RoadtripFilter: Fastest way to MO from NJ?

May 30, 2008 8:31 AM

I-80 vs. I-70: Which will get me to Missouri from New Jersey with the smaller headache?

I am driving out to Maryville, MO (~two hours NW of K.C.) from New Jersey this weekend. I've found two alternate routes, I-70 and I-80. Directions show them to be pretty much equal mileage and time-wise. But Google Maps never drove a car.

Anyone make a similar drive before? Suggestions on which route would be the better choice?

Thankee.

posted by adamdrici to Travel & Transportation (15 answers total)

70 will be a little more interesting, hill-wise. I80 across Illinois and Iowa is a motherfucker. A whole package of No-doz is hardly enough. And really, going anywhere near Chicago, unless you're going *to* chicago, is folly.

I hope you're doing this in two days. I've done the drive from NH to St. Louis in one shot (with no radio, to boot!). I was literally having arguments with myself by the end of it. And losing.
posted by notsnot at 8:58 AM on May 30, 2008 [1 favorite]

70 through Missouri will keep you "entertained" with the ridiculous concentration of billboards.
posted by zsazsa at 9:07 AM on May 30, 2008

I-80 takes you through the outskirts of Chicago, which can be problematic depending on the time of day. Also, I-80 is a toll road in Indiana; I-70 is free here.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:08 AM on May 30, 2008

I haven't driven your entire route, but keep in mind that much of I-80 in Ohio is tolled and some of I-70 in Pennsylvania is tolled. I-80 is not tolled at all in Pennsylvania (yet!)

Since you're going to Jersey, are you really taking I-70 the whole way? I-70 cuts south at Breezewood in Pennsylvania to head toward Baltimore and DC. If you're staying on I-76 east of Breezewood toward Harrisburg and Philadelphia, the tolls do get kind of high.

Tolls in Ohio are a lot lower.
posted by dforemsky at 9:08 AM on May 30, 2008

Response by poster: I will be splitting up the drive into two days. Sounds like 70 is the way to go.

Thanks everybody.
posted by adamdrici at 9:10 AM on May 30, 2008

Definitely I-70. It's just more direct and, imho, prettier.
And, yeah...what's with the billboards in Missouri? It's like they're trying to wall-in the highway.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:11 AM on May 30, 2008

I think the toll question is pretty close to a wash. The Pennsylvania Turnpike is the only toll road on the southern route, but it's a pretty expensive toll road. The northern route has cheaper toll roads, but more of them.
posted by Dec One at 9:13 AM on May 30, 2008

Take I-70. I-80 is toll road for most of your route. I've been on every bit of I-70 and I-80 from the east coast to the Rockies. It is a bit of a toss-up, but if you like to do some serious ass-busting, rubber down, mile-humping I recommend I-70. You'll avoid most of the gridlock that driving through big cities can cause, and I enjoy the scenery on I-70 better. Plus, You don't have to pay the tolls in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
posted by sciurus at 9:16 AM on May 30, 2008

I would lean towards I-70 at least as far as Columbus. I have a deep loathing of the Pennsylvania turnpike as it seems like paying for the privledge of overpriced gas and fast food, but it's at least well paved.

I'd say I-70 and then switching over to 76 seems like the way to go, but I usually only go as far as Pittsburgh.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 9:19 AM on May 30, 2008

Strike my advice on the Pennsylvania tolls, based on the other comments, I'm wrong. The only part of your route on I-70 that is toll road is through Pennsylvania. Based on the Penn Turnpike toll calculator, the I-70 portion toll is $5.25. It definitely costs more in tolls to take I-80 based on that info.
posted by sciurus at 9:27 AM on May 30, 2008

Definitely 70. I've driven it from near KC to Penn before, and it's your best bet.
posted by chrisamiller at 9:32 AM on May 30, 2008

Take I-70 and stop in Indy - we'll make a meetup of it :)
posted by pjern at 11:36 AM on May 30, 2008

I've found 36 across MO to be pretty quick. Misses out the major cities, and is more interesting than the I-7x roads.
posted by scruss at 12:24 PM on May 30, 2008

I80 across Illinois and Iowa is a motherfucker. A whole package of No-doz is hardly enough.

Right.

And really, going anywhere near Chicago, unless you're going *to* chicago, is folly.

Wrong, at least about I-80. I-80 south of Chicago is fine, traffic-wise. On a weekend, you will cruise at posted (55 until just after Joliet, then 65) or faster speeds.

There is construction on the south end of 294 that may cause slight backups onto 80, but it's not that bad at all.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 3:02 PM on May 30, 2008

Yeah, well, I guess what I said about 80 in Chicago was old information. I got routed off the highway due to construction, and wound out driving a brand-new pickup truck through the roughest, bombed-out parts of the eastern ghetto suburbs. Scariest drive *evar*(and I say this as someone who's driven through East St. Louis at night. Lost, of course).
posted by notsnot at 6:10 AM on June 2, 2008