what is the commute like from Columbia to Gaithersburg?

[MD999]

I live in Laurel, MD. I work in Columbia. My husband works in Gaithersburg. I grew up in Rockville/Gaithersburg and I would *highly* recommend Gaithersburg or Olney over Columbia. Better schools, more restaurants, more shops, shorter commute. My husband takes back roads to work everyday and on average it takes an hour and it is a 20mi drive. Even driving there with NO traffic it is a 35-40min drive. I would also suggest areas further NW such as Germantown, Clarksburg, and Urbana. These areas are slightly less congested, but still offer the same amenities.

[localcall]

Originally Posted by filmsniffer

What? That's a COLOSSAL waste of time! That will take over an hour and is close to 40 miles.

Maybe. I've never done that commute before, so you may be right that there are better routes. From what I've heard from others who have done the commute, no matter what roads you take (either highway or the backroads), it's still going to take you roughly the same amount of time. The small roads may be more direct or shorter, but the traffic lights and the one/two lane roads are easily backed up in the morning.

I commute the other way right now (Gaithersburg to Baltimore) in the morning, and when I take the back roads home, it's really not that much better than taking the highway.

Originally Posted by filmsniffer

Definitely one of the BEST route between Gaithersburg/Columbia. Time won't be on your side (about 45 minutes) but mile-wise, it's the way to go at only 27 miles (saving gas & wear on the car)! You also can take MD-124 from Gaithersburg which will give you the same time and miles.

Is it really? I took MD-124 before to get to work, and after getting stuck in traffic at 355/MD-124, I swore not to take that again. I think it took me 20 minutes to go a mile or something. It was probably just a bad day...

[tonyc]

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[tonyc]

Originally Posted by MD999

I live in Laurel, MD. I work in Columbia. My husband works in Gaithersburg. I grew up in Rockville/Gaithersburg and I would *highly* recommend Gaithersburg or Olney over Columbia. Better schools, more restaurants, more shops, shorter commute. My husband takes back roads to work everyday and on average it takes an hour and it is a 20mi drive. Even driving there with NO traffic it is a 35-40min drive. I would also suggest areas further NW such as Germantown, Clarksburg, and Urbana. These areas are slightly less congested, but still offer the same amenities.

don't forget Damascus...

[macroy]

I did this commute both ways over the last 7-8 years (lived in Columbia, then Potomac, and now Ellicott City. Worked in G-burg when living in Columbia, and worked by BWI when living in Potomac).

Depending on where in Columbia you're living - you can take Brighton Dam (32 and 108) to New Hampshire Ave, then take a left on Zion rd. That will take you over to the Muncaster /108 area.

Unfortunately - Columbia to G/burg is more with the traffic. Its about 45-60 min.... What you will need to try and avoid is the School buses in the mornings.. so be sure to leave before that in the morning.

I actually enjoyed the drive - its peaceful and relaxing since you're not trying to jockey position with others on a multi-laned road. At least not until you get into the Shady Grove area....

By all means, avoid 95/495/29 unless you're traveling way off hours (i.e. 5am)

In terms of taking up residence. I personally would take Olney over Gaithersburg. And Columbia would only be considered if its River Hill/Clarksville (higher priced though). But I also prefer more of a suburbia. Places like Kentlands, Lakelands, King Farm etc are a bit too "fake" for me. And you take those, multiply the size a few times, age it thirty years... you have most of Columbia.

One thing I will say - I'm paying more tax in HoCo than I did in MoCo. WAY MORE.

I don't think you'll see too much difference in terms of crime... each has there good and bad. Obviously, the bigger the area, the more crime you'll have statistically.

[filmsniffer]

Originally Posted by localcall

Maybe. I've never done that commute before, so you may be right that there are better routes. From what I've heard from others who have done the commute, no matter what roads you take (either highway or the backroads), it's still going to take you roughly the same amount of time. The small roads may be more direct or shorter, but the traffic lights and the one/two lane roads are easily backed up in the morning.

I commute the other way right now (Gaithersburg to Baltimore) in the morning, and when I take the back roads home, it's really not that much better than taking the highway.

Is it really? I took MD-124 before to get to work, and after getting stuck in traffic at 355/MD-124, I swore not to take that again. I think it took me 20 minutes to go a mile or something. It was probably just a bad day...

Either way, time won't be on your side...but taking the back roads will save in MILES, not time. Less wear on the car, etc.

I worked in Columbia till 2005, and I left around 6:30 to work at 7:30. As long as school buses aren't around, the commute is a breeze. If it's a 9-5 grind, then I agree it'd probably be longer/backed up.

Ouch. Every G'burg resident knows the the MD-355 and MD-124 interchange is a horrible bottleneck! But it's the only way to get on I-270 if you're living around Montgomery Village. They need to do something about it. I don't (I left earlier as well), so the MD-124 route isn't horrible to me.

Let's see how the ICC works in a few years... But FINALLY, a connection to I-95 in MoCo, even if it's only the north route.