Take the high road (40/85 through Charlotte, then 85 to Atlanta) or the Low Road (95 south to Florence SC, then 20 to Atlanta). I'm leaning toward the Low Road, as there's no large towns to dodge during morning rush hour.

Per Google Maps, it's a about a 25 minutes shorter going 85, but that'll get eaten up in there's any traffic when I hit Charlotte about 9am.

9/7/2010 11:38:18 PM

I-85 passes far enough north of Charlotte that traffic shouldn't be that bad, especially at 9am. I'd take the high road.

(Plus I-20 in SC is full of speed traps)q

9/7/2010 11:52:29 PM

I'm going to play it by ear, depending on when we actually get out of town. I'd like to leave no later than 6am, but given that we've barely packed, that might be, um, optimistic

9/8/2010 12:10:48 AM

i'd take 85

9/8/2010 12:15:09 AM

let me know how it goes. im leaving friday morning at about 11am to head down there

9/8/2010 12:36:06 AM

Will do. I think we'll probably end up leaving about 7am, taking 64 to Lexington, then heading down from there. I really hate driving through RTP, Chapel Hill, then Burlington and Greensboro in the morning, and 64 is a pretty chill drive once you get out of Cary. Hoping to make Atlanta in about 7-7.5 hours or so.

9/8/2010 1:10:29 AM

me and my sister made it to ATL in 7 hours by taking 40 to 85.. and that is including 1 hour of stand-still traffic in SC

so I'd go that route

9/8/2010 1:21:17 AM

unlesss you live fairly east of raleigh - the 85 route is better/faster

9/8/2010 8:09:42 AM

^+1

9/8/2010 9:06:27 AM

I agree. I always go 85.

9/8/2010 9:17:52 AM

Slave Boat

9/8/2010 2:27:45 PM

el oh el

9/8/2010 3:34:44 PM

85 is the way to go.

9/8/2010 5:27:23 PM

Not sure if this matters to you or not, it matters to me: I-20 has a horrible road surface unless they've paved it since December. I'd go I-85.

9/8/2010 7:42:20 PM

From 7 to 9AM, I-85 south into Charlotte gets congested and slow just before Salisbury (right after you come off 64 to 85), again just before Concord Mills Blvd, and depending on conditions somewhat to very congested near the I-77 interchange. Heading south after the I-77 interchange it gets shallowed out. It would actually benefit you to run a little later through there. Just pray it doesn't rain or drizzle on the day you leave or there's undoubtedly a crash somewhere on there and it goes from congestion to stop & go in Charlotte proper.

9/8/2010 7:44:10 PM

Best route to Atlanta is to fly and not deal with the clusterfuck that is Atlanta traffic

9/9/2010 2:43:06 PM

FUCK THE DOWNTOWN CONNECTOR SO HARD!

9/11/2010 6:04:49 PM