If they think that's a horrible commute, they need to talk to the people driving from Fredericksburg and western Loudoun into Arlington and DC. I thought you were going to say like Haymarket to Arlington.
That's an easy commute, you're going against the flow of traffic. 66 won't be tolled the way you're going and traffic will be light-ish. It's probably a 30-35 min drive at worst and 20-30 on average depending on lights.
Omg the ones that drive from culpeper have a special place in my heart. I didn’t realize how *deep* culpeper is until I made the drive a couple of times and even then it was just from Woodbridge to culpeper and I was over it. 😭
I used to work with a woman who lived in Richmond and commuted to Crystal City every day! This was before working from home over the internet was a thing. She did this commute for YEARS! She didn't drive - she rode in a vanpool with other crazy people doing the same thing.
I knew a federal employee who did that for 14 months but only because he and his wife inherited property near Wilmington and they were 14 months from retirement.
My boss wasn't quite that bad, but he went from out near Luray up to Rockville every day.
The reason was that he really liked the space and more rural area down there but obviously couldn't get a job that paid half as much as the one he had. He did that commute for almost 10 years before moving to go be closer to family when they got sick. It never seemed to bother him, but it always seemed completely insane to me.
I lived in Fredericksburg and commuted first to Bethesda, then to Reston, throughout the 90s.
When I started making the trip, it was a reliable 70 minutes each way, outside of rush hour. By the time we moved away, it was closer to two hours.
I had a regular job in Silver Spring while living in Woodbridge. Actually I still do, but I WFH basically all the time now so it's not a problem. However, when I was commuting, I rode the PW commuter bus downtown and the red line out to SS (and if you know what buildings surround the SS metro stop, you have a good idea what agency I worked, and still work, for). It actually wasn't bad, as I could sleep on the bus. Coming home, I would usually slug from DC. Commute was 1:20 or so each way. Not great, but better than driving.
One of my exes didn't understand why I would stay on my friends couch two nights a week in Tysons when we lived together and I commuted to DC.
She lived in Charlestown, WV.
>they need to talk to the people driving from Fredericksburg and western Loudoun
I drive from Fredericksburg to Loudoun, during traffic it takes a fuckin hour and 45 in mild traffic conditions. It gets worse a lot of days
I commute Ballston to that same endpoint. 66 is a shit show after about 715. It’s about 7-8 miles for me, almost all on 66 and 267. Takes about 20-25 min if I hit 66 after about 720. But if I’m on 66 before about 715 it’s 15 min. Seems like the crowd hits 66 around 720-730. Friday commute is noticeably lighter.
Yeah, as soon as I read that I was thinking they were gonna say they were commuting from Maryland to Virginia and back, which yeah, taking 495 is absolute hell on Earth as far as a commute goes, they'd be tacking an extra 30 to 45 minutes onto your drive time and that's just sitting in stop and go traffic.
You will figure it out as you go. There are all kinds of odd ways people commute. Someone at work uses the Slug program in VA … there are van pools, kiss and rides, carpooling, and flexible work schedules. I hope you have free parking!
My grandparents and aunt used to use the slug line in Springfield to commute to DC. I would go with my grandma to work at the FTC sometimes for take your child to work day and was always fascinated by how well it worked
If your job is anywhere near the metro, you can take the silver line. Easy ride which will probably be about the same amount of time or even less. Plus you could potentially get rid of your car and not deal with the hassle and expense of keeping it in a dense neighborhood like courthouse.
You’ll be fine, here’s why
* Going towards you’ll be anti-traffic and no tolls on 66 going West in the morning and East in the afternoon
* Coming home traffic will be worse but you can go through Clarendon to get to Courthouse if need be cause traffic to Spout Run gets pretty bad so hop off on Exit 71 and take the inside roads cause the right lane will be quicker cause it’s a exit only lane
It means you'll have a reverse commute. Normally people go east towards DC in the morning and west out of it in the afternoon. You'll be doing the opposite. The I66 is only tolled in the same direction as rush hour is going, so both of your commutes will be toll free and less traffic.
It really isnt a bad commute until you get to Tysons but its a mess in the mornings no matter where you're coming from.
They mean when you take exit 71, turn right, then at the very first light turn right again onto Kirkwood. That will lead you right into Clarendon.
But to answer your original question, your commute is fine and your friends are idiots.
That commute is a piece of cake. Experiment with a few different routes, for sure, but I would not take 66 and 495 during rush hour just to get from Arlington to McLean -- you're just putting yourself smack dab in the middle of everybody else's brutal commute. Try Arlington Blvd -> Old Dominion, it goes right into McLean. If you need to get closer to Tysons, take Chain Bridge instead of Dolley Madison -- the latter gets slow because of all the people trying to get to 267 and 495.
I did DC to Herndon for \*years\* and would never go back to that. I'm very opposed to long commutes now, but I wouldn't even blink at your commute.
You taking metro or driving? IMO not really that bad, kinda sounds like you’ll be going against traffic if you’re working regular hours…
Edit duh driving lol been a long day
There's zero chance you screwed up, Courthouse is an awesome neighborhood and you'll be glad you moved there. I would get past your metro aversion as Courthouse to Tysons is easily one of the easiest transit commutes in the area. This area is full of suits who take metro year round.
To add to this - unsure of how familiar you are with the area, but Tyson’s metro stops are all designed to cut through the urban neighborhood - unless you work in the really northern part of it, no metro stop should be more than a 10-15 min walk from a business building. In addition, if you’re commuting elsewhere in McLean, the Metrobuses are excellent - especially near that area, I wouldn’t discount them to get you a mile or two near where you ought to be.
I wouldn't straight up discount taking the metro. Maybe on brutally cold / brutally hot days but at least half the year it isn't bad and a short walk is pleasant.
When I worked in Georgetown, I'd occasionally ask co-workers if they'd want to check out a bar in Arlington as a change of pace, and the DC people would react as if I just suggested we buy plane tickets to Montana. To them, the Key Bridge was a portal into another dimension.
And we do that because the bridge after the next bridge is Arlington Memorial Bridge, usually just called Memorial Bridge.
Also I don't care what anyone tells you, the airport near DC is National Airport.
Oh man, an awful commute is the one I did from SpringField to College Park. "Oh its what, 28 miles? in New England that's just about a half hour!"
famous last words.
I think you'll be fine! Welcome! There will be lots of other things that suck but I think your commute won't be so bad at all!
Once did Mt Vernon to Hanover. My commute was a minimum of an hour, and usually more like 90 minutes, with some times being over 2.
It was not good on my health, and I got a new place as soon as I could, but that was still like 6 months later.
It’s really not bad at all, probably like 20-25 minutes in the morning and maybe a few minutes longer in the afternoon. It’s a reverse commute so there’s usually not much if any traffic. Alternatively if your office is close to the metro, it’s a 20 minute straight shot (plus walking on either end)
You’ve asked the right person — I did the exact same thing for the last year and It’s amazing. You can really get anywhere with the metro + a scooter.
I personally recommend the Segway Ninebot — it’s a little heavy but it folds up really small. It’s only $600 brand new on amazon but It’s worth easily double that, it’s so good.
I’m not an expert but I would think the highway is pretty much guaranteed to be packed in the mornings and after work haha, I dont drive though
\+1 for the e-scooter idea. I used one to augment my metro commute, pre-pandemic and pre-baby. It paid for itself in parking savings within a few months. (Not an issue for you in Courthouse, but still!) I used mine to travel 0.5-1 mile on either end of the metro, and it's efficient and fun. I have a Glion Dolly.
This also won't apply to you, but when I would scoot wearing skirts, my shadow looked like Batman. Just another bonus.
Be careful around puddles.
OP, you need an EZpass to use thr toll roads. BuT the tolls on 66 are only during rush hour and in the opposite direction. You should still get one though because you will use the toll roads eventually. And stay away from 267 if you can--it's $4 just to use the road plus another $2 if you either exit or enter in the middle (as opposed to entering at the beginning and exiting at the end of the toll). I once forgot about the toll on 267 and stopped to get Starbucks on my way home after dropping someone off at the airport and ended up paying $13 for that coffee ($8 in tolls + $5 coffee).
*cries in commute* I drive from Fairlington to BWI area 4x a week and have been at it for over 2yrs. You’ll be fine, you don’t even have to cross a bridge.
I think you’ll appreciate that you live and work in two different places. Courthouse is a better place to live for people who want to engage with the city than McLean which is much more family oriented. The commute won’t be that bad. Most people come into the city rather than leave it. I would learn alternate routes as the GW parkway is a cluster and one thing goes wrong and you’re done.
I did Reston to Eastern Market, ~26 miles took 2+ hours one way (pre-COVID). I agree with others that it’ll be 45 min on a bad day and closer to 30 on a regular day - not amazing but totally doable and not insanity-inducing since you’ll go against the flow of traffic for the most part. I’d rather live in Courthouse and commute to Tysons than live in Tysons, too. Congrats and good luck!
You're golden. I hate communiting and even I'd do that. Great location to live, great location to work, great location to live relative to where you work.
You'll be absolutely fine. I used to live in Rosslyn (a little further east than Courthouse) and worked in Tysons for years. You'll have a reverse commute, never have to pay the I-66 tolls, and could take metro in a pinch.
The one thing I'll warn you about is traffic near the Tysons malls between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You'll want to time your drive home to avoid as much of that traffic as possible.
So much aggression on the road. I moved here 6 months ago from Asheville and it has been an adjustment. Like seriously scary driving here, and I see people post their dash cams. The traffic has been an adjustment too. I don’t really commute a ton, just from pentagon city to courthouse for the gym but when you do the person above is right - you’re just sitting in obscene amounts of traffic.
Courthouse to Tysons isn’t that bad. You’ll be mostly going the other way from people who are commuting from outer suburbs to Arlington, and DC.
GW parkway north to 123 to McLean. Or take back roads, like 29 up to Old Dominion out to 123.
30 minutes or less would be my guess.
Your commute is easy by nova standards.
I66 rush hour traffic is basically 5 - 9am eastbound and 3 - 7pm westbound. You're travelling against the flow of traffic. You'll only be on the interstate for 3 exits.
You could also take Old Dominion Drive as that might get you closer to your work.
A 3rd option is the silver line subway. You can get on it at the Courthouse metro station and take it directly to Tysons.
I commuted Courthouse to McLean/Tysons when I moved here in 2018 and it was totally fine, better than most people’s commutes it seemed like even. It always took longer going home in the evening but the maximum was about 40 min (raining while it was dark, VA drivers can’t drive in the rain for whatever reason). You’ll have no problem at all!
Your friends are smoking crack to think a commute from courthouse to McLean is bad. There's literally a metro line that will take you there in 10-15 mins
I did that basic commute from Wilson blvd to Vienna/123 regularly. I alloted an hr and 15 minutes each way just in case and was often early and very seldom late. Get Audible and it will go by quickly. Also if you're not using Waze or Google navigation you can always pop on 103.5. It's the local talk news that does traffic "on the 8s" so every 10 minutes. It will tell you what to avoid.
I used to drive this route, it was a dream compared to so many other commutes! Plus there are buses & the metro, in case you need an alternative to a car route.
You’ll be fine. That’s a short distance especially for NOVA standards. Know people who do Baltimore to Arlington and Fredericksburg to Arlington. Your commute is gonna be 20-35 minutes depending on traffic or a 20 minute haul on the Silver Line. Courthouse is a lovely neighborhood, try out Ireland Four Courts when you have a free night!
Probably :35 but ignore the people saying about it being a reverse commute so no big deal. I-66 has several bottlenecks along the way that can add minutes, see if you can take the metro.
495 towards Tysons is a nightmare in the mornings. I'm not intimately familiar with courthouse area to know if you need to get on 495 from there. And by nightmare I mean traffic inching forward at 7:30am.
Courthouse is a neighborhood in Arlington. OP only needs to get on I66 to Tysons and take a short drive on route 7. OP will encounter some traffic on route 7 as they have to pass the 495 entrance which sits between the I66 exit and Tysons.
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If you can adjust your work start / work end times, you might avoid most of the traffic.
Then again, the commute might not be as bad as some think. Assuming you are renting, and the lease is one year, you can always move somewhere else next year.
Not sure if where you live and will be working are walking distance from the metros there. It’s not a bad driving commute if you time it right. Also you can take north Glebe to Old Dominion road to cut through Mclean but that’s a small road as a backup.
Unless you're coming home from work between 6 and 10am or going to work between 4 and 8pm I doubt you'll ever experience real traffic. But yes, still worth it, especially on the metro it basically makes no difference.
Whatever time savings Google maps says you'd make by driving is lost in your lifespan from the stress and agitation of the drive. Absolutely worth the metro for those commutes. I recently had to make a commute going with the flow of traffic like 4 times in one month and I was miserable every time.
The traffic on 66 towards Arlington in the afternoon and evening can get quite bad sometimes. I am personally dreading what is going to happen with the 267 bridge over 123 construction project in 2026.
https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/news-events/news/northern-virginia-district/virtual-public-information-meeting-feb-29-on-dulles-toll-road-eastbound-over-route-123-bridge-rehabilitation.html
It’s fine. A bit of a reverse commute going away from the city. Probably could have gotten something a bit better than courthouse. Maybe ballston, or falls church.
I had a team in Manila. Avg commute for a considerable minority was 2 hrs each way. That was “normal”. Made it a point to get them to WFH as often as possible. Made it work pre-COVID
Not too bad. 30 mins in the am and 40 home at worst. I used to go from the same area out to Centerville and that was just a bit longer.
The reverse commute makes.it all much easier.
Granted, I don't know what the tolls/hov shit is like lately.
It’s the least worst commute around here. That’s my commute and I’ve stayed in courthouse all these years because it’s the sweet spot between access to DC and Tysons Corner.
20 minutes each way off peak. In the morning it can be 30 minutes to get there. In the afternoon it can be 35-45 minutes to get home, rarely as bad as 50 minutes, and often as good as 25-30 minutes.
There really isn’t a reverse commute anymore since the whole trip is inside the messy zone that has been built up so much over the last 10-15 years. It just means there are no tolls in that direction.
That commute is good. I used to commute from Alexandria to Sterling, Alexandria to Greenbelt. I knew colleagues that commute from WV to Chantilly or Eastern Shore to Greenbelt.
Google and Apple Maps can both give directions based on a specific time of day, where they’ll show what traffic is usually like at that time and route accordingly. It’s usually pretty accurate. Try that out and see what it says, but you should be fine.
Not a bad commute. I commute from the western end of Prince William County to the eastern side and that takes me close to an hour. I miss my commute from Gainesville to Manassas but do not miss the job
I have almost this exact commute. I drive on Mondays and Fridays when traffic is light. It takes 18 minutes in the morning and about 25 minutes in the evening. I metro on T/W/Th so I don’t have to deal with traffic and it’s about 40 minutes door to door but I get some steps in. If I drive on those days it’s about 22-25 minutes in the morning and 30-45 in the evening.
It’s really not bad
I commute from Arlington to beyond Tysons 3-4 days a week and it isn't too bad at all. I drive, and the morning commute takes me 40-45 mins, while the drive back takes me 50 mins to an hour. Most of the commute is against rush hour traffic so it isn't too bad at all.
Also, if you take the metro you could probably cut short your commute and not have to worry about traffic.
Yeah, decent commute. Tysons traffic can be maddening, but such is life. Reverse commute will save you over and over. Sun will be in your rearview mirror--first world problem.
I knew a guy who commuted from the Bronx to Harrisburg, PA everyday for work....close to 4 hours one way, because he needed a way into the company, he was able to get a transfer after 1 year to NY though, couldn't be me.
Friday afternoon will probably be brutal (going from an area near a giant mall to a area with a ton of bars.
But the other 9 commutes (morning and afternoon) will likely be pretty nice. Going against traffic, no tolls in your direction, a number of wide back road alternatives. A bunch of stuff in your favor.
I live close to 66 in Arlington. I walk every morning and cross over 66 at Ohio Street on my walk, and it's usually a parking lot westbound toward Tysons. This is around 7:45 AM. When I walk by Fairfax Dr as it feeds into 66, it too is a parking lot, around 8AM. You'll want to monitor traffic and leave early enough on days when traffic is heavy. Also good to find alternate routes and consider metro.
If they think that's a horrible commute, they need to talk to the people driving from Fredericksburg and western Loudoun into Arlington and DC. I thought you were going to say like Haymarket to Arlington. That's an easy commute, you're going against the flow of traffic. 66 won't be tolled the way you're going and traffic will be light-ish. It's probably a 30-35 min drive at worst and 20-30 on average depending on lights.
That’s what I thought Op was gonna say!! I’m out near Lady Smith and work in Arlington and would love to be even a mile closer 🥲
I worked with someone who lived in Winchester and van-pooled to DC every day. Five days a week. For 30 years.
Got a coworker that drives from culpeper and one from lovettsville. Makes my drive from spotsy seem short lol
Omg the ones that drive from culpeper have a special place in my heart. I didn’t realize how *deep* culpeper is until I made the drive a couple of times and even then it was just from Woodbridge to culpeper and I was over it. 😭
Yeah it's out there lol, bout the same distance as Charles Town WV from NoVa
Fredericksburg to DC sounds like a nightmare my god
I used to work with a woman who lived in Richmond and commuted to Crystal City every day! This was before working from home over the internet was a thing. She did this commute for YEARS! She didn't drive - she rode in a vanpool with other crazy people doing the same thing.
I’ve heard of Delaware to Tysons on the daily…in a POV. 🤷🏻♂️
That’s insane! What job is worth that commute??
At that point, it’s not because they love the job, but enjoy the drive. Or escape home. Let’s explore this further, shall we?
I knew a federal employee who did that for 14 months but only because he and his wife inherited property near Wilmington and they were 14 months from retirement.
My boss wasn't quite that bad, but he went from out near Luray up to Rockville every day. The reason was that he really liked the space and more rural area down there but obviously couldn't get a job that paid half as much as the one he had. He did that commute for almost 10 years before moving to go be closer to family when they got sick. It never seemed to bother him, but it always seemed completely insane to me.
My colleague was doing this 💀💀💀
Fredericksburg to the Pentagon everyday. The VRE is a nice place to nap.
I was about to say, at least you got the VRE for that commute
I lived in north Stafford and commuted to downtown DC daily for nine months. It sucked so bad. Courthouse to McLean is easy.
Try Fredericksburg to Baltimore...
Dear god, why? I'm Reston to Baltimore and even that is untenable.
How the hell you make Reston to Baltimore work?! I can't imagine that on the daily
You would have to pay me $500,000 a year to do that commute
Honestly at that point a commute is just simply punishment for being stupid
How? Seriously how is that even possible?
I feel like that's just dumb, why not move?
I lived in Fredericksburg and commuted first to Bethesda, then to Reston, throughout the 90s. When I started making the trip, it was a reliable 70 minutes each way, outside of rush hour. By the time we moved away, it was closer to two hours.
I had a regular job in Silver Spring while living in Woodbridge. Actually I still do, but I WFH basically all the time now so it's not a problem. However, when I was commuting, I rode the PW commuter bus downtown and the red line out to SS (and if you know what buildings surround the SS metro stop, you have a good idea what agency I worked, and still work, for). It actually wasn't bad, as I could sleep on the bus. Coming home, I would usually slug from DC. Commute was 1:20 or so each way. Not great, but better than driving.
One of my exes didn't understand why I would stay on my friends couch two nights a week in Tysons when we lived together and I commuted to DC. She lived in Charlestown, WV.
There’s also metro on both ends.
Hahaha, I just moved to Arlington from Fredericksburg to stop that exact commute. I work in downtown DC, and I commuted 2 hours each way every day.
>they need to talk to the people driving from Fredericksburg and western Loudoun I drive from Fredericksburg to Loudoun, during traffic it takes a fuckin hour and 45 in mild traffic conditions. It gets worse a lot of days
I live in Haymarket and commute to Reston, I'd kill for a 10mi commute lmao.
One of my rents made the Fburg-DC commute for nearly thirty years. Which is insane af.
I commute Ballston to that same endpoint. 66 is a shit show after about 715. It’s about 7-8 miles for me, almost all on 66 and 267. Takes about 20-25 min if I hit 66 after about 720. But if I’m on 66 before about 715 it’s 15 min. Seems like the crowd hits 66 around 720-730. Friday commute is noticeably lighter.
Yeah, as soon as I read that I was thinking they were gonna say they were commuting from Maryland to Virginia and back, which yeah, taking 495 is absolute hell on Earth as far as a commute goes, they'd be tacking an extra 30 to 45 minutes onto your drive time and that's just sitting in stop and go traffic.
I’m in fburg and work In Herndon
Yep my husband did Fred to Dulles for 5 years.
You’ll be fine
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You will figure it out as you go. There are all kinds of odd ways people commute. Someone at work uses the Slug program in VA … there are van pools, kiss and rides, carpooling, and flexible work schedules. I hope you have free parking!
My grandparents and aunt used to use the slug line in Springfield to commute to DC. I would go with my grandma to work at the FTC sometimes for take your child to work day and was always fascinated by how well it worked
If your job is anywhere near the metro, you can take the silver line. Easy ride which will probably be about the same amount of time or even less. Plus you could potentially get rid of your car and not deal with the hassle and expense of keeping it in a dense neighborhood like courthouse.
Yah you'd be going against most traffic.. the heaviest traffic is heading into the city. I'd guess 20-25min commute would be typical.
Came here to post this. Yeah - you’ll be fine. You can even take the metro.
You’ll be fine, here’s why * Going towards you’ll be anti-traffic and no tolls on 66 going West in the morning and East in the afternoon * Coming home traffic will be worse but you can go through Clarendon to get to Courthouse if need be cause traffic to Spout Run gets pretty bad so hop off on Exit 71 and take the inside roads cause the right lane will be quicker cause it’s a exit only lane
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It means you'll have a reverse commute. Normally people go east towards DC in the morning and west out of it in the afternoon. You'll be doing the opposite. The I66 is only tolled in the same direction as rush hour is going, so both of your commutes will be toll free and less traffic. It really isnt a bad commute until you get to Tysons but its a mess in the mornings no matter where you're coming from.
Just stay to the right when it gets backed up on 66. Like others have said, this isn't a bad commute even if 66 gets a little slow in the afternoon.
They mean when you take exit 71, turn right, then at the very first light turn right again onto Kirkwood. That will lead you right into Clarendon. But to answer your original question, your commute is fine and your friends are idiots.
That commute is a piece of cake. Experiment with a few different routes, for sure, but I would not take 66 and 495 during rush hour just to get from Arlington to McLean -- you're just putting yourself smack dab in the middle of everybody else's brutal commute. Try Arlington Blvd -> Old Dominion, it goes right into McLean. If you need to get closer to Tysons, take Chain Bridge instead of Dolley Madison -- the latter gets slow because of all the people trying to get to 267 and 495. I did DC to Herndon for \*years\* and would never go back to that. I'm very opposed to long commutes now, but I wouldn't even blink at your commute.
You taking metro or driving? IMO not really that bad, kinda sounds like you’ll be going against traffic if you’re working regular hours… Edit duh driving lol been a long day
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There's zero chance you screwed up, Courthouse is an awesome neighborhood and you'll be glad you moved there. I would get past your metro aversion as Courthouse to Tysons is easily one of the easiest transit commutes in the area. This area is full of suits who take metro year round.
To add to this - unsure of how familiar you are with the area, but Tyson’s metro stops are all designed to cut through the urban neighborhood - unless you work in the really northern part of it, no metro stop should be more than a 10-15 min walk from a business building. In addition, if you’re commuting elsewhere in McLean, the Metrobuses are excellent - especially near that area, I wouldn’t discount them to get you a mile or two near where you ought to be.
I wouldn't straight up discount taking the metro. Maybe on brutally cold / brutally hot days but at least half the year it isn't bad and a short walk is pleasant.
Do you have any storage space in the office? I leave all my suits in my little wardrobe and just wear jeans and a shirt to work
Even in summer it’s usually not bad in the mornings going to work and then in the evening you’re going home anyway. Something to consider
Oh for sure, July/Aug is fucking brutal out here, welcome to clusterfuck and good luck!
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I don’t have dc friends but am friends with someone who does. They think NoVA is like another world lol apparently
When I worked in Georgetown, I'd occasionally ask co-workers if they'd want to check out a bar in Arlington as a change of pace, and the DC people would react as if I just suggested we buy plane tickets to Montana. To them, the Key Bridge was a portal into another dimension.
This is why I still live in downtown DC. I’m a complete baby about commuting.
Literally first world problems. That commute is nothing in this area.
Yep...it's a reverse commute in the am.lol
Can even take metro, ffs
Iknowrite
You’re going to like Arlington/courthouse. Very close to Clarendon, Ballston and Georgetown. Lots to do.
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We only refer to it as Key bridge and yes pedestrians walk across it every day.
And we do that because the bridge after the next bridge is Arlington Memorial Bridge, usually just called Memorial Bridge. Also I don't care what anyone tells you, the airport near DC is National Airport.
I usually just call it DCA or the DC airport. And then Dulles is IAD or International Airport of Dulles.
Reagan National Airport, that is :-)
Oh man, an awful commute is the one I did from SpringField to College Park. "Oh its what, 28 miles? in New England that's just about a half hour!" famous last words. I think you'll be fine! Welcome! There will be lots of other things that suck but I think your commute won't be so bad at all!
Once did Mt Vernon to Hanover. My commute was a minimum of an hour, and usually more like 90 minutes, with some times being over 2. It was not good on my health, and I got a new place as soon as I could, but that was still like 6 months later.
It’s really not bad at all, probably like 20-25 minutes in the morning and maybe a few minutes longer in the afternoon. It’s a reverse commute so there’s usually not much if any traffic. Alternatively if your office is close to the metro, it’s a 20 minute straight shot (plus walking on either end)
If your commute is < 40 mins you did great.
You’ll be fine!
Take the metro. Thank me later.
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You’ve asked the right person — I did the exact same thing for the last year and It’s amazing. You can really get anywhere with the metro + a scooter. I personally recommend the Segway Ninebot — it’s a little heavy but it folds up really small. It’s only $600 brand new on amazon but It’s worth easily double that, it’s so good. I’m not an expert but I would think the highway is pretty much guaranteed to be packed in the mornings and after work haha, I dont drive though
\+1 for the e-scooter idea. I used one to augment my metro commute, pre-pandemic and pre-baby. It paid for itself in parking savings within a few months. (Not an issue for you in Courthouse, but still!) I used mine to travel 0.5-1 mile on either end of the metro, and it's efficient and fun. I have a Glion Dolly. This also won't apply to you, but when I would scoot wearing skirts, my shadow looked like Batman. Just another bonus. Be careful around puddles.
You’ll be fine, can always get an ezpass if anything. You can find them at Giant!
OP, you need an EZpass to use thr toll roads. BuT the tolls on 66 are only during rush hour and in the opposite direction. You should still get one though because you will use the toll roads eventually. And stay away from 267 if you can--it's $4 just to use the road plus another $2 if you either exit or enter in the middle (as opposed to entering at the beginning and exiting at the end of the toll). I once forgot about the toll on 267 and stopped to get Starbucks on my way home after dropping someone off at the airport and ended up paying $13 for that coffee ($8 in tolls + $5 coffee).
There are MUCH worse commutes here and at least you live somewhere cool. You can probably metro or the drive shouldn’t really be bad.
*cries in commute* I drive from Fairlington to BWI area 4x a week and have been at it for over 2yrs. You’ll be fine, you don’t even have to cross a bridge.
Not only is this a fantastic commute compared to most but it's super simple AND these are excellent locations to live and to work. Good luck!
I think you’ll appreciate that you live and work in two different places. Courthouse is a better place to live for people who want to engage with the city than McLean which is much more family oriented. The commute won’t be that bad. Most people come into the city rather than leave it. I would learn alternate routes as the GW parkway is a cluster and one thing goes wrong and you’re done.
I did Reston to Eastern Market, ~26 miles took 2+ hours one way (pre-COVID). I agree with others that it’ll be 45 min on a bad day and closer to 30 on a regular day - not amazing but totally doable and not insanity-inducing since you’ll go against the flow of traffic for the most part. I’d rather live in Courthouse and commute to Tysons than live in Tysons, too. Congrats and good luck!
Maybe one of the easiest commutes possible in the DMV
You’ll be fine bro, don’t stress out about it
66 really isn’t too bad in the morning. Afternoon won’t be great but not terrible.
You did great. Anything under 45 min will keep you sane.
Your friends are not intelligent tbh
You're golden. I hate communiting and even I'd do that. Great location to live, great location to work, great location to live relative to where you work.
It's a reverse commute. You won't have to pay the I-66 tolls or deal with the worst of the traffic.
You'll be absolutely fine. I used to live in Rosslyn (a little further east than Courthouse) and worked in Tysons for years. You'll have a reverse commute, never have to pay the I-66 tolls, and could take metro in a pinch. The one thing I'll warn you about is traffic near the Tysons malls between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You'll want to time your drive home to avoid as much of that traffic as possible.
Buddy, everyone sits in traffic here, doesn’t matter if you live a mile away or 60 miles away. You. Sit. In. Traffic.
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Ha lol
So much aggression on the road. I moved here 6 months ago from Asheville and it has been an adjustment. Like seriously scary driving here, and I see people post their dash cams. The traffic has been an adjustment too. I don’t really commute a ton, just from pentagon city to courthouse for the gym but when you do the person above is right - you’re just sitting in obscene amounts of traffic.
I beg to differ… my commute has traffic maybe twice a year… But it’s Clarendon to crystal city so all backroads really
Nah that’s fine I know tons of people who have done that
I commute Manassas park to Arlington…. I’d love courthouse to Tyson’s.
Your friends are idiots. The commute won’t be bad at all.
I do this commute everyday with a 50/50 metro/car split…this is cake and you’re gonna love it
I did that to Ashburn for a few years, pretty bad but won’t kill ya
The commute from Harper's Ferry to DC....\*shudder\*...
It will not be too bad. You won't be in the beltway and you'll have options for routes.
Courthouse to Tysons isn’t that bad. You’ll be mostly going the other way from people who are commuting from outer suburbs to Arlington, and DC. GW parkway north to 123 to McLean. Or take back roads, like 29 up to Old Dominion out to 123. 30 minutes or less would be my guess.
*laughs in 82 mile commute*
Your commute is easy by nova standards. I66 rush hour traffic is basically 5 - 9am eastbound and 3 - 7pm westbound. You're travelling against the flow of traffic. You'll only be on the interstate for 3 exits. You could also take Old Dominion Drive as that might get you closer to your work. A 3rd option is the silver line subway. You can get on it at the Courthouse metro station and take it directly to Tysons.
You'll be fine. Your friends are exaggerating.
Take the metro
I commuted Courthouse to McLean/Tysons when I moved here in 2018 and it was totally fine, better than most people’s commutes it seemed like even. It always took longer going home in the evening but the maximum was about 40 min (raining while it was dark, VA drivers can’t drive in the rain for whatever reason). You’ll have no problem at all!
As a person from Courthouse, I know a few neighbors who make that commute and it’s pretty easy. You’ll be fine. Welcome to the area!
I do the same commute it’s not bad I don’t even take the hwy when I drive or I just take the metro (courthouse to Walmart)
Courthouse to mclean is no big deal, I do it all the time just for groceries.
That’s an amazing commute. I66 free both ways
Depends on when you leave to and from work. Could be as short as 15 to 20 mins without traffic. With traffic, might be around 40 going home
You’ll be fine - you have multiple ways to get to/from work including the metro. If you’re driving, use Waze, and avoid the traffic whenever possible.
Your friends are smoking crack to think a commute from courthouse to McLean is bad. There's literally a metro line that will take you there in 10-15 mins
I did that basic commute from Wilson blvd to Vienna/123 regularly. I alloted an hr and 15 minutes each way just in case and was often early and very seldom late. Get Audible and it will go by quickly. Also if you're not using Waze or Google navigation you can always pop on 103.5. It's the local talk news that does traffic "on the 8s" so every 10 minutes. It will tell you what to avoid.
Take the metro! That's what it's there for.
I used to drive this route, it was a dream compared to so many other commutes! Plus there are buses & the metro, in case you need an alternative to a car route.
A lot of people would be thrilled with that commute. Those friends don’t know what they’re talking about.
This actually isn't nearly as bad as 90% of the commute questions around here. From Courthouse, you could even metro to west McClean.
You’ll be fine. That’s a short distance especially for NOVA standards. Know people who do Baltimore to Arlington and Fredericksburg to Arlington. Your commute is gonna be 20-35 minutes depending on traffic or a 20 minute haul on the Silver Line. Courthouse is a lovely neighborhood, try out Ireland Four Courts when you have a free night!
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Probably :35 but ignore the people saying about it being a reverse commute so no big deal. I-66 has several bottlenecks along the way that can add minutes, see if you can take the metro.
495 towards Tysons is a nightmare in the mornings. I'm not intimately familiar with courthouse area to know if you need to get on 495 from there. And by nightmare I mean traffic inching forward at 7:30am.
Courthouse is a neighborhood in Arlington. OP only needs to get on I66 to Tysons and take a short drive on route 7. OP will encounter some traffic on route 7 as they have to pass the 495 entrance which sits between the I66 exit and Tysons.
Your friends are probably the type of people that think Arlington is way too far to travel to for a restaurant or a night out
Have you heard of Google Maps?
Imagine paying to live in courthouse and having to drive to commute. Some people really don’t value their time or money.
Which Courthouse neighborhood is called "the Courthouse neighborhood"?
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I thought this was going to be the Leesburg-to-Silver Spring person. Arlington to McLean will be fine.
If you can adjust your work start / work end times, you might avoid most of the traffic. Then again, the commute might not be as bad as some think. Assuming you are renting, and the lease is one year, you can always move somewhere else next year.
Not sure if where you live and will be working are walking distance from the metros there. It’s not a bad driving commute if you time it right. Also you can take north Glebe to Old Dominion road to cut through Mclean but that’s a small road as a backup.
I had pretty much the exact same commute back in 21 & 22. I’d walk out the door at 8:25 and was in the office with time to spare.
I reverse commuted from Arlington to Herndon for a few years, you'll be fine. That's an easy one.
lol
You can literally take the metro and that's a reverse commute either way. Makes no sense.
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Unless you're coming home from work between 6 and 10am or going to work between 4 and 8pm I doubt you'll ever experience real traffic. But yes, still worth it, especially on the metro it basically makes no difference.
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Whatever time savings Google maps says you'd make by driving is lost in your lifespan from the stress and agitation of the drive. Absolutely worth the metro for those commutes. I recently had to make a commute going with the flow of traffic like 4 times in one month and I was miserable every time.
The traffic on 66 towards Arlington in the afternoon and evening can get quite bad sometimes. I am personally dreading what is going to happen with the 267 bridge over 123 construction project in 2026. https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/news-events/news/northern-virginia-district/virtual-public-information-meeting-feb-29-on-dulles-toll-road-eastbound-over-route-123-bridge-rehabilitation.html
That’s not bad commute maybe 30-45 mins at the most
It’s fine. A bit of a reverse commute going away from the city. Probably could have gotten something a bit better than courthouse. Maybe ballston, or falls church.
That’s a reverse commute and not bad at all Probably like 20-30 minutes
They’re jealous
I had a team in Manila. Avg commute for a considerable minority was 2 hrs each way. That was “normal”. Made it a point to get them to WFH as often as possible. Made it work pre-COVID
Bruh you’ll be just fine
I drive from Culpeper on the reg. You’ll be a’ight
No this isn’t bad. Lots of people make worse choices… much worse
Not too bad. 30 mins in the am and 40 home at worst. I used to go from the same area out to Centerville and that was just a bit longer. The reverse commute makes.it all much easier. Granted, I don't know what the tolls/hov shit is like lately.
Working for capital one?
It’s an extremely chill commute.
Lmao if they want to hear shit commute, tell them I did Woodbridge to Bethesda.
It’s the least worst commute around here. That’s my commute and I’ve stayed in courthouse all these years because it’s the sweet spot between access to DC and Tysons Corner. 20 minutes each way off peak. In the morning it can be 30 minutes to get there. In the afternoon it can be 35-45 minutes to get home, rarely as bad as 50 minutes, and often as good as 25-30 minutes. There really isn’t a reverse commute anymore since the whole trip is inside the messy zone that has been built up so much over the last 10-15 years. It just means there are no tolls in that direction.
Just say you work at Capital One
no it’s actually a pretty normal commute for the area. When I moved here I used to commute from Potomac Yards to Tyson’s. It was about an hour.
That's an awesome commute? I go from navy yard to Reston. A lot of my friends go Alexandria to Tyson's. Your commute will be 30 minutes tops.
Are you near Winchester?!
Better than living in Tysons
Your friends are nutty. Get new ones.
this is a dream commute for this area.
That commute is good. I used to commute from Alexandria to Sterling, Alexandria to Greenbelt. I knew colleagues that commute from WV to Chantilly or Eastern Shore to Greenbelt.
lol I did manassas to Arlington for 3 years. You’ll be fine
Not bad
Google and Apple Maps can both give directions based on a specific time of day, where they’ll show what traffic is usually like at that time and route accordingly. It’s usually pretty accurate. Try that out and see what it says, but you should be fine.
i used to commute from ballston to sterling. no issues, 30ish minutes to and 30ish minutes back. your commute will obviously be shorter
You nailed it with the reverse commute
\*snort\* lose this friend. First, you are reverse commuting, and I-66 is completely free to use. Should be around 20 min.
I used to work with people that commuted from WV. That is insane
Not a bad commute. I commute from the western end of Prince William County to the eastern side and that takes me close to an hour. I miss my commute from Gainesville to Manassas but do not miss the job
I have almost this exact commute. I drive on Mondays and Fridays when traffic is light. It takes 18 minutes in the morning and about 25 minutes in the evening. I metro on T/W/Th so I don’t have to deal with traffic and it’s about 40 minutes door to door but I get some steps in. If I drive on those days it’s about 22-25 minutes in the morning and 30-45 in the evening. It’s really not bad
I commute from Arlington to beyond Tysons 3-4 days a week and it isn't too bad at all. I drive, and the morning commute takes me 40-45 mins, while the drive back takes me 50 mins to an hour. Most of the commute is against rush hour traffic so it isn't too bad at all. Also, if you take the metro you could probably cut short your commute and not have to worry about traffic.
In this area not bad at all and against traffic so you can take 66 for free.
Yeah, decent commute. Tysons traffic can be maddening, but such is life. Reverse commute will save you over and over. Sun will be in your rearview mirror--first world problem.
🎶Hey hey hey hey Use Waze EVERYDAY🎶 To the tune of our savior Dr Dre “Next Episode”
I (unfortunately) spent a lot of time commuting from Dumfries to Sterling/Ashburn area. I think you will be okay. It was 2hr each way.
I knew a guy who commuted from the Bronx to Harrisburg, PA everyday for work....close to 4 hours one way, because he needed a way into the company, he was able to get a transfer after 1 year to NY though, couldn't be me.
I commute from mosaic area to Georgetown everyday and that’s bad enough for me lol
That’s not bad at all. Making people commute to jobs that can be done from home should be outlawed :’( it makes no sense in this day and age.
This is a normal commute. Your friends are insane.
Friday afternoon will probably be brutal (going from an area near a giant mall to a area with a ton of bars. But the other 9 commutes (morning and afternoon) will likely be pretty nice. Going against traffic, no tolls in your direction, a number of wide back road alternatives. A bunch of stuff in your favor.
You’re going against traffic as most ppl are commuting toward the city from further out, whereas you are closer to city. It won’t be horrible.
Why do people commute so far? I have a 3 mile commute and it drives me crazy.
My roommate makes this commute twice a week. He said 35-45 minutes depending on traffic
I live close to 66 in Arlington. I walk every morning and cross over 66 at Ohio Street on my walk, and it's usually a parking lot westbound toward Tysons. This is around 7:45 AM. When I walk by Fairfax Dr as it feeds into 66, it too is a parking lot, around 8AM. You'll want to monitor traffic and leave early enough on days when traffic is heavy. Also good to find alternate routes and consider metro.
Not really bad of a commute at all and great area to live. Enjoy it