This interactive map shows every passenger ferry route and terminal in the United States, drawn live from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Census of Ferry Operators. Across 504 unique routes, 806 terminals, and 157 ferry operators, U.S. ferries carry 113,990,893 passengers and 26,607,017 vehicles every year, with around 4,633,597 scheduled trips annually.
Use the filters above the map to focus on a single state, a specific trip purpose (commuter, lifeline, national park, tourist), or only operating routes. Click any route or terminal to see operator, length, average trip time, annual ridership, and intermodal connections.
How to use this US ferries map
The map pulls live data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD), so anything BTS has published is reflected here.
Filtering by state
Pick a state from the dropdown to filter every route and terminal that touches that state. The map automatically zooms to fit. Pick “All US states” to return to the national view.
Filtering by trip purpose
Routes in NTAD are coded by purpose — commuter transit, roadway connection (filling a gap in the road network), lifeline (serving communities with no other way out), national park, pleasure/tourist, and emergency. Filtering reveals very different ferry networks: a commuter-only view, for example, highlights the Puget Sound, San Francisco Bay, NYC harbour, and Long Island Sound clusters.
Operating vs. retired
Keep “Operating only” checked to hide decommissioned terminals. Uncheck to see historical terminal locations recorded in the census.
The US ferry system at a glance
The U.S. has more ferry activity than most travellers realise. Around 113,990,893 annual passenger boardings is roughly one ferry trip for every three Americans every year. The system is dominated by a small number of very busy networks: New York, Washington, and California alone account for roughly 65% of all U.S. ferry passengers, with one route — the Staten Island Ferry — carrying about a fifth of every ferry trip in the country.
At the other end of the spectrum, NTAD records 19 states with four or fewer ferry routes apiece — mostly inland river crossings, short bay shuttles, or seasonal national park boats. They’re small in passenger terms but often the only practical link to a community or destination.
US states ranked by ferry passenger volume
The top 20 states below cover almost all U.S. ferry passenger volume. Click any state name for the dedicated map and full route list.
| Rank | State | Annual passengers | Routes | Terminals | Biggest operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 31,127,882 | 80 | 94 | New York City DOT Ferry Division |
| 2 | Washington | 28,699,181 | 41 | 58 | Washington State Ferries |
| 3 | California | 14,350,269 | 55 | 83 | Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District |
| 4 | Texas | 8,955,165 | 4 | 8 | Texas Department of Transportation/TXDOT Galveston-Bolivar Ferry Operation |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 4,762,338 | 26 | 91 | Woods Hole Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority |
| 6 | Louisiana | 3,222,125 | 7 | 26 | Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development |
| 7 | Illinois | 2,612,053 | 19 | 20 | Illinois Department of Transportation |
| 8 | Hawaii | 2,464,820 | 2 | 4 | National Park Service |
| 9 | North Carolina | 2,334,145 | 15 | 33 | N.C. Department of Transportation Ferry Division |
| 10 | Virginia | 2,330,110 | 14 | 18 | Virginia Department of Transportation |
| 11 | Maine | 1,786,898 | 19 | 27 | Casco Bay Island Transit District |
| 12 | Connecticut | 1,200,417 | 6 | 15 | Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Company |
| 13 | Michigan | 1,113,795 | 41 | 43 | Eastern U. P. Transportation Authority |
| 14 | Kentucky | 1,028,524 | 8 | 13 | U.S. DOI – Mammoth Cave National Park |
| 15 | Oregon | 958,408 | 4 | 7 | Marion County Department of Public Works |
| 16 | Georgia | 931,044 | 5 | 7 | Savannah Belles Ferry |
| 17 | Florida | 881,610 | 25 | 40 | St. Johns River Ferry |
| 18 | Rhode Island | 860,332 | 16 | 41 | Block Island Ferry/Interstate Navigation Company |
| 19 | Delaware | 825,774 | 4 | 5 | Cape May – Lewes Ferry |
| 20 | Alaska | 809,411 | 62 | 54 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough |
The 10 busiest US ferry routes
Annual passenger boardings, both directions combined, from the latest NCFO census.
| # | Route | Operator | State | Annual passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St George Terminal – Whitehall Terminal | New York City DOT Ferry Division | New York | 22,935,344 |
| 2 | Bainbridge – Colman Dock/Pier 52 | Washington State Ferries | Washington | 6,212,828 |
| 3 | Galveston – Port Bolivar | Texas Department of Transportation/TXDOT Galveston-Bolivar Ferry Operation | Texas | 4,889,783 |
| 4 | Clinton – Mukilteo | Washington State Ferries | Washington | 4,133,700 |
| 5 | Edmonds – Kingston | Washington State Ferries | Washington | 4,121,284 |
| 6 | Pier Thirty-three – Alcatraz Island | Alcatraz Cruises | California | 3,600,000 |
| 7 | Port Aransas Terminal – Harbor Island Terminal | Texas Department of Transportation – Port Aransas Ferry Operation – Corpus Christi District | Texas | 3,570,318 |
| 8 | Larkspur Ferry Terminal – San Francisco Ferry Building | Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District | California | 3,196,306 |
| 9 | Colman Dock/Pier 52 – Bremerton Transportation Center | Kitsap Transit (Kitsap County Public Transportation Benefit Area Authority) | Washington | 2,635,769 |
| 10 | South Ferry South – South Ferry North | South Ferry Inc. | New York | 2,374,842 |
The Staten Island Ferry dominates every ferry ranking: free, frequent, and running 24 hours a day across New York Harbor. Washington State Ferries occupies six of the top ten slots through its dense Puget Sound network, and the free state-run Galveston-Bolivar ferry in Texas keeps a single 2.8-mile crossing in the top three.
The 10 longest US ferry routes
By in-water route length, single-direction.
| # | Route | Operator | State | Length | Average trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketchikan – Bellingham | Alaska Marine Highway System | Alaska, Washington | 595.0 mi | 40h 48min |
| 2 | Whittier – Yakutat | Alaska Marine Highway System | Alaska | 302.0 mi | 20h 0min |
| 3 | Old Harbor – Sand Point | Alaska Marine Highway System | Alaska | 282.0 mi | 21h 30min |
| 4 | Whittier – Kodiak | Alaska Marine Highway System | Alaska | 266.0 mi | 17h 0min |
| 5 | Kodiak – Chignik | Alaska Marine Highway System | Alaska | 249.0 mi | 18h 45min |
| 6 | Juneau/Auke Bay – Ketchikan | Alaska Marine Highway System | Alaska | 235.0 mi | 20h 0min |
| 7 | Yakutat – Juneau/Auke Bay | Alaska Marine Highway System | Alaska | 226.0 mi | 16h 0min |
| 8 | Chenega Bay – Kodiak | Alaska Marine Highway System | Alaska | 201.0 mi | 14h 0min |
| 9 | E 35th St – Oak Bluffs | SeaStreak LLC | New York, Massachusetts | 167.0 mi | 5h 34min |
| 10 | Akutan – Cold Bay | Alaska Marine Highway System | Alaska | 158.0 mi | 12h 0min |
Eight of the ten longest routes belong to the Alaska Marine Highway System, including the 595-mile Ketchikan–Bellingham run between Alaska and Washington that takes over 40 hours at sea. The Hy-Line/Vineyard Fast Ferry corridor from New York to Martha’s Vineyard sneaks into the list as the only long-haul route in the Lower 48.
Largest US ferry operators
Ranked by total annual passengers across all routes operated.
| # | Operator | States served | Routes | Annual passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City DOT Ferry Division | New York | 2 | 22,936,682 |
| 2 | Washington State Ferries | Washington | 20 | 22,021,135 |
| 3 | Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District | California | 4 | 5,118,196 |
| 4 | Texas Department of Transportation/TXDOT Galveston-Bolivar Ferry Operation | Texas | 1 | 4,889,783 |
| 5 | Alcatraz Cruises | California | 3 | 3,606,750 |
| 6 | Texas Department of Transportation – Port Aransas Ferry Operation – Corpus Christi District | Texas | 1 | 3,570,318 |
| 7 | Kitsap Transit (Kitsap County Public Transportation Benefit Area Authority) | Washington | 6 | 3,494,301 |
| 8 | San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) | California | 18 | 3,241,647 |
| 9 | Woods Hole Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority | Massachusetts | 2 | 2,425,787 |
| 10 | South Ferry Inc. | New York | 1 | 2,374,842 |
| 11 | Virginia Department of Transportation | Virginia | 3 | 2,320,064 |
| 12 | National Park Service | Hawaii | 1 | 2,267,568 |
| 13 | Illinois Department of Transportation | Illinois | 2 | 2,059,053 |
| 14 | Fire Island Ferries Inc. | New York | 8 | 2,026,000 |
| 15 | Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development | Louisiana | 4 | 1,716,177 |
Why ferries matter: trip purpose breakdown
NTAD codes every route by its primary purpose. The shape of the US ferry network is much more about daily commuting than tourism:
- Commuter / transit: 387 routes (77%)
- Roadway connection: 4 routes (1%)
- Lifeline service: 1 route (0%)
- National park: 47 routes (9%)
- Pleasure / tourist: 32 routes (6%)
- Other: 33 routes (7%)
Commuter and transit routes dominate. They’re the workhorses of cities surrounded by water — New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, and the Long Island/Connecticut shore. National Park Service ferries cover destinations like Alcatraz, Cumberland Island, Hawaii Volcanoes, and the Apostle Islands. Pleasure ferries are mainly seasonal tourist runs to islands like Block Island, Mackinac Island, and the Outer Banks.
Year-round vs. seasonal routes
Of 504 unique routes in the database, 289 (57%) run year-round and 215 (43%) operate seasonally. Seasonal routes are concentrated in the upper Midwest, New England islands, and Alaska, where winter ice or sea conditions force operators to suspend service.
Data source and methodology
Ferry route and terminal data come from the National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) published by the U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics. NTAD’s ferry layer is populated from the National Census of Ferry Operators (NCFO), a periodic survey of every domestic ferry operator. Passenger and vehicle figures are self-reported by operators for the most recent census year.
Routes and terminals tagged as not currently in operation are hidden by default on this map; uncheck “Operating only” to view the full historical census. For other US transportation infrastructure, see our US bridges map, our US railroads map, and our US electric transmission lines map.
Frequently asked questions
How many ferry routes are there in the United States?
The NTAD National Census of Ferry Operators records 504 unique passenger ferry routes connecting 806 terminals operated by 157 different ferry operators. Including both directional segments, the database holds 964 route segments.
What is the busiest ferry route in the US?
The Staten Island Ferry between St. George Terminal and Whitehall Terminal in New York Harbor is by far the busiest ferry route in the United States, carrying around 22.9 million passenger boardings every year. It runs free of charge, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The next busiest is the Bainbridge Island–Seattle route operated by Washington State Ferries.
What is the longest ferry route in the US?
The Alaska Marine Highway’s Ketchikan to Bellingham, Washington route is 595 miles and takes over 40 hours at sea. The eight longest US ferry routes all belong to the Alaska Marine Highway System, which connects coastal Alaskan communities with each other and with the Lower 48 by sea.
Which state has the most ferries?
New York records the most passengers (about 31,127,882 per year, dominated by the Staten Island Ferry), but Alaska has by far the most ferry routes geographically — 62 unique segments connecting communities along its 6,000-mile coastline. Washington has the largest car-ferry system through Washington State Ferries.
Are US ferries free to ride?
Most US ferries charge a fare, but several major routes are free. The Staten Island Ferry in New York and the Galveston–Port Bolivar ferry in Texas are both free for passengers and (in Texas) vehicles, funded by their state and city DOTs. Many small inland-river ferries operated by state DOTs are also free or charge a token amount.
How are ferry routes categorised by purpose?
The National Census of Ferry Operators classifies routes by primary purpose: commuter/transit, roadway connection (when the ferry substitutes for a road or bridge), lifeline (serving communities with no other access), national park (e.g. Alcatraz, Cumberland Island), pleasure/tourist, and emergency. Most US routes fall into the commuter/transit category.
Map data updates whenever BTS refreshes the National Transportation Atlas Database. The narrative content on this page reflects the latest available NCFO census; routes opened or closed since the last census will appear on the map but not in the rankings until the next NCFO release.
