Driving in Atlanta

[Barkeep49]

I'm looking at attending a conference, but the timing is quite important to whether it would be feasible for me to go or not. The conference is being held in Buford GA. Google maps tells me that it takes an hour to get there, taking 85 most of the way. If I were arriving between 3-5 is that realistic on a Friday?

[Alan T]

I'm looking at attending a conference, but the timing is quite important to whether it would be feasible for me to go or not. The conference is being held in Buford GA. Google maps tells me that it takes an hour to get there, taking 85 most of the way. If I were arriving between 3-5 is that realistic on a Friday?


Are you flying in to Hartsfield and then trying to drive to Buford within an hour on a Friday afternoon? That pretty much is one of the worst times in the day to drive in one of the worst places in the world. Maybe things have gotten better since I moved away (if so one of the current residents can correct me), but Spaghetti Junction (I-85 & I-285 interchange) is not somewhere you want to be anywhere near during rush hour traffic.

I guess it depends if you mean driving to Hartsfield from Buford or vice versa, but either way between 3 and 5 on a Friday I find it doubtful in one hour.

[Radii]

Oh man. It might be fair to say that driving up I-85 on a Friday afternoon is the single worst thing you can do in Atlanta as far as traffic goes. I moved away a year ago and hadn't had to drive in rush hour traffic for a couple years, but my initial reaction is to plan for 2 hours.

[Barkeep49]

I figured one hour probably wasn't realistic. At least when I do maps in my area, Google gives a congestion suggestion, which they didn't do here. Thanks to Alan and Radii for the responses, and would love anyone elses .02 (or more if your opinions are particularly awesome).

[Radii]

http://www.georgia-navigator.com/maps/atlanta

There may be some good info to play with there. If nothing else, watch it during rush hour a few days to see what it looks like, espicially on a friday.

There are some historical trip times listed as well. Most of the ones up I-85 don't actually look that bad.

http://www.georgia-navigator.com/histdata/data/07N.jpg

That one, however, is on 85 after you pass 285 going north. A 10 mile stretch with average speeds below 35 mph. I don't know much about how they calculate all the averages during peak hours, but a Friday afternoon is going to be worse than any other afternoon on average, so that's something to account for.

[SFL Cat]

For whatever reason, Atlanta confuses the hell out of my GPS.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm confused. What time is the conference in Buford?

[Barkeep49]

I'm confused. What time is the conference in Buford?
Conference is actually the wrong word. Workshop is more like it, and there is a session that starts at 7.

[miked]

If your flight landed at 3pm, you might make it. It will take at least an hour to even get the car out. You are essentially hitting a few massive waves of traffic. The downtown connector will extremely slow, then it will free up a bit, then once you hit the perimeter, traffic will most likely crawl. Buford is not close, especially since I think you may have a little way to go once you leave the highway.

I mean, Atlanta is what it is. You won't be able to get to your workshop without driving there, so I would suggest bringing some comfortable shoes to drive in, maybe some music, and plan on landing by 3pm or so at the latest.

[Celeval]

Might be a better option to take 285 around counter-clockwise (past 75, then 20, then to 85) and then hit 85N... that said, yeah, it'll suck. A 3pm flight landing with no delay gives you a chance at making it by 7, but only a chance.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Okay, with the 7pm goal, I'll probably just echo miked & Celeval. A 3pm landing gives you a chance but there's quite a few things that would make it close or even late. You're basically 4pm before you ever leave the airport (and that's if the flight arrives on time) and that's taking a big bite out of your cushion right there.

[Alan T]

I think you should be able to land at 3pm with no delay, get a car and get to Buford by 7pm. Any delay by the flight, or unecessary Friday delays (beyond the normal sucky traffic) such as accidents or such will kill your chance though. If everything goes as planned I think 3pm to get to a 7pm Buford workshop is doable.

I'm not sure I agree with Celeval though about 285 instead of taking 85 through Atlanta.. Unless things are better these days, 285 always used to be worse for me going around 75 past Johnson Ferry Rd and 400. In fact, maybe because I was a Cobb County guy growing up, but I always felt that was where the -worst- traffic was.

I think if it was me, I'd just get my car at Hartsfield, not take the Lakewood freeway, and instead go out the side to I75/I85 and take that north through town and then up I-85 NE to Buford. Traffic will suck, but that is what you get in Atlanta.

[Shepp]

I drive from Lavista Road off I285 to the Buford Drive exit and it usually takes about an hour to get home. If I was driving from the airport I would take I20 east, to I285 north, then to I85 north. I would estimate the trip to rake betweeen 2 and 2.5 hours.

[Celeval]

I'm not sure I agree with Celeval though about 285 instead of taking 85 through Atlanta.. Unless things are better these days, 285 always used to be worse for me going around 75 past Johnson Ferry Rd and 400. In fact, maybe because I was a Cobb County guy growing up, but I always felt that was where the -worst- traffic was.

Agreed - that way is hellacious, particularly over the top-end. I was thinking the opposite way - underneath and around, avoiding the Cobb County side of 75 altogether.

[ISiddiqui]

Oh, it seemed you were advocating that route. In the afternoons, going east on 285 and then north is a better option.

[Celeval]

Yeah... sorry for not being clear, I hoped counter-clockwise would do it. :)

Might be a better option to take 285 around counter-clockwise (past 75, then 20, then to 85) and then hit 85N... that said, yeah, it'll suck.

To be clear, should be "past 75 on the SE side of Atlanta, then 20 on the E side, then 85"... otherwise it would be 20-75-400-85. ;)

[Alan T]

Yeah... sorry for not being clear, I hoped counter-clockwise would do it. :)



To be clear, should be "past 75 on the SE side of Atlanta, then 20 on the E side, then 85"... otherwise it would be 20-75-400-85. ;)


I knew there was a reason why I wear digital watches!

[CU Tiger]

I was there this weekend, and FWIW the inner connector (85/75) is down to 2 lanes through part of your drive.

For those from the area, it took me1:45 to get from 85/285 to the GaDome at 11 AM.....

[miked]

A few weeks ago they were down to 1 lane around the I-20 merge. And a bunch of exits/entrances were closed. Took me about an hour to get from the Grady curve to Turner field (on my way to the airport). Needless to say I took 285 home.