You will probably get some good answers here. If you don't, try city-data.com. It has a forum for Philadelphia:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/philadelphia/

Where are you coming from.. and what time of day?

If you can get on 95 further east towards Trenton without adding too much time, I'd do that.

202 can move pretty fast-- but not at rush hour and it does have stop lights for a portion of your route. Honestly, that whole area where the NE Extension comes together with 202 and turnpike is terrible anytime close to rush hour.

I used to live in DE and work very close to where 202 and the turnpike come together so I took either the blue route (476) or 202 depending on the traffic report, the weather or my mood.

Thank you Funkyart. When I'm driving, I'm coming from Upstate NY. (When I'm coming from NYC I take Amtrak and it's a million times easier!) The PA turnpike part is fine, it's that whole Philadelphia to Wilmington stretch that makes me crazy. :)

I've deliberately avoided that area during rush hour and yet have still gotten caught up in some impressive jams on 495/95 and 476. I keep thinking there has to be an easier way.....

If it is not rush hour, do you think 202 would be better than 495 and 476?

If it's not rush hour then the Blue route (476 to 495/95) is definitely faster when it isn't rush hour-- but the problem is if there's an accident it gets all backed up because there aren't so many places to get on/off.

202 is fast-- right up to West Chester-- then you have stop lights between West Chester and Wilmington.

Oh yes.. the commute on the train is a dream! I used to commute between Wilmington, Phila and NYC and loved the train. I could sleep, read, work, have a drink on my way home. I'd always commute by train if I could!

Thank you Funkyart, that is helpful. So it seems I may be using the best route possible under the circumstances then. I LOVE Acela - but that doesn't help me when I'm coming from the frozen hinterlands of upstate NY. :)

You just never know. We listen to KYW 1060AM to get the latest traffic report and hope we make it through without a hitch. I personally hate 95 S once you pass Street Rd. Traffic picks up and the crazies come out. There's also major construction going on now as they're working on a connection with the turnpike. Allow extra time if you're traveling when there's a game on in South Philly. Heading south, late afternoon sun glare in the winter can be awful. We go a couple times a month to visit my daughter near Penn so we're not going as far as Wilmington. We live in Bucks County, and I prefer taking the turnpike to the Blue Route and then the expressway. We're only on the Blue Route for a short distance. Our tie ups have always been on the 2 lane expressway going that route.

Here's KYW's website to look up traffic reports. Do you have the WAZE app for your phone? That's also a help.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/tag/kyw-1060/

Funny you should ask, we were down thataway just today. We go up Stenton/Flourtown/Plymouth Rd to get on the Blue Route at Plymouth Meeting. We went down to the totally illegal Delaware liquor store today. To 95, off at Port of Wilmington/Naaman Rd. We got there at 11 this morning. When we left, after a stop for lunch at a real dive bar/restaurant with good food, there was road work on southbound 95, just before our exit where we had been two hours before. Back up for about 5 miles. Sigh.

I think it's a lot of luck, actually. Our Garmin does an excellent job of letting us know about traffic problems and suggests alternatives. It was the best purchase we had made in a long time.

Thanks everyone. I do use Waze. I also agree the backups are weird and at random times (not just M-F @ rush hour), so I wondered if there is some sort of insider knowledge anyone could offer. I'm so not an expert in that area of the country. It's funny, in NYC it almost seems like there are a million different ways to get wherever you want to go, so if option "A" is a parking lot you know there are a few other routes to try. They're probably all at a standstill too, but hey, at least you feel like you have choices. Short of teleportation, I just can't find any other acceptable alternative to this 476 to 95/495 corridor.

chickadee - are you in Northern Bucks? When I lived in Bucks County I tried to avoid the Turnpike - unless I was driving back to Pittsburgh.

There's nothing worse than the Schuylkill Expressway. Although 202 and the Blue Route are nearly as bad. And I have yet managed to navigate to Valley Forge/King of Prussia Mall without wondering if I missed my turn. So I just don't go there.

I usually take I 95 - for some reason it doesn't bother me.

Maire

Agree with Funky about the Blue Route (so called because it was the blue line on the map of possible new roads-took forever to get approved). It will dump you on 95 just north of Wilmington.

I moved 215 miles north to avoid having to use I-95 to get to my son's house. A 3.25 hour trip could take 7.5 hours with no rhyme or reason.

I've done both, a lot. Rarely have traffic problems on 476 Blue Route (that's how I got to the airport and I had friends down that way) but yes, it can come at random times. I don't like 202 (I used to have to use it to get to work) due to the stop and go, but if it's rush hour, kinda pick your poison. Obviously an app that provides up to date info. would be the way to go.

Thank you, that's helpful. Appreciate the input from everyone - it just reaffirms that I'm probably going the best route and that sometimes traffic just sucks. :)

Patrice - whenever I travel on those congested roads I always make sure to fill my gas tank before I leave. And there are times I take a little snack with me too. We were at the Philadelphia Airport last year when a man came running down the hall and begged to be let in near the front of the TSA line saying that he'd been stuck on the Schuylkill for 4 hours due to a multi-vehicle accident with fatalities. The TSA agent looked at his ticket and let him in - no one waiting in line objected.

I keep thinking of all those people who were stuck for 24 hours on the PA Turnpike last year due to heavy snow and accidents.

Maire, I hope I keep hearing you in my ear from here forward. I can't tell you how many times I have been stuck in a bad traffic jam with an empty tank! Thankfully I've never run out ... I am lucky both the schyulkill and Blue Route have long expanses without exits.

I can't even begin to imagine how those people dealt with being stuck on the turnpike for 24 hrs. I'd have gone mad!

My sister and I both worked at the airport when we were in our 20s. The road between where we lived and the airport was notorious for being slick in bad weather. There were always cars stuck along the side of the road in a snow bank! This was before cell phones so we commuted together when there was snow. It was a ritual to outfit the car for the winter-- salt, shovel, blankets, flares, Cheetos, beer and whiskey. We were pretty sure we had all the bases covered. :)

salt, shovel, blankets, flares, Cheetos, beer and whiskey.

No chocolate?

Ha.. neither of us likes chocolate. And I don't like Cheetos.. I guess I'd planned to eat whiskey slushies!

Funky - after reading your post I realize how woefully unprepared I have been for travel - no beer and no whiskey. I think I might just have to pick up a few of those little bottles of rum to keep in my car - might help keep me warm in an emergency...and I usually have chocolate.

And I have to confess that I'm one of those people who feels that a half tank of gas means you have to fill up soon - and my car is a diesel. I could go another 200 miles on a half tank.

I agree with just taking 476 -- even when it's backed up it moves (unless there's a terrible accident). To get to 202 from the turnpike, you'd have to go 6 miles over, and 202 can also back up through King of Prussia and again around Exton/Route 30. And then yes, it is not a highway once you hit West Chester. 476 is pretty much a straight shot and all highway.

You'll also have a choice about whether to take 95 straight through Wilmington or 495 around it. GPS always says 495 but unless it's rush hour, I just stay on 95 - it's way more direct.

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but if you can use the Waze app., it will navigate the best way to get to your destination, with real-time data.

It eclipses anything else I've ever used.

Jumping in late here. I live in the NW suburbs of Philadelphia. To go to Wilmington, I take 476 S to 95. I absolutely hate the stretch of 95 that goes through the city, although it would make no sense for me to go that way. If 95S is terribly backed up, you can get off the Blue Route (476) at Exit 5 and take Route 1 toward Lima. Route 1 parallels 95. From art 1, take Rt 52 into Wilmington. 476 only seems to back up at rush hour, as does every other road around Philadelphia. 202 gets very backed up as there are lots of office campuses along the way.

Diane, you made me laugh out loud with the Waze comment. Thank you for that. :)

Maire_cate, I'm just above New Hope. You're on the other side of the river closer to Phila. now aren't you? I've been meaning to ask you where you had your double knee replacement done? I had both of mine replaced a week apart at Penn this past summer. I think I'm set up to receive messages if you ever feel like talking knees.

The easiest way to the Delaware Memorial Bridge would be the get on the NJ Turnpike and take it straight thru. Not sure how accessible it is to you or where exactly your coming from in upstate NY. We used to take 295S to MD but found the Turnpike to be a little faster into DE.

Since I'm already in NJ I take the same route as Jerseygirl.

Chickadee - you're in one of my favorite areas! When DH and I first married we lived in Philly for 4 years and often escaped on Sundays for a 'ride in the country' - which either meant heading to Lancaster or Bucks County.

I tried to email you but when I click on your profile there isn't a 'Message' option in the upper right corner. I have one if you want to email me. How interesting that you had your knees replaced a week apart - that's a new one for me. My brother just had one knee done last week and he'll schedule his other one for this summer. I went up to HSS (Hospital for Special Surgery) in NYC.