One of my friends from college and his wife recently got jobs in Atlanta and will be moving here from New York. They will both be working downtown. He called me looking for advice on where they should live. One of their biggest concerns was traffic. They really didn't want to deal with long commutes. So I wracked my brain trying to come up with an area of town that would suit their needs. During this exercise I realized that I've never really ranked the area interstates as far as commutes are concerned.
Below you will find a list of eight interstate morning commutes starting with the worst and ending with the best, assuming that all final destinations are downtown Atlanta. I left I-285 off of this list because it does not take you downtown.
8. I-575 (Cherokee Co.): This is usually the first interstate to slow in morning drive. Once you get off of I-575 you still have to deal with I-75. Very rough ride. You can expect daily delays from Sixes Road to I-75.
7. Ga. 400 (Forsyth Co.): Slows in Forsyth County. Slows in Fulton County. Slows inside the perimeter. It can be nerve wracking. The worst part of the commute is generally found between Haynes Bridge and the North Springs Marta station.
6. I-75 (Cobb Co.): Plan on at least 30 minutes to go from Wade Green Road to I-285. When I-285 gets heavy it can also impact the ride on I-75 southbound. One of the last interstates to recover during morning drive. It has been very slow inside of I-285 lately as well.
5. I-85 (Gwinnett Co.): There can be delays at the Mall of Georgia, but the biggest jams occur between Ga. 316 and I-285. Expect daily delays inside I-285 heading between North Druid Hills and I-75.
4. I-20 (Rockdale Co.): The trip between Turner Hill Road and I-285 can be an adventure. If there are delays on the Downtown Connector you can expect big backups on I-20 westboudn inside of I-285. Sometimes it's slower inside of I-285 than it is outside of I-285.
3. I-75 (Henry Co.): This ride can be a mixed bag. Sometimes it's jammed from McDonough to I-675. Other times it's not so bad. Traffic usually improves in Clayton County. I-675 provides a nice relief valve.
2. I-20 (Douglas Co.): It really depends on the weather. The biggest factor here is sunshine delays. The bright sun can add additional time to the trip. Once inside I-285 though, it's usually not bad into downtown.
1. I-85 (Coweta Co.): The "Garden of Eden" of metro Atlanta commutes. Unless there's a crash or major incident on I-85 northbound this is usually the lightest commute in town. The worst part of the ride is the northbound side of I-75/85 but otherwise it's a piece of cake.
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