Mid-October falls on the calm side of the ferry year. TxDOT says peak demand normally starts with spring break, and in that high season its own FAQ warns that waiting to board can take more than two hours; that is when the department fields up to five boats. By late August 2026 the pressure was already easing: on August 27 the @GalvestonFerry account reported two boats in service and a minimal wait at both landings.
Summer weekends and holiday weekends are the worst of it. Houston TranStar, the regional traffic center that publishes live ferry waits, notes that its usual 45-minute drive from the Seawall to Bolivar in quiet periods can grow far longer when demand peaks.
Then there is weather, the other seasonal variable on this stretch of the Gulf Coast. The route runs around the clock in conditions TxDOT considers safe, but the department cuts back or stops sailings during severe weather until it clears, and when we checked in mid-October, TranStar's ferry page still opened with a hurricane-season reminder.
One boat all night, more as the day fills up
Overnight, one boat (midnight to 7 a.m.)
| From Galveston landing | From Port Bolivar landing |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 00:30 |
| 01:00 | 01:30 |
| 02:00 | 02:20 |
| 03:05 | 03:30 |
| 04:00 | 04:20 |
| 05:00 | 05:30 |
| 06:00 | 06:30 |
| 06:30 | 07:00 |
Night table and daytime pattern from TxDOT's Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry page (English and Spanish versions agree), checked October 15, 2026; TxDOT prints no expiry date TxDOT — Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry · 2026-10-15
Toll-free since 1950, within TxDOT's size limits
Texas stopped charging here in 1950, when the small toll of the early state years was dropped. Today nothing is collected at either landing, whether you drive a sedan, tow a boat or simply walk aboard.
Size, not money, is what can turn you away. TxDOT caps vehicles at 80,000 pounds, 65 feet long, 13.5 feet high and 8.5 feet wide, and it refuses gas cans except the propane fitted to an RV and up to two approved tanks on a trailered boat.
| Car, pickup, RV or truck within size limits | Free |
| Walk-on passenger | Free |
| Parking while you ride | Free |
| Medical Priority Boarding pass | Free |
Toll-free per TxDOT, Houston TranStar and Visit Galveston, checked October 15, 2026 TxDOT — Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry FAQ · 2026-10-15
Ferry Road on the island, SH 87 on the peninsula
Galveston landing
Ferry Road leads to the landing at the island's east end, where marked lanes feed a staging area in front of the ramps. If you'd rather leave the car, there is an elevated garage plus a surface lot, both free while you ride, and restrooms sit beside the waiting lanes.
Port Bolivar landing
On the peninsula end, SH 87 simply picks up again at the top of the ramp. Walk-on riders get a parking lot and restrooms here as well, and as the boat comes in you can pick out the old Bolivar Lighthouse and Fort Travis from the deck.
SH 87's water gap at the mouth of Galveston Bay
The boats are, in effect, a 2.7-mile piece of State Highway 87. Houston TranStar points out that south of I-10 this is the only highway around Galveston Bay, so drivers who skip the boat must swing inland toward the interstate and back to get from island to peninsula. On the way over you pass Pelican Island with its museum destroyer and submarine, the hulk of the concrete ship Selma, and, on a lucky run, dolphins and pelicans.
Two other government ferries on this site make good yardsticks. New York's Staten Island Ferry is likewise free and runs all night, but it is built around foot passengers, whereas each Galveston boat swallows about 70 vehicles. Farther east along the Gulf, Alabama's Mobile Bay Ferry does charge and sails to a fixed seasonal timetable, which is exactly what Texas does without in daytime.
Before you join the queue on Ferry Road
- Check the wait first
Houston TranStar shows the current Seawall-to-Bolivar travel time and live landing cameras, and TxDOT's ferry page links straight to it.
- Use DriveTexas for the approach
TxDOT steers drivers to drivetexas.org for real-time road conditions, handy when storms or crashes slow SH 87 on either side.
- No smoking, not even in the car
The ban covers the whole vessel, the inside of your vehicle and e-cigarettes. Once parked, kill the engine and engage the handbrake.
- Pets ride in the vehicle
Dogs and other animals stay inside the car for the crossing; only ADA service animals may come up on deck.
- Back to the car before landing
Wander the decks once the boat is loaded and under way, then return to your vehicle, or to the bow if you walked on, as it nears the ramp.
- Call ahead for accessibility
TxDOT asks riders who need special parking on the vessel to phone 409-795-2230 before arriving. An accessible restroom is on the main car deck.
From two daylight boats in 1930 to a battery-hybrid fleet
Service began on April 12, 1930, with two boats, the Galveston and the Jefferson, making six round trips a day in daylight only for the Southern States Transportation Company. About two years later the county bought them, and six months after that it handed the route to the State of Texas. Over the past decade, according to TxDOT, the fleet has averaged about 1.57 million vehicles, 4.93 million passengers and 40,072 crossings a year, with 133 full-time staff behind it.
The oldest boat still listed, the Gibb Gilchrist, dates from 1977; the newest, the 293-foot Esperanza "Hope" Andrade, was dedicated in March 2024 as the first Galveston ferry named after a woman and carries battery energy storage. The John W. Johnson is being refitted with a similar diesel-electric and battery system, and in June 2026 the Texas Transportation Commission approved a $79.9 million contract for a new boat, the J. Bruce Bugg, Jr., expected to launch in 2029.
Galveston–Bolivar ferry questions, answered from TxDOT
How long might I wait on a summer weekend?
TxDOT warns that in the high season the line can exceed two hours. For the live figure, check the Houston TranStar ferry page or @GalvestonFerry before leaving the Seawall.
Does a boat still leave Galveston at 3 a.m.?
Yes. One boat works all night; TxDOT's night table has it leaving Galveston at 3:05 a.m. and Bolivar at 3:30 a.m.
Can I find out how many boats are working today?
It varies. Overnight it is one, a second joins at 6:30 a.m., and TxDOT can put up to five of its seven on the water for summer and holiday traffic. @GalvestonFerry posts the current count.
Do walk-on riders or parked cars pay anything?
No. Riding is toll-free with or without a vehicle, and TxDOT's lots at both landings are free to use while you cross.
Bay crossing: how many miles and minutes?
The crossing covers 2.7 miles and takes about 18 to 20 minutes; TxDOT allows roughly another 10 for loading and unloading.
Why was I sent to a separate lane at the landing?
Vehicles are picked at random for a federally required inspection of the hood, console, glovebox and trunk. Refusing it means you can be denied boarding for up to 24 hours.
Can I feed the gulls?
Yes, but only from the stern, and only once the boat has left the landing.
Is a new ferry on order?
Yes. The J. Bruce Bugg, Jr. will carry nearly 500 passengers and 70 cars and is expected to launch in 2029.