Sac trip tips?
 

I have to drive to the Sac area (Roseville, to be specific) on tuesday for a business meeting, and I need to pick a route.

Keeping in mind that I'm starting from Dayton, my two options are:

1) Drive into Carson, then take the 395 to Reno and from there take the 80 down to Roseville. According to Google maps, this is about 160mi and nearly 3 hours. I'm familiar with this route.

2) Drive through Carson, take the 50 westbound past Placerville and make a beeline into Roseville. Google says this is about 134mi, but nearly 4 hours (3 of those just to get to Placerville). :?:

Any tips? I've driven 80 into Sac before, but not the 50. What's the speed limit for most of highway 50 west?

I'd say take 80. Roseville is on 80. Taking 50, you'll either have to go into Sac, and then come back north-east towards Roseville, or cut across on 49 from Placerville to Auburn. Either way, I think taking 80 directly from Reno would be quicker.

How far away from Carson is Dayton exactly? Carson to Placerville is 1:45 - 2 hours max, so I wouldn't expect Dayton to Placerville to be 3 hours, unless you got caught behind a slow truck. Between Carson and South Lake Tahoe, the speed limit is 50mph, and between SLT and Placerville, I think its 55 (maybe 65, but I doubt it).

it's about 20 min from Dayton to Carson.

80 is going to be fastest, the question is how to get there...

How far out are you on 50? You could head east/north to Fenley and skip Carson altogether? While some backtracking, it may well be fastest.

Going through Virginia City is an option as well, and loads more fun. Go run the truck route. :) Unfortunately 6 mile road is closed, or that would be fun as well.

I'm starting from the wrong end of Dayton to go through Fernley.

And while it pains me to know I'll possibly be missing the joy of running Geiger Grade on ice, I believe it's slower to reach Reno by way of the Viginia City hwy. ;)

Seems like I'll be going for option 1. . .

I will say that the drive down 50 into Sac is fun, depending on traffic. I've been down it at like 2am, and it's a f'ing blast! If you were to get stuck behind traffic tho, on the winding 2 lane sections, it would SUCK!

J, go for route 2, it's more fun pending on traffic, and if your not worried about when you leave, take off early to avoid the traffic.

or option 3....

drive into Carson, 395 S to Rt. 50, Rt 50 to Rt 28 thru Incline & Kings Beach, Rt 267 to 80, and 80 to Roseville.

for 2 years i commuted from Truckee to N. Carson City and that drive along the Lake was AWESOME! i forget, but some magazine voted Rt. 28 between Incline and Spooner summit as one of the the top 10 drives in the US!

I especially like that part where you sit in traffic for 5 hours.

Time-wise, take the new 395 through Carson and up to 80. Traffic speeds are predictable, whereas Tahoe/50 (especially to Roseville) is unpredictable in terms of delays. I'd take the 80 route even if just going to downtown Sac.

Oh, definitely. That's a nice little stretch of highway there now.

That may be in the summer, but I drive that road almost everyday and you can cruise it. I'd say option 3 is your best bet. Thats the way liz always goes when she has horse shows. Her barn is in washoe valley, and it still saves her alot of time and miles going that way.

It's been decided - I'm gonna be picking up another manager in Reno, so I'll be taking the 80 all the way down.

It's ironic that the meet was moved from Roseville to Rancho Cordova after we set our carpool up. :~:

Thanks for the help guys :)