW Parkway or Lee Highway if you’re coming from Rt 50
- GW Parkway in both directions, but usually worse heading from Arlington to 495
- Rt 1 in Crystal City onto 395 – sometimes a breeze, sometimes a parking lot
Google Maps has a great App with traffic so you know areas to avoid as you’re heading out the door.
Inrix is another great mobile app for traffic.