Every crossing has its own page: the sailings the operator actually publishes, the fares in force, and how to reach both landings. The date each table was checked sits next to it.
American ferries answer to nobody in particular. Some are run by a state department of transportation and cost nothing to cross; some belong to a county that has operated the same reach of river since before the Civil War; some are private companies carrying tourists to an island for the season and tying up in October. There is no national timetable and no national fare table, and that is why each page here is built from the operator's own publication rather than from a single database.
That patchwork changes what a page can promise. A Maine island run publishes exact sailing times months ahead, because the boat is the road. A cable ferry on a river publishes a cadence instead — every fifteen minutes, daylight hours — and stops when the river floods. Where an operator publishes no grid at all, this site explains the mechanism instead of inventing a schedule that does not exist.
Fares work the same way. A crossing may be free because the state treats it as highway, or it may charge separately for the driver, the vehicle and its length. Each fare table here carries the date it was read and a link to the operator's own page, because seasonal rates and fuel surcharges move without notice.
Every marker is a landing with a page behind it; the dashed line between two of them is the crossing itself. Open one to get the sailing times, the fares and how to reach either side.
the state boats that cover the winter after the fast ferry stops
up Lynn Canal on sailings that change by the date
the borough shuttle across Tongass Narrows
one sailing each way, every day, to Prince of Wales Island
the Aurora's Prince William Sound run, back on March 7
Charlevoix to St. James, with the car booked by phone
Plaunt's one boat from Cheboygan, thinning out toward winter
Champion's round-the-clock North Channel crossing
the Marblehead boats that carry the cars
Bayfield to La Pointe, until the ice takes the job
the short route from Catawba Island
every half hour across the St. Marys, almost round the clock
Northport Pier to Detroit Harbor through Death's Door
937 feet across the Chautauqua Lake narrows
Sayville's boat to the Grove, with three fall-to-winter tables
Patchogue's paper-ticket boat to Fire Island's eastern end
the Fire Island run that changes terminal at the weekend
two wooden sternwheelers, May to October
a Tred Avon crossing that dates to 1683
the mail boat, the visitor cruise and which one you need
the last of New York's municipal routes
a free county crossing that stops at the posted closing time
the free crossing DelDOT runs on a weekday clock
a free Illinois River crossing that never shuts for the night
the paid Mississippi crossing between Chester and St. Louis
three miles of Lake Champlain between Vermont and New York
the island's own boat from Cousins Island
Warner's crossing of 1769 and the Selden III
the Northeast Harbor boat or the Southwest Harbor one
two winter days a week to the last of the Elizabeth Islands
a New York island's own boats, sailing from Connecticut
the Lake Champlain crossing that never closes for the night
two landings, one former Army fort
the year-round mail run on the Laura B and Elizabeth Ann
the crossing that carries cars
a three-car barge on the Connecticut River, April to November
the mailboat with two island landings
a seasonal run across Frenchman Bay
a pioneer crossing of the Willamette, still run by Marion County
the Colville Tribes' free crossing of Lake Roosevelt
eighteen hours a day, on demand, for nothing
Kitsap Transit's twelve-minute foot ferry to Bremerton
35 minutes from Colman Dock, paid on the Seattle side
the ten-minute side of the triangle
the scheduled boats to a Washington valley with no road in
Puget Island to Westport, Oregon, once an hour
the Jenny Ann's cash-only run across the Ohio
Deep Point to a golf-cart island, bags and tram included
the one boat North Carolina's state parks run, April to late October
the parish crossing that passed to the port and got its toll back
Tennessee's tug-and-barge link on SR 147
$20 to the beach, plus the park gate
two boats out, two back, and a park fee on top
the county boat from Pinckney Island to Melrose Landing
one boat a day, with the park fee folded into the fare
the free SH 87 crossing that never closes
the Alabama River boat a county took away and the state brought back
Mammoth Cave's cable crossing, on hold until the river rises
six passengers, 16 tons and a lunch break
the one-boat fall timetable between Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan
the free Meherrin River crossing between Winton and Como
the parish's downriver crossing, daylight only and capped at 50 feet
Butler County's quieter free crossing of the Green River
two cars at a time over the Cashie, southeast of Windsor
a state boat you board by invitation or on a tour
Chatham Area Transit's free boat to Hutchinson Island
JTA's five-minute A1A link, on new hours from October 1
two downtown San Diego piers, one landing on the island side
the smaller of Caltrans' two Delta boats, free and on call through the night
Rio Vista to Ryer Island on a twenty-minute clock, all night
Crossing time and sailings as each operator states them. The numbers are not always comparable: some lines publish a fixed headway, others count the departures of a single weekday, and the seasonal runs publish neither out of season. A dash means the operator does not publish that figure.
| Crossing | Region | Service | Crossing time | Sailings | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haines–Skagway ferry | Alaska | Vehicle ferry | 1 hour (state), 45 min (fast ferry) | – | Alaska Marine Highway System (winter) · Haines Skagway Fast Ferry (summer) |
| Juneau–Haines ferry | Alaska | Vehicle ferry | – | LeConte out of service with a steering problem | Alaska Marine Highway System |
| Ketchikan Airport Ferry | Alaska | Vehicle ferry | – | Every 30 minutes, 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. | Ketchikan Gateway Borough |
| Ketchikan–Hollis ferry | Alaska | Vehicle ferry | About 3 hours | Hollis 8:00 a.m. · Ketchikan 3:30 p.m. | Inter-Island Ferry Authority |
| Whittier–Cordova ferry | Alaska | Vehicle ferry | 6 h 45 min to 7 h | Sun Mar 7, 2027 (none Nov–Feb) | Alaska Marine Highway System |
| Beaver Island ferry | Great Lakes | Island service | Just over 2 hours, 32 miles | December 18 | Beaver Island Boat Company |
| Bois Blanc Island ferry | Great Lakes | Vehicle ferry | 45 minutes | 3 each way most days | Plaunt Transportation |
| Harsens Island ferry | Great Lakes | Vehicle ferry | – | Continuous 5 a.m.–midnight | Champion's Auto Ferry |
| Kelleys Island ferry | Great Lakes | Vehicle ferry | 20–30 min, just over 3 miles | – | Kelleys Island Ferry Boat Line |
| Madeline Island ferry | Great Lakes | Vehicle ferry | 20 to 25 minutes | – | Madeline Island Ferry Line |
| Miller Ferry to Put-in-Bay | Great Lakes | Vehicle ferry | Under 20 minutes | Hourly, 11 or 12 a day each way | Miller Ferry |
| Sugar Island ferry | Great Lakes | Vehicle ferry | – | – | EUPTA |
| Washington Island ferry | Great Lakes | Vehicle ferry | About 30 minutes | – | Washington Island Ferry Line |
| Bemus Point–Stow ferry | Mid-Atlantic | Cable ferry | 937 feet | – | The Bemus Point-Stow Ferry |
| Cherry Grove ferry | Mid-Atlantic | Passenger ferry | About 20 minutes | – | Sayville Ferry Service |
| Davis Park ferry | Mid-Atlantic | Passenger ferry | About 20 minutes | – | Davis Park Ferry |
| Kismet ferry | Mid-Atlantic | Passenger ferry | About 30 minutes | – | Fire Island Ferries |
| Millersburg Ferry | Mid-Atlantic | Seasonal service | 15 to 25 minutes | – | Millersburg Ferry |
| Oxford–Bellevue Ferry | Mid-Atlantic | Vehicle ferry | From 9 a.m. until sunset, hourly each way | 1683 | Oxford–Bellevue Ferry |
| Smith Island Ferry | Mid-Atlantic | Island service | – | – | Island Belle II |
| Staten Island Ferry | Mid-Atlantic | Passenger ferry | About 25 minutes, 5.2 miles | Every 15 minutes | NYC DOT Staten Island Ferry |
| Upper Ferry, Wicomico River | Mid-Atlantic | Cable ferry | 465 feet, on cables | – | Wicomico County Department of Public Works |
| Woodland Ferry | Mid-Atlantic | Vehicle ferry | – | – | DelDOT |
| Kampsville ferry | Midwest | Vehicle ferry | About 7 minutes | – | IDOT |
| Ste. Genevieve–Modoc ferry | Midwest | Vehicle ferry | 10 to 15 minutes | – | Ste. Genevieve – Modoc Ferry |
| Charlotte–Essex ferry | New England | Vehicle ferry | About 25 minutes, 3 miles | – | Lake Champlain Ferries |
| Chebeague Transportation ferry | New England | Island service | About 15 minutes | 10 a day Mon–Thu & Sat, 11 Fri, 7 Sun | Chebeague Transportation Company |
| Chester–Hadlyme ferry | New England | Vehicle ferry | – | – | CTDOT |
| Cranberry Islands ferry | New England | Passenger ferry | – | – | Beal & Bunker |
| Cuttyhunk ferry | New England | Island service | About one hour | Mon & Fri: 9:00 a.m. out, 2:00 p.m. back | Cuttyhunk Ferry Company |
| Fishers Island ferry | New England | Island service | About 45 minutes | Corner ramp closed September 8 to December 1, 2026 | Fishers Island Ferry District |
| Grand Isle ferry | New England | Vehicle ferry | About 14 minutes, 2 miles | – | Lake Champlain Ferries |
| Great Diamond Island ferry | New England | Island service | – | – | Casco Bay Lines |
| Port Clyde–Monhegan ferry | New England | Island service | 55 or 70 minutes, by boat | – | Monhegan Boat Line |
| Portland–Peaks Island ferry | New England | Vehicle ferry | 17 minutes | 14 Sun–Thu, 15 Fri/Sat | Casco Bay Lines |
| Rocky Hill ferry | New England | Vehicle ferry | $5 weekdays, $6 weekends | – | CTDOT |
| Stonington–Isle au Haut ferry | New England | Island service | About 45 minutes | 2 or 3 a day, none on Sundays | Isle au Haut Boat Services |
| Winter Harbor–Bar Harbor ferry | New England | Seasonal service | About 45 minutes | October 12, 2026 | Downeast Windjammer Cruise Lines |
| Buena Vista Ferry | Pacific Northwest | Cable ferry | – | – | Marion County Public Works |
| Gifford–Inchelium ferry | Pacific Northwest | Vehicle ferry | – | Every 30 minutes from each side | Colville Tribes Transit & Inchelium Ferry |
| Keller Ferry | Pacific Northwest | Vehicle ferry | 10 minutes | – | WSDOT |
| Port Orchard ferry | Pacific Northwest | Passenger ferry | 12 minutes | – | Kitsap Transit |
| Seattle–Bainbridge ferry | Pacific Northwest | Vehicle ferry | About 35 minutes | 23 each way (fall 2026) | Washington State Ferries |
| Southworth–Vashon ferry | Pacific Northwest | Vehicle ferry | About 10 minutes | 16 (Oct 5 – Nov 8) | Washington State Ferries |
| Stehekin ferry | Pacific Northwest | Passenger ferry | – | – | Stehekin Ferry and Lake Chelan Boat Co. |
| Wahkiakum County ferry | Pacific Northwest | Vehicle ferry | – | 365 days a year | Wahkiakum County |
| Augusta Ferry | South | Vehicle ferry | About 600 m of the Ohio River | – | Augusta Ferry Authority |
| Bald Head Island ferry | South | Passenger ferry | About 20 minutes | – | Bald Head Island Transportation |
| Bear Island ferry | South | Passenger ferry | – | – | NC State Parks |
| Belle Chasse–Scarsdale ferry | South | Vehicle ferry | About 10 minutes | Every 30 minutes, 5 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. | Louisiana Gateway Port |
| Benton–Houston Ferry | South | Vehicle ferry | About 0.8 mile, roughly 7 minutes | – | TDOT |
| Caladesi Island ferry | South | Passenger ferry | – | Hourly from 10 a.m.; half-hourly on weekends | Caladesi Island Ferry |
| Cumberland Island Ferry | South | Island service | About 45 minutes each way | 9 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. out; 10:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. back | Cumberland Island Ferry |
| Daufuskie Island ferry | South | Passenger ferry | About 1 hour | 4 each way, every day | Lowcountry Ferry |
| Dry Tortugas ferry | South | Passenger ferry | About 2 hours 15 minutes, 70 miles | – | Yankee Freedom |
| Galveston–Port Bolivar Ferry | South | Vehicle ferry | 2.7 miles, about 18–20 minutes | 24 hours, 365 days, weather permitting | TxDOT |
| Gee's Bend ferry | South | Vehicle ferry | 15 to 18 minutes | 5 each way Mon–Sat, 4 on Sunday | Gee's Bend Ferry (City Ferry for ALDOT) |
| Green River Ferry | South | Cable ferry | – | – | Mammoth Cave National Park |
| Merry Point Ferry | South | Cable ferry | – | – | VDOT |
| Mobile Bay Ferry | South | Vehicle ferry | About 40 minutes | 8 each way to Oct 31, 7 from Nov 1 | Mobile Bay Ferry |
| Parker's Ferry | South | Cable ferry | – | – | NCDOT Division 1 |
| Pointe à la Hache ferry | South | Vehicle ferry | About 5 minutes | – | Louisiana Gateway Port |
| Reeds Ferry | South | Vehicle ferry | – | – | Butler County Fiscal Court |
| Sans Souci Ferry | South | Cable ferry | About 5 minutes | – | NCDOT Division 1 |
| Sapelo Island ferry | South | Island service | 20–30 minutes, passengers only | – | Georgia DNR |
| Savannah Belles Ferry | South | Passenger ferry | – | Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day | Chatham Area Transit (CAT) |
| St. Johns River Ferry | South | Vehicle ferry | About 5 minutes, 0.9 mile | Every 30 minutes from each side | Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) |
| Coronado ferry | West | Passenger ferry | About 15 minutes | – | Flagship Cruises & Events |
| J-Mack ferry | West | Cable ferry | About 400 ft, three minutes | Round the clock, on demand | Caltrans |
| Real McCoy ferry | West | Vehicle ferry | – | – | Caltrans |
| Haines–Skagway ferry: the state boats that cover the winter after the fast ferry stops | Vehicle ferry | Closed for the season since Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Juneau–Haines ferry: up Lynn Canal on sailings that change by the date | Vehicle ferry | 07:00 on listed dates; back from Haines 16:00 (from Oct 13) |
| Ketchikan Airport Ferry: the borough shuttle across Tongass Narrows | Vehicle ferry | $6, same-day return free |
| Ketchikan–Hollis ferry: one sailing each way, every day, to Prince of Wales Island | Vehicle ferry | Hollis 8:00 a.m. · Ketchikan 3:30 p.m. |
| Whittier–Cordova ferry: the Aurora's Prince William Sound run, back on March 7 | Vehicle ferry | Sun Mar 7, 2027 (none Nov–Feb) |
| Beaver Island ferry: Charlevoix to St. James, with the car booked by phone | Island service | Just over 2 hours, 32 miles |
| Bois Blanc Island ferry: Plaunt's one boat from Cheboygan, thinning out toward winter | Vehicle ferry | 45 minutes |
| Harsens Island ferry: Champion's round-the-clock North Channel crossing | Vehicle ferry | $16.00 |
| Kelleys Island ferry: the Marblehead boats that carry the cars | Vehicle ferry | 20–30 min, just over 3 miles |
| Madeline Island ferry: Bayfield to La Pointe, until the ice takes the job | Vehicle ferry | $11.00 |
| Miller Ferry to Put-in-Bay: the short route from Catawba Island | Vehicle ferry | Under 20 minutes |
| Sugar Island ferry: every half hour across the St. Marys, almost round the clock | Vehicle ferry | :15 and :45, 5:15 a.m.–2:15 a.m., then 3:15 and 4:15 |
| Washington Island ferry: Northport Pier to Detroit Harbor through Death's Door | Vehicle ferry | About 30 minutes |
| Kampsville ferry: a free Illinois River crossing that never shuts for the night | Vehicle ferry | Free |
| Ste. Genevieve–Modoc ferry: the paid Mississippi crossing between Chester and St. Louis | Vehicle ferry | Wed–Sat 6 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. |
| Buena Vista Ferry: a pioneer crossing of the Willamette, still run by Marion County | Cable ferry | $3.00 per crossing |
| Gifford–Inchelium ferry: the Colville Tribes' free crossing of Lake Roosevelt | Vehicle ferry | Free |
| Keller Ferry: eighteen hours a day, on demand, for nothing | Vehicle ferry | Free |
| Port Orchard ferry: Kitsap Transit's twelve-minute foot ferry to Bremerton | Passenger ferry | 12 minutes |
| Seattle–Bainbridge ferry: 35 minutes from Colman Dock, paid on the Seattle side | Vehicle ferry | $11.35 round trip, paid in Seattle |
| Southworth–Vashon ferry: the ten-minute side of the triangle | Vehicle ferry | About 10 minutes |
| Stehekin ferry: the scheduled boats to a Washington valley with no road in | Passenger ferry | None: boat, plane or trail |
| Wahkiakum County ferry: Puget Island to Westport, Oregon, once an hour | Vehicle ferry | On the hour, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Coronado ferry: two downtown San Diego piers, one landing on the island side | Passenger ferry | $9.00, ages 4 and up |
| J-Mack ferry: the smaller of Caltrans' two Delta boats, free and on call through the night | Cable ferry | Closed for emergency work, due back Oct 16 |
| Real McCoy ferry: Rio Vista to Ryer Island on a twenty-minute clock, all night | Vehicle ferry | In service; no closure in Caltrans' systems |
Because of who owns it. When a state department of transportation treats a crossing as part of a highway, the ride is usually free to everyone, in the same way a bridge is. When a county, a township or a private company runs it, the boat has to pay for itself and there is a fare. Two crossings a few miles apart can fall on opposite sides of that line.
It varies by operator, which is why each fare table here is laid out the way the operator lays it out. Some charge one price for the vehicle and let the driver ride included; others charge the driver as a passenger on top of the vehicle. Vehicle rates usually step up by length, so a pickup with a trailer is not priced like a sedan.
Island runs in Maine and on the Great Lakes change character rather than stopping. Sailings thin out, some seasonal landings close for the year, and ice can suspend service altogether on the lakes. A summer timetable read in January will be wrong, so each page states the period its table covers.
On most American crossings, yes: you join the line and board in order. Reservations exist mainly where a vehicle deck is small and demand is seasonal. Where booking is genuinely required rather than merely advisable, the page for that crossing says so near the top.
Next to every table is the day somebody read it off the operator's own publication, with a link straight to that source so you can see it for yourself. Each crossing also has a date by which it must be researched again, and is. None of that helps if a boat is pulled for repairs or ice on the morning you travel — for that, the operator's service notices are the only thing worth reading.