What is it like to drive in Houston?

Question

It is looking like I might need to drive in Houston for a couple of days. I am scared to death to drive in new places. How does Houston compare to other cities? I live in Denver but it seems pretty small compared to places out east. I could never drive in Albany or New Jersey (near New York). I have driven in San Diego and that wasn't too bad. I would be flying into the BUSH airport on a Wednesday and trying to stay mostly up north. I need to drive to Temple, TX. And then I would love to take my mom to the Bayou gardens. That would be on a Sunday. So I was hoping traffic would be manageable for that. If I print out directions from Mapquest would I be able to find my way around. I did this for Albany but there were so many interchanges and stuff that we still ended up driving around for an hour lost.

Thanks,
Sonne

Answer 1

It is not that bad to drive in Houston in my opinion. I was there twice on 2 road trips from New Jersey to Houston. I spent a week there each time.

The only thing you might have to worry about is when you are on the interstate that takes you around the city (forgot the #): it is wide, so if you have to get off at an exit soon...really try to get over in one of the right two lanes or else you may miss your turn.

Good luck! Also if you are looking for a good place to eat....go to a place called "Taco Cabana".

Answer 2

Traffic in Houston can be bad, but no worse than some other areas. If you are driving from Bush Intercontinental to Temple you'll be fine.

On the other hand, if you plan to drive to Houston and Bayou Gardens, be prepared for some major traffic. Bayou Gardens is off of Memorial Drive and Westcott, and reached best by Interstate 10 (exit Washington), which is under construction for the thousanth time. If you're coming from Temple, you'd be coming down Highway 190 to Highway 6 to Highway 290 to Loop 610 to I-10. The 610 and I-10 interchange is still not complete and a bit stressful to those who've never been there.

I've been to Albany, and never had a problem, even where the Thruway connects to the Northway. Would have done it blindfolded, but I hear that isn't allowed. Albany is a much smaller city. Greater Houston is spread out over 1000 square miles (660 in Houston proper) and has over 5 million residents.

Best of luck.

P.S. Referring to an earlier post... stay away from Taco Cabana. I ate it twice a week all the way through grad school (being across the street). It is edible, and that's it.

Answer 3

You pose a fairly tough question because in one respect you should be able to handle the Houston traffic with no major problems since you are from Denver, but, on the other hand you make me a bit nervous with the idea that driving in Albany was tough. To be succinct, if you thought Albany was difficult, Houston will be a bear. I have recently lived in Denver and Houston both and I will say that Houston is a bit tougher to drive in primarily because the Houston drivers will be faster (65mph speed limit generally means most people will be doing 75/80mph) and because the freeway system is much larger and more complex. I guess the best advice that I could give you (unless you are wealthy and can afford to hire a limo!) is to just go ahead and make your trip with the idea that you will have to stay calm even though you will probably screw up a few times, stay out of the fast lanes and just go the speed limit and that will generally get you by without too many jerks honking or giving you the single digit salute. You are correct in that Sunday morning traffic is the easiest (Saturday is now almost worse than the weekdays - everyone trying to get their shopping/errands done at the same time) but go as early as you can because even Sunday starts to build up by late morning. As far as Mapquest goes, I think you will be okay there; the layout of the city is fairly basic and unless you were going to be somewhere like the ship channel or some of the newer areas, which can get tricky, Mapquest should work okay (obviously there will be individual exceptions to this but we can't plan for everything here!). I would suggest that you try to get a Houston map before you go and familiarize yourself with the basic layout, i.e., Interstate 10 runs east and west through the city, Interstate 45 runs north and south, Southwest Freeway (hwy 59) runs southwest to northeast, loop 610 circles the city fairly close in, beltway 8 circles the city farther out, etc, etc. I always felt more comfortable if I studied a map a little bit before I hit the highway for the first time. Also, like any city there are areas that it would be best not to be driving through - especially at night. Keep your cell phone charged and have a number or numbers to call locally if you need help. Don't mean to sound discouraging but it is the 4th largest city in the USA and it will present challenges; for the most part, the people are very friendly and willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. Hope I've answered a few questions for you - hey, If you can manuever the I-25/I-76 interchange in Denver at rush hour then you can handle Houston. Don't be timid, enjoy.

Answer 4

You'll be just fine. The drive to Temple will be nice and should not offer any problems. Driving in Houston just requires allowing enough time, and Map Quest does a great job so yes, I believe you will do just fine. Sunday traffic is not all that bad, and especially if you start out early. If you can drive in San Diego, you can drive in Houston. Stay safe and have a great time with Mom.

Answer 5

What can I say? I lived in Houston for 13 yrs and just recently moved down to the Valley. You have to be very cautious and aware of your surroundings. Most people aren't very courteous but I guess it's getting that way everywhere. Construction is terrible. Mapquest provides pretty good directions but you might have to take a few detours, depending on the construction in your area. Downtown and the Galleria area were really bad last year. At times only 2 freeway lanes are open. Be sure to allow yourself enough time to get where your going. Remember, patience is the key! Take care and enjoy your time in Houston!!

Answer 6

I've been in Houston all my life. The traffic is really slow during peak hours. Take it slow. If you miss a turn, don't panic. The road you need isn't going anywhere. Construction ties things up a lot. Bayou Gardens won't be worth it unless you work hard to keep the drive stress free by keeping your cool. Steer clear of Taco Cabana.

Answer 7

I learned to drive in Houston, so it really doesn't bother me that much. Rush hour lasts forever..like from about 6 am till about 10, then from about 3 pm till about 8. People don't signal, they tailgate horribly. Pay attention to the signs, and remember...both Beltway 8 and Loop 610 make a complete circle around the city. If you get lost you just keep going and you'll get back to where you came from, eventually. That's a long way around on both roads, though. Drive with your windows rolled up and doors LOCKED. Put your valuables in the trunk...don't leave them out visible when you exit the car. Lock the car when you leave it, even for "just a second". And double check google maps against mapquest.

Answer 8

Sonne,

Let me be the first to say Welcome to Texas and double-welcome to our fine city of Houston, we are happy to have ya and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time here!

That being said I should answer your question the most helpful way I can. For starters, Houston is big (largest geographical city in the United States)! Remember that and take its geographic magnitude into consideration before starting your trips. It will likely take you a good deal of time to get long distances in our city due to the sheer size and general spaced-out layout of the city. Stay comfortable with online map/direction sources (Mapquest works quite nicely) and use them liberally in your time here. Also don't forget that we Houstonians are friendly, safe, and always happy to help so never be shy about asking for directions. To be quite honest I have lived here 21 years and I do not fear driving or stopping in any part of this great city; which isn't just my trusting nature either. I lived in other large cities and there were many places I became acquainted with quickly and avoided visiting at all costs.

Now, most drivers here make up for the distance burden by driving very fast so take that into consideration too. I would consider myself a friendly driver but I regularly travel at speeds around 70-80 MPH. This is in large part however due to the fact that our roads are actually really un-crowded for a big city. We do have traffic jams during the normal rush hour time but you already have a great advantage in that you will be staying mostly up north. I live in Kingwood, which is north on I-59, and I am rarely in traffic that regulates my driving below speeds of 70-80 MPH. The only two "bad" (and I use this term very loosely) roads to be caught on are I-10 and I-45 (construction projects and high population suburban areas commuting to work such as Katy and The Woodlands sometimes fill-out the roads here). Even these roads however run very smoothly during non-rush hour times. I know it has been recommended on this forum that you stick to Beltway 8 and I agree with that completely but also become familiar with Loop 610 and use that for destinations nearer to the city. The Beltway is a fantastic way to quickly get from point A to B but 610 runs quite smoothly as well and it allows you to see the highlights of downtown Houston, the Galleria area, (to a more indirect degree) the Museum area, Minute Maid park, etc. while you journey to your destination.

I actually work for our hometown airline here as well and so I can tell you the traffic around Bush Intercontinental is virtually non-existent. The airport itself can be a bit confusing but it does not take long to navigate. Below I am listing the links my company (yea Continental Airlines!) has for mapping the airport as well as an interactive one from the Houston Airport System. Both should help with gaining a bit of familiarity of the location.

Finally, the Bayou Gardens are a great idea but be sure not to miss our other wonderful sites like NASA, Galveston (both for the leisure and history; bet you didn't know it used to be a prominent pirate hideout did ya?), Kema Boardwalk, Minute Maid Park, the Galleria, the (amazingly navigable) Houston Zoo, the Fine Arts and Natural History (as well as many other) Museums, Old Towne Spring, the Theater District, Rice Village, and any of our top-notch restaurants (there's a reason we rank so highly in "fattest city" surveys :) ). Bottom line, take in as much as you can and have a wonderful time.

Once again welcome to our fantastic state of Texas and the wonderful city of Houston! Hope to see ya around!

Answer 9

If you've driven in the area of NJ near NYC, you can handle Houston. Stay near the Sam Houston tollway that loops around Houston so you can access digfferent parts of the city without having top cross it. Also stay close to highway 290 as you'll be taking it to route 6 to go to Temple.

Answer 10

First of all don't trust map quest. it will take you the long way. We are actually a pretty easy city to get around. 45 and 59 go north and south. I-10 east and west. 290 towards Austin. 610 goes around the city. Forget driving around Denver. If you can do that you will love getting around our city. One thing though don't cut anybody off and try not to let your cell phone distract you. If you do happen to cut someone off thank them and make them feel like they were giving you the OK to move into their lane.