How long a drive is it from Boston to Stowe?

[New Daddy]

Assuming the traffic is average, how long a drive is it from Boston to Stowe?
Mapquest and Google Maps both say about 3 hours and 40 minutes, and the Stowe website says about 3 hours and 15 minutes.

I think Mapquest and Google Maps overestimate travel time spent on interstate highways.
I don't know what speed they use for calculating purposes, but I always beat their estimated travel time by a good margin when most of the travel time is spent on interestate highways (I drive at 80mph on 65mph zones).
And the trip to Stowe looks like most of the time will be spent on interstate highways.

For an aggressive driver, could you provide some estimates?
Thanks.

 

[RISkier]

I'd say 3:15 to 3:30 for an agressive driver if you don't hit traffic. Perhaps a tad less if you're driving 80. Map Quest times rely on driving the speed limit and are usually a bit long, IMO.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

For an "aggressive driver" and being winter alot would depend on how long it takes for the wrecker to come and pull you out of the ditch. Being a "new daddy" how about focusing more on getting there safely than saving 15 minutes.

 

[riverc0il]

Probably 3:15 or slightly less if you hold out at 80 the entire length of 89. Have fun with the staties.

 

[deadheadskier]

Probably 3:15 or slightly less if you hold out at 80 the entire length of 89. Have fun with the staties.

especially on 89 between Concord and White River. I don't know why, but it seems like every time I do that drive, there are far more cops on the NH side of 89 than the Vermont side. I don't have a radar dectector and usually set the cruise to 75 as I see so many people getting pulled over. Unless of course there's a line of traffic going 80....I'll go with it.

 

[billski]

It takes me, fairly consistently, 3:00 from the junction of 128/95 to nearly the end of Mt. Road (near noMatterhorn.) , which is exactly 200 miles. 70mph is tops for me, mostly in the right lane. I let the aggressive drivers flush out the radar. Never had an issue at 70. You're right about Concord to White river enforcement, but I support the enforcement, the aggressive drivers are a danger to us all, and that's really who they target. More and more, especially this year I'm seeing enforcement on the i89 VT stretch, even at night. I don't support aggressive driving.

Relax and enjoy the drive. After all why ruin your vacation, or someone else's for that matter!

 

[KingM]

I mostly see the HP north of White River Junction for several miles.

One thing that's saved my bacon over the years is cruise control. On a long drive I find myself creeping faster and faster and the cops exploit your lack of attention by lurking at the bottom of down grades when you keep your foot at constant pressure and speed up. I set cruise control to ~70 and will never get a ticket.

While we're talking tickets, the cops in the MRV seem to prefer two locations. The first is the bottom of the hill as you're going into Waitsfield Village, and the second is the bottom of the Access Road. Again, right where gravity is half the thing making you drive too fast.

 

[Warp Daddy]

We make the drive regularly when i go to visit my daughter's family in Littleton MA from here in the St Lawrence River Valley . I usually pass the Stowe exit off 89 in 3 hrs 15 minutes its just about Halfway for us . I too keep cruise @70 mphand have been doing this route since they movedf there in 1988 never had an issue with the State police in either VT or NH at all

 

[NH24fan]

From Merrimack (Nashua area ) NH to Mountain Road, I can do it in 2:20, avg spd 72-75ish on the GPS. In fact I am leaving in a lil over an hour, for 5 nights....WooHoo!!! 4 day VRP flex ticket at Stowe, so the day I take off from Stowe I plan on going to Jay (tree skiing), which will most likely be Thursday after the snow stops falling.

Gonna be a great week! Hope the legs can hold up, if not I'll quell the pain with Longtrail!!

I hang at the Gondola lodge, usually a bit quieter, plus the nice outside deck for apres ski.

Good thing I put snowtires w/studs on this year!!!

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Three hours and 12 minutes..

 

[Greg]

Three hours and 12 minutes..

On the nose? :roll:

 

[BLESS]

I mostly see the HP north of White River Junction for several miles.

One thing that's saved my bacon over the years is cruise control. On a long drive I find myself creeping faster and faster and the cops exploit your lack of attention by lurking at the bottom of down grades when you keep your foot at constant pressure and speed up. I set cruise control to ~70 and will never get a ticket.

While we're talking tickets, the cops in the MRV seem to prefer two locations. The first is the bottom of the hill as you're going into Waitsfield Village, and the second is the bottom of the Access Road. Again, right where gravity is half the thing making you drive too fast.

duly noted, I'll remember this

 

[polski]

When I drove to MRG a week ago Sunday the snowbanks were so high on I-89 that there really was no chance of seeing a statie before you were on top of them. I kept cruise control at 71 as I always do and got a bit of a scare when I went past a NH HP in the median as I approached the VT line and maybe 10 seconds later he pulled out with the blues flashing. Fortunately, just as I asked myself "I can't really get dinged for going 71 now can I?" he pulled over the one car that was behind me.

The stress of worrying about a speeding ticket just isn't worth the time saved IMO. Then there's the gas consumption.