Saturday - need to leave at Noon for Duck, NC (from NW DC)

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately we can't leave super early from NW DC to Duck, NC. Please warn me on how terrible it will be to drive down 95 South after 11:30am or Noon. How many hours should we anticipate?

Thanks in advance

[Anonymous]

Terrible. I would leave at 4pm and plan for a later in the evening arrival.

[Anonymous]

I've gone a few times, but not an expert. It will probably be a bit slow heading into Newport News on 64 after Richmond and then the worst part is the last stretch onto the bridge and on the island. Leaving at that time is actually good, because you arrive late afternoon/early evening when most of the change over rush (Noon to 3 PM) is already over.

[Anonymous]

I would echo the PP's advice to leave after 4 pm instead. 95 south can be a parking lot on Saturday afternoons through Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would echo the PP's advice to leave after 4 pm instead. 95 south can be a parking lot on Saturday afternoons through Virginia.

This. Noon is absolutely the worst time to leave.

[Anonymous]

It's not 95 South that I'd be afraid of, it's the trip over the bridge (Rt 158 I think?) into the OBX. One two different occasions it's taken me 4 hours to go the last 20 miles of the trip. No I am not exaggerating at ALL. We'd hit a little traffic on 95S that slowed us down a bit, and some around Va Beach. So we hit the bridge lead-up right around noon (the WORST) and we literally inched along for hours. Worst traffic I have EVER been in. That was when leaving DC around 7:30am. The one time we left at 6am on the dot, we had a great, easy ride.

I'd leave later, like 4 or 6pm instead of at noon.

[Anonymous]

The one upside the OP has the Express Lanes will still be open at that point southbound, so if you have an EZ Pass, that will get you to Garrisonville.

Take I-664 to get around the Hampton Roads Tunnel. Another trick is taking I-295 in Richmond nearly the distance, and get on Route 460 east which will dump you onto I-64.

[Anonymous]

take 301 from this area avoid 95 which is the issue all the other roads will be fine by the time you reach them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take 301 from this area avoid 95 which is the issue all the other roads will be fine by the time you reach them.

Southern MD takes a while to get through (used to live there). Secondly, it is $6 to get across the Harry Nice bridge into VA.

[Anonymous]

We left at that time (or near it) once on a Saturday. 11 hours. The last 6 hours we were within 60 miles of Duck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not 95 South that I'd be afraid of, it's the trip over the bridge (Rt 158 I think?) into the OBX. One two different occasions it's taken me 4 hours to go the last 20 miles of the trip. No I am not exaggerating at ALL. We'd hit a little traffic on 95S that slowed us down a bit, and some around Va Beach. So we hit the bridge lead-up right around noon (the WORST) and we literally inched along for hours. Worst traffic I have EVER been in. That was when leaving DC around 7:30am. The one time we left at 6am on the dot, we had a great, easy ride.

I'd leave later, like 4 or 6pm instead of at noon.

You had better rethink not being concerned about 95 south as well. It's changed in recent years.

[Anonymous]

95 sucks
64 sucks (under construction FYI)
And the bridge sucks

I would go later.

You could look at Waze the Saturday prior to see the drive times at noon, 3, 6.

[Anonymous]

Shoot me. 10 hour drive likely.

[Anonymous]

Our neighbors go to Duck every summer, and they leave at 4am. Just sayin'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not 95 South that I'd be afraid of, it's the trip over the bridge (Rt 158 I think?) into the OBX. One two different occasions it's taken me 4 hours to go the last 20 miles of the trip. No I am not exaggerating at ALL. We'd hit a little traffic on 95S that slowed us down a bit, and some around Va Beach. So we hit the bridge lead-up right around noon (the WORST) and we literally inched along for hours. Worst traffic I have EVER been in. That was when leaving DC around 7:30am. The one time we left at 6am on the dot, we had a great, easy ride.

I'd leave later, like 4 or 6pm instead of at noon.

You had better rethink not being concerned about 95 south as well. It's changed in recent years.

It is true, this was probably 6/7 years ago when we had the OBX drives from hell. I haven't done a horrific 95S in awhile because I try to avoid it.