Flying into Tampa - I4 traffic at 6pm

[koneko]

Hi everyone, we've just booked our May 2022 tickets as the prices for Gatwick - Tampa dropped significantly if we shuffled our dates slightly. Our flight gets in just after 4.30pm local time I think so at a guess we would probably be heading off between about 6 and 7pm. Does anyone know what the I4 traffic is like at that time of the day on a week day? Is their rush hour around the same time as ours?

[VS075]

Hi

I’d suggest using Google maps and then setting the planned time as 6pm and it’ll give you a good indication. You can also set the day of the week to get a more accurate picture.

Thanks

[fiffio]

Depends where your going I guess, the toll road from the airport is always relatively quiet and gets you to the 192.

Last few times we have been the I4 has been pretty bad at certain points at all times of the day!

[DonnaD]

Originally Posted by fiffio

Depends where your going I guess, the toll road from the airport is always relatively quiet and gets you to the 192.

Last few times we have been the I4 has been pretty bad at certain points at all times of the day!

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Sounds line you are talking about MCO not Tampa.

[DonnaD]

Rush hour traffic seems to spread over a much longer period here. High Schools start as early as 7 and many people start work very early too. "Evening" rush can go from 4 until 9 on 192.

I4 from Tampa to Orlando in the evening is probably abit better than the opposite direction. The section near Championsgate can be really bad but they have started works at the junction to improve it.

The Google Maps suggestion is your best bet.

[7SeasSailor]

I went straight to the garage and was on the road within the hour at Tampa. You will drive into heavy traffic on I275. Traffic moved at about 40mph because of the volume of vehicles until I was on I4. You can't really avoid the I275 but there is another way out of the airport rather than using the John Bean Parkway if that looks a bit daunting. Let me know if you want it.

[koneko]

Originally Posted by 7SeasSailor

I went straight to the garage and was on the road within the hour at Tampa. You will drive into heavy traffic on I275. Traffic moved at about 40mph because of the volume of vehicles until I was on I4. You can't really avoid the I275 but there is another way out of the airport rather than using the John Bean Parkway if that looks a bit daunting. Let me know if you want it.

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Thank you, and yes please to the route - daunting roads when we've only just picked the car up definitely doesn't sound fun, especially as I'll be the one driving!

[7SeasSailor]

They have moved the cell phone parking lot since I last did this. Drive to the cell phone parking lot turn round and drive straight out turning right onto Economy Parking Road. At the lights turn right onto Airport Services Road, left at the roundabout. At the next junction turn right onto O'Brian St. At the lights turn left onto West Spruce St. At next junction turn right onto Westshore Blvd. You should see the flyover ahead. At the flyover pass under the bridge moving into the centre lane. At the lights on the far side turn left up the slip road onto I275. I found there was a lot less traffic on the back roads.

[Photogirl62]

Originally Posted by 7SeasSailor

They have moved the cell phone parking lot since I last did this. Drive to the cell phone parking lot turn round and drive straight out turning right onto Economy Parking Road. At the lights turn right onto Airport Services Road, left at the roundabout. At the next junction turn right onto O'Brian St. At the lights turn left onto West Spruce St. At next junction turn right onto Westshore Blvd. You should see the flyover ahead. At the flyover pass under the bridge moving into the centre lane. At the lights on the far side turn left up the slip road onto I275. I found there was a lot less traffic on the back roads.

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We did this on our last trip. It hadn’t even occurred to me to go any other way 😂 From the plane wheels touching the runway tarmac to leaving car garage was an hour exactly then it was just over an hour to Highlands Reserve using this back route out airport. Will be doing the same in July too

[juliebissett72]

We got stuck in bad traffic in June 19 leaving Tampa airport. Same landing time. Took well over 2 hours to drive to Disney, traffic was clear after clearing Tampa though so congestion only around the Tampa area which we put down to rush hour. We might just have been unlucky though. Did that same drive another 4 times on the trip and it was always clear at other times.