I want to go to Outer Banks from Philadelphia area. I was told that Rt 13 was slow with lots of lights?

Question

Any suggestions for an alternate quicker route?

Answer 1

You really have two options. You can take 95 through Wilmington, Baltimore, DC, Richmond, and Norfolk to meet back up with 13, or you can take 13 right from the Delaware border.

Having done both, I can give you some tips to decide, depending on the type of driving you like.

If you go 95, you'll be able to go 75-80 MPH the entire time, but you will be caught in traffic guaranteed along the 95 stretch of Delaware and the capital beltway in DC. Yes, there are no lights, and if you travel at an off-peak hour you'll be able to go faster, but if you hate traffic, you may want to take 13.

US 13 is still a 50-60 MPH road, but it goes through the rural country of the delmarva peninsula. This is a truly beautiful region, and a much more enjoyable and relaxing drive than through the eastern seaboard cities. There are lights, but you generally get the green since you are on the main road. You also get to drive over the really cool bay bridge-tunnel linking the peninsula to Norfolk.

With the way I like to drive, I would pick route 13.

To save time, instead of taking US 13  right off the bat, I would take 95 to around exit 4 in Delaware, and take coastal route 1 until Dover, and then switch to route 13. Route 1 is your standard highway for the first 2 hours of your trip this way, shaving off some time in the more densly populated areas of New Castle county.

Watch out for notorious speed traps in southern Delaware, especially Felton Delaware!! Its famous with Delawareans for being a nasty speed trap, where the road goes through a town and drops from 55 to 35 for 2 blocks.