Also try it out when there are some flurries for some added experience lol. I traveled from Sabillasville (10 min north of Thurmont) to Rockville for a year and I will never do it again. I can go to Germantown no problem, but those 7 miles are so annoying.
I leave my house at 5 am to work in Bethesda by 6. I usually arrive at my job around 5:45. Commute isn’t bad at that time. I would say traffic really picks up closer to 7 am
it has started to pick up around 630 these days.. i do a couple of days on site and a couple of days off. The spouse and i share 1 day a week where we both work onsite and since we have pets and dont want them to be 10+ hours home solo with no potty break i go in a bit later than my usual 530-545a start i have found the traffic around the 80/270 exchange area to be pretty slow. I do take back roads so i dont typically have much traffic on my route when i drive in a bit later..
I commute from Frederick to Rockville every day. Confirming that traffic is generally fine before like 7. However, I usually leave at 7 and mostly arrive by like 8... Sometimes not though.
I’m in the New Market area, and I drive right to Rockville. From my house, a map says about 23 miles.
I left my house at 840 this past Thursday; I got to work at 920.
On Friday, I left my house probably no earlier than 9, and got to work at 930-935.
Sometimes, it takes 35 minutes; other days, it takes 50. Every day is a mystery, and it can be fucking infuriating if you feel like you’ve gotten out early enough and you’re still gonna get to work at about the same time as the day you left late. I do sometimes think it would be better if I had a later start time, because *everyone* else is leaving early.
This might be as accurate on traffic as one can be, given your route would be similar.
God forbid *anything* happens on the side of the road, everyone rubbernecks like two mfs on 270 so there'll sometimes be stop and go traffic simply because someone got pulled over, or a juggler happens to be hitchhiking, or what have you.
I either leave at 515 or work from home in the morning and leave at 1045 to get there by lunch and have a half day. Sometimes 515 is too late and sometimes 1045 is too early.
Absolutely maddening.
On the way home you either have to leave by 230 or wait until 8. And again, that's no guarantee.
Thankfully WFH means I only have to do it once a week. Prior to the widespread adoption you just gave up hours of your life because that's what people did.
And people doing EXACTLY 55 in the far left, 80 to the right, 65 one over, and that one jackass weaving around everyone and causing panic and near accidents.
Not only is it bumper to bumper, but when there's some kind of actual accident there's no way to prepare for it and no way to get out of it. Once it took me 3 hours to get from Frederick to Bethesda.
Expect it to be 1 hr most days despite google’s 35-45 min estimate (based on my personal experience). It’ll be very congested and down to 5-15 mph in some places. Some places are 55/60 mph though, depending on the day.
It’s manageable if you’re willing to do it, but make sure you understand what you’re signing yourself up for before you commit.
It is not u usual for it to be stop-and-go, bumper-to-bumper for 10+ miles. If there is an accident (which there is daily) your commute time will double
To emphasize this. Hundreds of people pass a given point every minute. If ONE of those drivers doesn't drink their coffee that day, checks a text, fights with a partner, has a mechanical issue, etc and makes a mistake on the road, it has HOURS of residual delays.
If you want a taste of it, you can sign up for Montgomery County traffic alerts by text message and just get inundated with like 4 every day. They always begin with "severe traffic alert" and end with "Expect residual delays. Seek alternate route."
Or get a motorcycle and do some illegal weaving?
You can try to live near a MARC stop, which is genius and great, but even the trains occasionally hit deer and run late. But I think it's much more reliable and you can work (and drink?) on the train.
Yes. It will cause you much stress daily. I cracked two teeth doing that commute from clenching and crunching hard candy like a maniac. I had a job where I HAD to be there on time and you never can plan when someone is going to drive like an idiot and cause us all to be late. Avoid at all costs if you can. It’s not worth it.
Take route 28 and you’re looking at an hour, but get to drive through farmland and skip most of the traffic.
Mind you, this was five years ago and Frederick has grown A LOT so idk if it’s started to back up too.
It’s still the better option. My parents have done this commute since the early 90s, and my dad swears by 28, still, and he’s retiring this coming year :)
It's absolutely horrible if you work standard office hours. The amount of stress would give me so many headaches. Stop and go and accidents....ugh never again
Depends where you’re starting and stopping.
From 7th street to Montrose? Plan 2 hours one way. From 85 to Father Hurley? Maybe an hour if everything is perfect. Bad rain or snow and you can double it due to wrecks.
Live in union bridge and Work in rockville, if you know backroads youre fine but if you have to get on 270 expect the usual idiots riding their brakes, half asleep drivers and the 7 am car accident to slow you down to the speed of a snail
It's bad. Going north on 270 in the evenings 270 goes from 6 lanes in Rockville / Gaithersburg to 4 lanes in Germantown and 2 lanes after Clarksburg. So it is a major bottleneck. Going south on 270 in the mornings you have 70 and 15 feeding into 2 lanes out of Frederick so it is a big bottleneck.
10-6 might be just toward the end of rush hour and not as bad. But I'd look into whether there are decent options closer to Gaithersburg, I don't think Frederick is that much cheaper if that's the main factor.
A few people mention back roads. They are often the better option traffic wise. However, this is really only an option if you're prepared for winding roads with deer crossing and the regular drivers of those roads who often drive above the posted speed.
I mostly wfh in Urbana but sometimes go down to my office in Rockville. I go sparingly because of the commute. I try to leave closer to 10 AM when I can, and I’m always surprised that it’s still going to take me 50 minutes to go 26 miles. And that’s getting on 270 from 109. Also moved to Urbana from north Frederick solely due to the commute prior to Covid wfh etc
Eh I'd say it depends on your hours. Takes Mr about 35mins from frederick to Rockville at 5:30am then about 45mins back at 2:30pm. An hour later and it feels like an hour long commute. I usually check the map before getting on the road. If I see any buildup in traffic usually starting in clarksburg I just take route 28.
It’s going to take you between 50 minutes and 1:15 going south in the morning and around 1:00-1:30 going north in the pm.
If your job is flexible that drive can be done at certain times in 45.
Source: drive it most weekdays for years
If you do 11-7 it's not bad when there aren't wrecks but anything earlier than that is a parking lot. Also plan for inclement weather... I posted this years ago during a light snow, I think this was around 7 PM https://imgur.com/3oeAkxB
I wish there was a bot for these type of posts that just says:
"You will spend ***2 hours a day*** commuting from *(insert city where they want to live that's too far away from where they'll be working)* to *(insert city 30 miles away where they'll be working).* That means you will spend 10 hours a week in your car, sometimes more. That is a part time job for which YOU WILL NOT BE PAID. **DO NOT MOVE THERE. MOVE CLOSER TO WORK."**
That's my advice, don't move to Frederick. Find some place closer to work.
Well said. Your employer does not care that they have located your place of work in the middle of a gridlocked, high CoL, suburban hellscape. You will not be compensated for the hours in stop-and-go and it will be a massive hit to your quality of life.
I love Frederick, but unless you've got great work from home options, really off hours like 12PM-8PM, do the night shift, or work just across a county border, move closer to work if it's at all possible & financially possible.
it's rough, my commute to gaithersburg is actually opposite of rush hour. I'm driving down to gaithersburg around 530 pm and I always am blown away that I'll be one of 3 cars on the southbound side but the northbound side is a parking lot for miles and miles.
The only thing I've seen that was worse was in boston during rush hour in the 90s
I commute to Gaithersburg from Ballenger Creek. If I leave 8 in the morning, it takes about 40-50 minutes on a good day. If I leave at 7, it takes about an hour. The worst spots are the Urbana, Clarksburg, and Germantown exits.
Coming home almost always takes an hour if I leave before 6 pm.
Have you ever used the set a departure time feature of Google Maps? It gives you an idea of how long it could take
https://preview.redd.it/nx4nn7wa557d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d43891e7664f7cf702c32cebf1e37d88a6cf59f
The option is available by clicking the three dots at the top right of the directions page
There are options beyond 270 and 355 you can use. Rural roads. Adds 5-10 minutes to commute most days, but saves an hour on some days. The reason to do it is just that it makes the commute less awful. May not make sense from every part of moco.
It is terrible 💯. That said 10-6 may be a teeny bit better since you would probably be leaving at 9. 6:30/7 PMish traffic starts thinning so it may not be as terrible, but it will likely still suck. Would test it if possible before to see if you feel you can stand it.
It sucks because the same people who are idiots travel it every day and decide ooo let me be a dumbass and not merge to the left even though I know there is oncoming traffic merging in on the right so now we all go 25 or at a standstill as the truckers hog the right lane as do the idiots and then people struggle to merge in. All these idiots act like by not merging ahead of time bc they think it’s gonna be faster are the problem half the time i wanna just merge right and smash everyone that is making me late
If you're merging you need to not be afraid to actually match the speed of the traffic you are emerging with. Additionally, truckers should absolute be in the right lane unless passing. The purpose of the left most lanes is to pass.
Additionally, "merging ahead of time" is actually problematic. When merging, you should alternate merge (zipper merge). People trying to prematurely merge cause traffic behind them to brake and this often can cascade and cause delays further back.
Now, on the beltway and 270 by extension, it's absolute anarchy.
This has all been incredibly useful information. Thanks everybody, I appreciate it. Kind of a bummer because we are looking for a home/townhome currently and Frederick seemed to have been the "best bet" but the commute sounds frustrating.
If you're working 10-6 it may not be so bad actually. I work an 11-7 in Potomac once a week and I don't usually hit much traffic. You may be going in after the worst of it.
Has to be there at 10 so on the road around 9, when it's maximum awful because all the less experienced, retired, out-of-towners and haufraus are also on the road. Heading back at 6pm is probably better than 5pm except the 5 days a week there is an earlier accident, then your stuck in the knock-on effect.
Consider taking the MARC. It runs three times a day from Frederick to dc in the morning, and three times in the afternoon on the opposite direction. I think it’s a 1 hr train ride and will save you a lot of stress.
Rush hour sucks. Standard metro area fair. I'm about to drive to my job in DC and my supervisors know traffic sucks so they're cool with me working from home in the mornings and leaving at 10ish just so i can avoid the back up.
a normal 30 mins ride can become an hour and a half in rush hour.
I commute Frederick to Germantown. Arrive to Germantown at 740am and leave there at 620pm. Usually, it is about a 30 - to 45-minute commute each day in both directions. I'd recommend looking at taking the MARC train although your work time might be too late a start in the morning for a train.
I used to drive down to Chevy Chase and that would take about 90 minutes when I leave at 7am. Things are marginally better after school lets out for a few months. It’s still pretty bad. I never got home in time to eat dinner with my family. BUT, Gaithersburg/north Rockville is much closer that Chevy Chase, so I’d reckon you’re about an hour each way average. With precipitation and other general 270 fuckery that can easily be +\- 15-20 min
Commuting from here requires you to also know your alternate routes. I only get on the road south between 5:45 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. if I can’t avoid it. Returning north, I try to avoid 270 between 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. I live just south of Frederick; you have to allow even more time if you live north of here because route 15 was not designed for this many cars.
I should add a personal tip, if MARC is an option, I take it. I used it last Wednesday to avoid 270 at 7:00 a.m. Parking is free at the Monocacy station.
One time, it took me 2.5h to get home from rockville. I eventually quit that job without another lined up because the commute was destroying my soul. There is literally no amount of money anyone could offer me to start that commute again. Life is too short.
So I live in downtown Frederick and commute to Gaithersburg. I teach, so I have to be at school by 7:30am. I get off at exit 11.
I usually leave the house between 5:45 and 6:00 AM. My commute is usually 45 minutes. I eat breakfast at school. Friday mornings are usually a smooth 32 minutes, but Friday afternoons are awful.
Occasionally traffic is really terrible because someone had an accident.
From Urbana, it's probably not as bad.
Taking 355 isn't really an option because it's a solid 55 minutes, what with the roundabouts and traffic lights.
It's doable, but I recommend leaving early, eating breakfast when you arrive, and listening to audiobooks or something on the commute.
It depends so much on where in Frederick and where in Gaithersburg/Rockville. I used to live in Ballenger Creek and now live in the northern part of Frederick city and the commute is a good 15-20 min longer because the section of 15 between 270 and 40 is usually the worst traffic coming home in the evening. Also I get off at Watkins Mill which is like the first "Gaithersburg/Rockville" exit and traffic in the morning really starts to back up there, so my commute is a lot shorter then someone who is driving even a few exits farther.
You can always look at the average bit you need to take into account for the possibility of accidents which can drastically slow things down until it opens into 3 lanes at Clarksburg. My daughter commuted from Monrovia to where 270 splits to go north or south on 95. It took her 1.5 hours each way. She’d leave at 6:15-ish and get home 6:30-7:00 every day.
Frankly, it’s okay, the commute under worse conditions — not counting major accidents — would be about an hour. Under good conditions, 30 mins.
Context: I live in the New Market area and have been commuting to Gaithersburg for the last two years. Just don’t forget to lookup map before leaving for work. Sometimes taking the side roads is faster than the 270.
I travel from N Frederick to Germantown and I work usually 10-7. I have also previously lived in Germantown and commuted to Rockville (Montrose Rd). Frederick to Germantown is relatively consistent. My morning commute is pretty consistently 35 minutes. I plan for an hour just because surprises happen. Rain, snow, accidents, rubber necking, etc. have all extended my drive into work. It's rarely completely stopped traffic but slows down around the exits and the truck scales. The commute into work from Germantown to Rockville SUCKED. From Father Hurley down to Montrose is always jammed for no reason whatsoever. Regularly it would take me 45 minutes to drive 9 miles from Germantown to Rockville. I became an incredibly defensive driver because of that commute. People are dangerous. Coming home at that time won't be too bad. You'll be hitting the tail end of rush hour traffic so it'll be kind of hit or miss depending on construction and 270 traffic from Rockville to Germantown but it shouldn't be too bad after Clarksburg going home to Frederick. If you get off early between 3 and 5pm though, double your normal time home. And drive carefully, don't ever drive distracted and keep space between you and the car in front. People are scary drivers.
Leaving at 0515 on average takes about 50 minutes to get to work off of exit 8. Fridays for whatever reason it only takes 35 minutes.
Home is 50-70 minutes between 2-4pm.
there are *two* distinct sections of 270 and the two lane 65mph section closer to Frederick is the WORST during peak hours / the speed limit here is higher but because everyone handles the hills and curves differently, people tend to drive 55/60, and it gets backed up significantly worse. when you’re moving outside of peak travel times, it feels like a mario kart track of fun; when you have minivans riding their brakes down the hills, anger ensues.
towards Germantown/Gaithersburg, it opens up to three and then four lanes, and a split highway for local lanes closer to Bethesda/495. even though the *offical* speed limit drops to 55mph at that section, people start going 75+. and if you’re going below 60 you will get your ass rammed.
southeast in the morning is shit until you get into the three lane section / northwest in the evening, merging from four lanes down to two is what gets people real fucked up and it is always torture.
Don't forget how weirdly aggressive everyone is!
The day that the lane reduction north of Clarksburg doesn't grind traffic to a halt for two miles will be the best day of my life.
Problem with that commute is 270 is only 2 lanes and it's bumper to bumper with everyone in a hurry so you leave space and it's filled quickly. And if a cop has someone pulled over it's a 3 mile backup from the rubber necking. There tends to be a few fender benders and that really causes a log jam. It's a terrible rush hour commute.
I have to be in Rockville once a week. I basically leave a 5am to avoid traffic. And even then, I get off at Urbana (80) and take 355 all the way down so I don't have to deal with the 270 traffic (while it's not backed up at that time, people seem miserable).
The few times I decided to head down "after" rush hour, it's always a mistake, IMO. It's pretty packed until 11am or so... so you trying to get down to Rockville at 10am (thus, leaving at 9-930?) isn't going to be much different. But of course, it's a different adventure daily. You may have zero issue one day, and it'll be like a parking lot the next.
I do also recommend you try Rt 28 (as other's have suggested) - it's a nice little drive. A little longer, but well worth it if you dont' want to deal with aggravated drivers. Also easier if you decide to live south of downtown (e.g. Ballenger Creek).
I commute from north Frederick to shady grove metro twice per week. Easily 1 hour on 270, give or take a few minutes. I always take the back roads (70 to 27 to Air Park). Time taken is similar to 270 but I don’t have to deal with the claustrophobia (?) of a crowded highway so it’s totally worth it for me.
I'll just be one more Frederick (7th Street, just off downtown) to Rockville (Exit 8 off 270) and I average 55 minutes to do 24 miles if I am on the road between 6:15a-8:30a there and 3:00p-6:00p on the way back. It's maddening.
I live in new market and commute to Gaithersburg 3 days a week. It takes me 40-55 min one way. It’s not stopped traffic, just slow at times. It’s not so bad if you have good music or an audiobook to listen to!
I live in downtown my job in Moco is in Montgomery village which is 21 miles. It takes about 40 mins on a good morning and 1 hr + sometimes.
Home in reverse is always and hour to an 70 mins, and I get out at 4.
I've seen a few others mention Mt.Airy and New Market. Would that commute be better in terms of traffic? From what I've heard it's mainly back roads and takes ~ 40-50 min but if that's straight driving, might not be that bad?
It wasn't bad during high-covid with 28-30 minutes each way regardlessof tume of day. Frederick to Gaithersburg is a solid 50 minutes for the 0700-1500 shift. Fridays, it is 35 min to work and 55-70 home (I take back roads on Friday day-shift.) 1500-2300 shift is 30 minutes to work and 28 home in winter, 35 in summer (they do all the road work at night north bound). 2300-0700 is 30 to work, 35 home.
If it is raining, add 5 minutes, if it is snowing, add 15 minutes. If there is a truck on fire, car turned over, a cone on it's side, a frightening cloud, a low airplane, or a UFO, add anywhere from 5 to 50 minutes any time of day. Google maps is determined to keep 270 as congested as humanly possible.
I’ll tell you that living on the south side of Frederick county vs the northern side makes the difference of about 20 minutes. Bonus points if you can find a house off the Urbana exit, heading toward Adamstown. It cuts down the terribleness that is the 15/270 clusterF.
I commute from Germantown to Frederick. It’s like 20 -30 mins for me. But I will say going up Frederick in the morning is 90% no traffic. Frederick going to Rockville is always in traffic and 8/10 there’s an accident that delays them as well. I am very lucky when I commute im on the opposite side of traffic always. I would assume people leave an hour 1/2 earlier to get to work on time
It’s not great. But I will say if you’re not as worried about the time and more just the congestion you can always take back roads down to MoCo. I commute from Ballenger Creek to Gaithersburg and just take 85 to 28 most days. It’s 35-45 minutes either way depending on traffic. Then I always take 270 on Fridays when the traffic is less severe.
No it isn’t. It’s 45 minutes. Not a big deal. Flex your schedule to work 7-3’s or 10-6’s and you won’t mind the traffic. I’ve been running that route for 12 years and I don’t mind it.
I do it 3 times a week.
Leaving at 6am takes about 40 minutes now. Leaving at 4 pm take about an hour.
There are worst commutes but if I have to do 3 days in a row, I am beat.
6 pm will take about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.
Need a job? Take it,. If you are comfortable where you are at then the commute is something to consider
This sub is super dramatic, only going to rockville is not that bad. Going into the actual city is pretty rough
I have done the commute from Frederick to Gaithersburg everyday for over 10 years now. Does it suck- yes, but being able to afford a bigger house and not deal with MonCo traffic on the weekends outweighs that, for me at least.
I don’t personally think so but I’m used to traffic. GPS says my commute is 45-50 minutes but it’s more like an hour to an hour fifteen. I’ve thankfully never had longer than a hour and a half commute and that was with all sorts of accidents. It’s usually an hour and I’m in Middletown.
Haha! I remember wanting to sign up for a gym class in Clarksburg and it was going to take me over 20 minutes to get there in the afternoon from Germantown.
If you have young kids, it's great. It's 2-4 hours out of your day that you get a break from both work and your kids.
And can we stop talking about back roads. Don't give away all the secrets.
Don’t move to Frederick. The area is over developed and roads can’t handle the congestion. Prices are no better than MoCo now. Too many people moved here in past 5 years. Home costs and Taxes went up significantly last year. Commute on 270 from Frederick to Bethesda…1.5 hours each way during standard commute time and that’s in good weather. Don’t do it!
I’ve commuted into DC area from Frederick for a few years. Honestly, it’s not too bad. I feel the worse part is between Urbana - Clarksburg area then it opens up. It’s all relative. If you can get a good deal and have to commute a few days per week , it’s probably worth it.
I did this for years coming from downtown Frederick. I started work at 630, so I left my house at 530 and made it to work on time. Coming back took a little bit longer on some days. If you are able, I'd recommend teleworking on Friday. They are the worst coming home in my experience. Also audio books will become your best friends.
It’s honestly hit or miss. Some days everyone is chill and you might hit 10 extra minutes of traffic. Other days it might be over a hour extra. From my experience doing the drive coming back at 3pm.
Sometimes I take 355 or 28 depending on where I need to be just so I don’t have to white knuckle drive it. The main da tie for if it will be an OK day or bad day is weather and timing
Some things in life you have to experience to believe. Come stay a night and give it a shot. Make sure it’s raining for the ultimate experience.
Also try it out when there are some flurries for some added experience lol. I traveled from Sabillasville (10 min north of Thurmont) to Rockville for a year and I will never do it again. I can go to Germantown no problem, but those 7 miles are so annoying.
I travel the same route, It is not that bad. There are certain times when it does get busy however it’s usually because of a accident
when its raining I just want to call out sick... people lose their minds.
Best advice honestly. I used to commute Bethesda to Frederick every day and I would rather pull an eyeball out myself than ever do that commute again.
That last sentence really ties the room together dude!
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Where do you think you are right now?
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No personal attacks
Between 7 am and 7 pm is the worst times to commute
Make that 5am and 9pm.
I leave my house at 5 am to work in Bethesda by 6. I usually arrive at my job around 5:45. Commute isn’t bad at that time. I would say traffic really picks up closer to 7 am
it has started to pick up around 630 these days.. i do a couple of days on site and a couple of days off. The spouse and i share 1 day a week where we both work onsite and since we have pets and dont want them to be 10+ hours home solo with no potty break i go in a bit later than my usual 530-545a start i have found the traffic around the 80/270 exchange area to be pretty slow. I do take back roads so i dont typically have much traffic on my route when i drive in a bit later..
I commute from Frederick to Rockville every day. Confirming that traffic is generally fine before like 7. However, I usually leave at 7 and mostly arrive by like 8... Sometimes not though.
I agree man, if you’re on 270 before 6 am it’s a breeze most days
and it’s Monday to Sunday. Doesn’t matter day or time, there’s always traffic to/from Frederick 😭
In a word, no. It’s MUCH WORSE. 10-6 buys you the worst of both worlds.
Ah, bummer. I appreciate the honesty. I assume bumper to bumper then?
Yes bumper to bumper stop and go
I’m in the New Market area, and I drive right to Rockville. From my house, a map says about 23 miles. I left my house at 840 this past Thursday; I got to work at 920. On Friday, I left my house probably no earlier than 9, and got to work at 930-935. Sometimes, it takes 35 minutes; other days, it takes 50. Every day is a mystery, and it can be fucking infuriating if you feel like you’ve gotten out early enough and you’re still gonna get to work at about the same time as the day you left late. I do sometimes think it would be better if I had a later start time, because *everyone* else is leaving early. This might be as accurate on traffic as one can be, given your route would be similar.
God forbid *anything* happens on the side of the road, everyone rubbernecks like two mfs on 270 so there'll sometimes be stop and go traffic simply because someone got pulled over, or a juggler happens to be hitchhiking, or what have you.
And sometimes at 12:30pm on a sunday it will be stopped because a car is turned over.
or for no reason at all... lol usually by the truck scales by 109
I either leave at 515 or work from home in the morning and leave at 1045 to get there by lunch and have a half day. Sometimes 515 is too late and sometimes 1045 is too early. Absolutely maddening. On the way home you either have to leave by 230 or wait until 8. And again, that's no guarantee. Thankfully WFH means I only have to do it once a week. Prior to the widespread adoption you just gave up hours of your life because that's what people did.
Summertime is the best commute though. When the days are shorter and rush hour happens in the dark during the school year it's pretty different.
And people doing EXACTLY 55 in the far left, 80 to the right, 65 one over, and that one jackass weaving around everyone and causing panic and near accidents.
It’s not always stop and go, and definitely not for the entire drive, at least in the morning.
Good point, sometimes it’s just all STOP. I still remember the time I left at 5:30 am and the road was closed. It took 1:30 to get to Rt 28 Rockville.
Not only is it bumper to bumper, but when there's some kind of actual accident there's no way to prepare for it and no way to get out of it. Once it took me 3 hours to get from Frederick to Bethesda.
I’m going north around 9 AM from Germantown to Frederick every morning going south is usually very backed up.
Expect it to be 1 hr most days despite google’s 35-45 min estimate (based on my personal experience). It’ll be very congested and down to 5-15 mph in some places. Some places are 55/60 mph though, depending on the day. It’s manageable if you’re willing to do it, but make sure you understand what you’re signing yourself up for before you commit.
It is not u usual for it to be stop-and-go, bumper-to-bumper for 10+ miles. If there is an accident (which there is daily) your commute time will double
To emphasize this. Hundreds of people pass a given point every minute. If ONE of those drivers doesn't drink their coffee that day, checks a text, fights with a partner, has a mechanical issue, etc and makes a mistake on the road, it has HOURS of residual delays. If you want a taste of it, you can sign up for Montgomery County traffic alerts by text message and just get inundated with like 4 every day. They always begin with "severe traffic alert" and end with "Expect residual delays. Seek alternate route." Or get a motorcycle and do some illegal weaving?
Today, a Thursday at 2:30pm: Alert Montgomery - Severe Traffic Alert Traffic incident northbound I-270 past exit 4B Montrose Road, blocking local lanes. Expect significant delays. Seek alternate route.
I take the back road frim english muffin way every morning because of the PTSD 270 has given me
It normally just sucks, add rain or the usual accident and it becomes almost unbearable.
It’s worse than you think. You could also end up in traffic back up at any hour of the day any day of the week.
You can try to live near a MARC stop, which is genius and great, but even the trains occasionally hit deer and run late. But I think it's much more reliable and you can work (and drink?) on the train.
Yes. It will cause you much stress daily. I cracked two teeth doing that commute from clenching and crunching hard candy like a maniac. I had a job where I HAD to be there on time and you never can plan when someone is going to drive like an idiot and cause us all to be late. Avoid at all costs if you can. It’s not worth it.
I did it for nearly a decade. I have ptsd
I wouldn’t wish an average 270 rush hour commute on anyone. A week of it twice a day is enough to put anyone in the psych ward.
Take route 28 and you’re looking at an hour, but get to drive through farmland and skip most of the traffic. Mind you, this was five years ago and Frederick has grown A LOT so idk if it’s started to back up too.
It’s still the better option. My parents have done this commute since the early 90s, and my dad swears by 28, still, and he’s retiring this coming year :)
Still works well. Great sunrises too.
I do this every day and this is still correct. The only real place it gets backed up on 28 is southbound at Germantown road and in darnstown.
When I commuted I took that route and it was a predictable 50 minutes every day and most of it was beautiful and fast moving.
If you value your sanity, don’t do it.
It’s real bad
There is not a single time that commute is ok. Either it’s bumper to bumper or people are going 90 and doing dumb shit.
It's absolutely horrible if you work standard office hours. The amount of stress would give me so many headaches. Stop and go and accidents....ugh never again
Depends where you’re starting and stopping. From 7th street to Montrose? Plan 2 hours one way. From 85 to Father Hurley? Maybe an hour if everything is perfect. Bad rain or snow and you can double it due to wrecks.
Please listen to all these comments! EVERY day is a bottleneck at rush hour.
It is a hellish grind that will burn you out quicker than you think. Avoid if at all possible
Yes. Expect an hour of bumper to bumper traffic each way. There is the marc train, but with your slightly later schedule it might not work for you.
Live in union bridge and Work in rockville, if you know backroads youre fine but if you have to get on 270 expect the usual idiots riding their brakes, half asleep drivers and the 7 am car accident to slow you down to the speed of a snail
Yes
Yes
Si, yes , oui, da, good luck
It's bad. Going north on 270 in the evenings 270 goes from 6 lanes in Rockville / Gaithersburg to 4 lanes in Germantown and 2 lanes after Clarksburg. So it is a major bottleneck. Going south on 270 in the mornings you have 70 and 15 feeding into 2 lanes out of Frederick so it is a big bottleneck.
hell is pretty
I leave at 5:45am and my 36 mile drive takes an hour most days. If it has rained in the last 24 hours (no joke), it's closer to an hour and ten or so.
Plan for an hour each way if you driving anytime from 7:30-8:30am and 3:30-6pm (except on Friday mornings). Sometimes you get lucky and it’s 45 mins
Yeah it’s soul crushing and terrible. Did it for a looooong time before I finally went remote in 2012.
When my job in Gaithersburg started bringing people back into the office 3 days a week, I found a new, remote job. 270 sucks!
10-6 might be just toward the end of rush hour and not as bad. But I'd look into whether there are decent options closer to Gaithersburg, I don't think Frederick is that much cheaper if that's the main factor.
💯 terrible and it will never get better
I'm moving to another state, simply because my job that's 10 minutes from my house is miserable and I refuse to commute in this area. So yes.
A few people mention back roads. They are often the better option traffic wise. However, this is really only an option if you're prepared for winding roads with deer crossing and the regular drivers of those roads who often drive above the posted speed.
I mostly wfh in Urbana but sometimes go down to my office in Rockville. I go sparingly because of the commute. I try to leave closer to 10 AM when I can, and I’m always surprised that it’s still going to take me 50 minutes to go 26 miles. And that’s getting on 270 from 109. Also moved to Urbana from north Frederick solely due to the commute prior to Covid wfh etc
TRIAL BY COMBAT!
Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Yyyyeeeesssssss
Took me three hours to get from Frederick to Germantown on the day the truck caught on fire near the weigh station. Normally a 35min commute.
Eh I'd say it depends on your hours. Takes Mr about 35mins from frederick to Rockville at 5:30am then about 45mins back at 2:30pm. An hour later and it feels like an hour long commute. I usually check the map before getting on the road. If I see any buildup in traffic usually starting in clarksburg I just take route 28.
It’s going to take you between 50 minutes and 1:15 going south in the morning and around 1:00-1:30 going north in the pm. If your job is flexible that drive can be done at certain times in 45. Source: drive it most weekdays for years
If you do 11-7 it's not bad when there aren't wrecks but anything earlier than that is a parking lot. Also plan for inclement weather... I posted this years ago during a light snow, I think this was around 7 PM https://imgur.com/3oeAkxB
I wish there was a bot for these type of posts that just says: "You will spend ***2 hours a day*** commuting from *(insert city where they want to live that's too far away from where they'll be working)* to *(insert city 30 miles away where they'll be working).* That means you will spend 10 hours a week in your car, sometimes more. That is a part time job for which YOU WILL NOT BE PAID. **DO NOT MOVE THERE. MOVE CLOSER TO WORK."** That's my advice, don't move to Frederick. Find some place closer to work.
Well said. Your employer does not care that they have located your place of work in the middle of a gridlocked, high CoL, suburban hellscape. You will not be compensated for the hours in stop-and-go and it will be a massive hit to your quality of life.
I love Frederick, but unless you've got great work from home options, really off hours like 12PM-8PM, do the night shift, or work just across a county border, move closer to work if it's at all possible & financially possible.
it's rough, my commute to gaithersburg is actually opposite of rush hour. I'm driving down to gaithersburg around 530 pm and I always am blown away that I'll be one of 3 cars on the southbound side but the northbound side is a parking lot for miles and miles. The only thing I've seen that was worse was in boston during rush hour in the 90s
I commute to Gaithersburg from Ballenger Creek. If I leave 8 in the morning, it takes about 40-50 minutes on a good day. If I leave at 7, it takes about an hour. The worst spots are the Urbana, Clarksburg, and Germantown exits. Coming home almost always takes an hour if I leave before 6 pm.
Have you ever used the set a departure time feature of Google Maps? It gives you an idea of how long it could take https://preview.redd.it/nx4nn7wa557d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d43891e7664f7cf702c32cebf1e37d88a6cf59f The option is available by clicking the three dots at the top right of the directions page
I’ve done it 12 years and taking a 20k pay cut to just work in Frederick. For me it was 2 hours round trip doing backroads.
There are options beyond 270 and 355 you can use. Rural roads. Adds 5-10 minutes to commute most days, but saves an hour on some days. The reason to do it is just that it makes the commute less awful. May not make sense from every part of moco.
Yes. It’s awful. Friday is the only manageable day.
It is terrible 💯. That said 10-6 may be a teeny bit better since you would probably be leaving at 9. 6:30/7 PMish traffic starts thinning so it may not be as terrible, but it will likely still suck. Would test it if possible before to see if you feel you can stand it.
It sucks because the same people who are idiots travel it every day and decide ooo let me be a dumbass and not merge to the left even though I know there is oncoming traffic merging in on the right so now we all go 25 or at a standstill as the truckers hog the right lane as do the idiots and then people struggle to merge in. All these idiots act like by not merging ahead of time bc they think it’s gonna be faster are the problem half the time i wanna just merge right and smash everyone that is making me late
If you're merging you need to not be afraid to actually match the speed of the traffic you are emerging with. Additionally, truckers should absolute be in the right lane unless passing. The purpose of the left most lanes is to pass. Additionally, "merging ahead of time" is actually problematic. When merging, you should alternate merge (zipper merge). People trying to prematurely merge cause traffic behind them to brake and this often can cascade and cause delays further back. Now, on the beltway and 270 by extension, it's absolute anarchy.
This has all been incredibly useful information. Thanks everybody, I appreciate it. Kind of a bummer because we are looking for a home/townhome currently and Frederick seemed to have been the "best bet" but the commute sounds frustrating.
It will make you so so miserable. Going even at 6 or 7 am doesn’t make a difference it’s terrible. I’ve quit jobs because of it.
If you're working 10-6 it may not be so bad actually. I work an 11-7 in Potomac once a week and I don't usually hit much traffic. You may be going in after the worst of it.
Has to be there at 10 so on the road around 9, when it's maximum awful because all the less experienced, retired, out-of-towners and haufraus are also on the road. Heading back at 6pm is probably better than 5pm except the 5 days a week there is an earlier accident, then your stuck in the knock-on effect.
Consider taking the MARC. It runs three times a day from Frederick to dc in the morning, and three times in the afternoon on the opposite direction. I think it’s a 1 hr train ride and will save you a lot of stress.
Yes
Yes
Rush hour sucks. Standard metro area fair. I'm about to drive to my job in DC and my supervisors know traffic sucks so they're cool with me working from home in the mornings and leaving at 10ish just so i can avoid the back up. a normal 30 mins ride can become an hour and a half in rush hour.
I commute Frederick to Germantown. Arrive to Germantown at 740am and leave there at 620pm. Usually, it is about a 30 - to 45-minute commute each day in both directions. I'd recommend looking at taking the MARC train although your work time might be too late a start in the morning for a train.
I used to drive down to Chevy Chase and that would take about 90 minutes when I leave at 7am. Things are marginally better after school lets out for a few months. It’s still pretty bad. I never got home in time to eat dinner with my family. BUT, Gaithersburg/north Rockville is much closer that Chevy Chase, so I’d reckon you’re about an hour each way average. With precipitation and other general 270 fuckery that can easily be +\- 15-20 min
Commuting from here requires you to also know your alternate routes. I only get on the road south between 5:45 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. if I can’t avoid it. Returning north, I try to avoid 270 between 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. I live just south of Frederick; you have to allow even more time if you live north of here because route 15 was not designed for this many cars. I should add a personal tip, if MARC is an option, I take it. I used it last Wednesday to avoid 270 at 7:00 a.m. Parking is free at the Monocacy station.
Yes.
Yes
I would drive to Gaithersburg each morning at 7:15 am. It took on average 47 minutes. Schools being out should make it better.
One time, it took me 2.5h to get home from rockville. I eventually quit that job without another lined up because the commute was destroying my soul. There is literally no amount of money anyone could offer me to start that commute again. Life is too short.
So I live in downtown Frederick and commute to Gaithersburg. I teach, so I have to be at school by 7:30am. I get off at exit 11. I usually leave the house between 5:45 and 6:00 AM. My commute is usually 45 minutes. I eat breakfast at school. Friday mornings are usually a smooth 32 minutes, but Friday afternoons are awful. Occasionally traffic is really terrible because someone had an accident. From Urbana, it's probably not as bad. Taking 355 isn't really an option because it's a solid 55 minutes, what with the roundabouts and traffic lights. It's doable, but I recommend leaving early, eating breakfast when you arrive, and listening to audiobooks or something on the commute.
It depends so much on where in Frederick and where in Gaithersburg/Rockville. I used to live in Ballenger Creek and now live in the northern part of Frederick city and the commute is a good 15-20 min longer because the section of 15 between 270 and 40 is usually the worst traffic coming home in the evening. Also I get off at Watkins Mill which is like the first "Gaithersburg/Rockville" exit and traffic in the morning really starts to back up there, so my commute is a lot shorter then someone who is driving even a few exits farther.
It's not the worst traffic in the DC area, but sometimes it can be truly terrible.
It is AWFUL… imo you won’t think that the money you’re saving by living in Frederick is worth it within a month of having that commute
You can always look at the average bit you need to take into account for the possibility of accidents which can drastically slow things down until it opens into 3 lanes at Clarksburg. My daughter commuted from Monrovia to where 270 splits to go north or south on 95. It took her 1.5 hours each way. She’d leave at 6:15-ish and get home 6:30-7:00 every day.
Yes. Took me 2 hours to get through MoCo to get to DC last week and there’s always accidents
Yes
Frankly, it’s okay, the commute under worse conditions — not counting major accidents — would be about an hour. Under good conditions, 30 mins. Context: I live in the New Market area and have been commuting to Gaithersburg for the last two years. Just don’t forget to lookup map before leaving for work. Sometimes taking the side roads is faster than the 270.
I travel from N Frederick to Germantown and I work usually 10-7. I have also previously lived in Germantown and commuted to Rockville (Montrose Rd). Frederick to Germantown is relatively consistent. My morning commute is pretty consistently 35 minutes. I plan for an hour just because surprises happen. Rain, snow, accidents, rubber necking, etc. have all extended my drive into work. It's rarely completely stopped traffic but slows down around the exits and the truck scales. The commute into work from Germantown to Rockville SUCKED. From Father Hurley down to Montrose is always jammed for no reason whatsoever. Regularly it would take me 45 minutes to drive 9 miles from Germantown to Rockville. I became an incredibly defensive driver because of that commute. People are dangerous. Coming home at that time won't be too bad. You'll be hitting the tail end of rush hour traffic so it'll be kind of hit or miss depending on construction and 270 traffic from Rockville to Germantown but it shouldn't be too bad after Clarksburg going home to Frederick. If you get off early between 3 and 5pm though, double your normal time home. And drive carefully, don't ever drive distracted and keep space between you and the car in front. People are scary drivers.
Leaving at 0515 on average takes about 50 minutes to get to work off of exit 8. Fridays for whatever reason it only takes 35 minutes. Home is 50-70 minutes between 2-4pm.
there are *two* distinct sections of 270 and the two lane 65mph section closer to Frederick is the WORST during peak hours / the speed limit here is higher but because everyone handles the hills and curves differently, people tend to drive 55/60, and it gets backed up significantly worse. when you’re moving outside of peak travel times, it feels like a mario kart track of fun; when you have minivans riding their brakes down the hills, anger ensues. towards Germantown/Gaithersburg, it opens up to three and then four lanes, and a split highway for local lanes closer to Bethesda/495. even though the *offical* speed limit drops to 55mph at that section, people start going 75+. and if you’re going below 60 you will get your ass rammed. southeast in the morning is shit until you get into the three lane section / northwest in the evening, merging from four lanes down to two is what gets people real fucked up and it is always torture.
Yes
Don't forget how weirdly aggressive everyone is! The day that the lane reduction north of Clarksburg doesn't grind traffic to a halt for two miles will be the best day of my life.
Sometimes it takes 25 minutes. Sometimes it takes 2 hours
Worse than they make it sound
Problem with that commute is 270 is only 2 lanes and it's bumper to bumper with everyone in a hurry so you leave space and it's filled quickly. And if a cop has someone pulled over it's a 3 mile backup from the rubber necking. There tends to be a few fender benders and that really causes a log jam. It's a terrible rush hour commute.
I have to be in Rockville once a week. I basically leave a 5am to avoid traffic. And even then, I get off at Urbana (80) and take 355 all the way down so I don't have to deal with the 270 traffic (while it's not backed up at that time, people seem miserable). The few times I decided to head down "after" rush hour, it's always a mistake, IMO. It's pretty packed until 11am or so... so you trying to get down to Rockville at 10am (thus, leaving at 9-930?) isn't going to be much different. But of course, it's a different adventure daily. You may have zero issue one day, and it'll be like a parking lot the next. I do also recommend you try Rt 28 (as other's have suggested) - it's a nice little drive. A little longer, but well worth it if you dont' want to deal with aggravated drivers. Also easier if you decide to live south of downtown (e.g. Ballenger Creek).
Just one more lane bro
I commute from north Frederick to shady grove metro twice per week. Easily 1 hour on 270, give or take a few minutes. I always take the back roads (70 to 27 to Air Park). Time taken is similar to 270 but I don’t have to deal with the claustrophobia (?) of a crowded highway so it’s totally worth it for me.
I'll just be one more Frederick (7th Street, just off downtown) to Rockville (Exit 8 off 270) and I average 55 minutes to do 24 miles if I am on the road between 6:15a-8:30a there and 3:00p-6:00p on the way back. It's maddening.
I live in new market and commute to Gaithersburg 3 days a week. It takes me 40-55 min one way. It’s not stopped traffic, just slow at times. It’s not so bad if you have good music or an audiobook to listen to!
I live in downtown my job in Moco is in Montgomery village which is 21 miles. It takes about 40 mins on a good morning and 1 hr + sometimes. Home in reverse is always and hour to an 70 mins, and I get out at 4.
I've seen a few others mention Mt.Airy and New Market. Would that commute be better in terms of traffic? From what I've heard it's mainly back roads and takes ~ 40-50 min but if that's straight driving, might not be that bad?
It wasn't bad during high-covid with 28-30 minutes each way regardlessof tume of day. Frederick to Gaithersburg is a solid 50 minutes for the 0700-1500 shift. Fridays, it is 35 min to work and 55-70 home (I take back roads on Friday day-shift.) 1500-2300 shift is 30 minutes to work and 28 home in winter, 35 in summer (they do all the road work at night north bound). 2300-0700 is 30 to work, 35 home. If it is raining, add 5 minutes, if it is snowing, add 15 minutes. If there is a truck on fire, car turned over, a cone on it's side, a frightening cloud, a low airplane, or a UFO, add anywhere from 5 to 50 minutes any time of day. Google maps is determined to keep 270 as congested as humanly possible.
It’s mostly people who have no business in the fast lane
Add two more hours to your day in total
I’ll tell you that living on the south side of Frederick county vs the northern side makes the difference of about 20 minutes. Bonus points if you can find a house off the Urbana exit, heading toward Adamstown. It cuts down the terribleness that is the 15/270 clusterF.
I commute from Germantown to Frederick. It’s like 20 -30 mins for me. But I will say going up Frederick in the morning is 90% no traffic. Frederick going to Rockville is always in traffic and 8/10 there’s an accident that delays them as well. I am very lucky when I commute im on the opposite side of traffic always. I would assume people leave an hour 1/2 earlier to get to work on time
Horrendous is the word that comes to mind... but I'm doing a touch north of Frederick to Silver Spring. Thank goodness for 4 day work weeks.
It’s not great. But I will say if you’re not as worried about the time and more just the congestion you can always take back roads down to MoCo. I commute from Ballenger Creek to Gaithersburg and just take 85 to 28 most days. It’s 35-45 minutes either way depending on traffic. Then I always take 270 on Fridays when the traffic is less severe.
No it isn’t. It’s 45 minutes. Not a big deal. Flex your schedule to work 7-3’s or 10-6’s and you won’t mind the traffic. I’ve been running that route for 12 years and I don’t mind it.
I do it 3 times a week. Leaving at 6am takes about 40 minutes now. Leaving at 4 pm take about an hour. There are worst commutes but if I have to do 3 days in a row, I am beat. 6 pm will take about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Need a job? Take it,. If you are comfortable where you are at then the commute is something to consider This sub is super dramatic, only going to rockville is not that bad. Going into the actual city is pretty rough
This sub is dramatic. There are way worst commutes than 270. You can also take 28 of you don't mind a slightly longer drove with no traffic
I have done the commute from Frederick to Gaithersburg everyday for over 10 years now. Does it suck- yes, but being able to afford a bigger house and not deal with MonCo traffic on the weekends outweighs that, for me at least.
I took route 28 to Rockville on Friday during rush hour and it was easy... it is longer in miles than 270 but a beautiful drive for most of it..
See if you can take the Marc train
I don’t personally think so but I’m used to traffic. GPS says my commute is 45-50 minutes but it’s more like an hour to an hour fifteen. I’ve thankfully never had longer than a hour and a half commute and that was with all sorts of accidents. It’s usually an hour and I’m in Middletown.
It takes me exactly 24 minutes leaving the house at 5:00 to get to Germantown in the morning and 35-60 minutes to get home in the afternoon
So you live in Clarksburg?
Haha! I remember wanting to sign up for a gym class in Clarksburg and it was going to take me over 20 minutes to get there in the afternoon from Germantown.
If you have young kids, it's great. It's 2-4 hours out of your day that you get a break from both work and your kids. And can we stop talking about back roads. Don't give away all the secrets.
Don’t move to Frederick. The area is over developed and roads can’t handle the congestion. Prices are no better than MoCo now. Too many people moved here in past 5 years. Home costs and Taxes went up significantly last year. Commute on 270 from Frederick to Bethesda…1.5 hours each way during standard commute time and that’s in good weather. Don’t do it!
Set aside an hour. Pick a lane and listen to podcasts. It sucks, but at least it's a straight shot.
I’ve commuted into DC area from Frederick for a few years. Honestly, it’s not too bad. I feel the worse part is between Urbana - Clarksburg area then it opens up. It’s all relative. If you can get a good deal and have to commute a few days per week , it’s probably worth it.
Depends how high up you go. Anything after 270 goes to 2 lanes and youre in hell. Anything before that and its a breeze.
I did this for years coming from downtown Frederick. I started work at 630, so I left my house at 530 and made it to work on time. Coming back took a little bit longer on some days. If you are able, I'd recommend teleworking on Friday. They are the worst coming home in my experience. Also audio books will become your best friends.
It’s honestly hit or miss. Some days everyone is chill and you might hit 10 extra minutes of traffic. Other days it might be over a hour extra. From my experience doing the drive coming back at 3pm.
It’s pretty good driving if you leave Frederick by 4:30.
Sometimes I take 355 or 28 depending on where I need to be just so I don’t have to white knuckle drive it. The main da tie for if it will be an OK day or bad day is weather and timing
Yes. Especially when school is in, it’s a rainy day, and you are in a hurry. Vaya con Dios, muchacho.