Virginia Ferries Map: 14 Routes Carry 2,330,110 Passengers

This interactive map shows every passenger ferry route and terminal in Virginia. Across 14 unique routes serving 18 terminals, Virginia ferries carry around 2,330,110 passengers and 936,227 vehicles each year, ranking the state #10 nationally by ferry passenger volume.

State: Trip purpose: Operating only

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The role of ferries in Virginia

Virginia DOT runs three free ferries: the Jamestown-Scotland crossing on the James River, the Sunnybank crossing on the Rappahannock, and the Hatton-Vernon ferry on the Roanoke. They are state-highway ferries, free to all users.

Every ferry route in Virginia

The table below lists every passenger ferry route serving Virginia in the latest National Census of Ferry Operators, sorted by annual ridership. Passenger counts combine both directions.

Route	Operator	Length	Trip time	Season	Annual passengers
Jamestown – Scotland	Virginia Department of Transportation	2.2 mi	15 min	Year-round	2,286,312
Merry Point – Ottoman	Virginia Department of Transportation	0.4 mi	3 min	Year-round	24,906
Buzzard Point – Tangier	Tangier and Chesapeake Cruises	18.0 mi	1h 45m	05/01 – 10/15	10,000
Ophelia – Sunnybank	Virginia Department of Transportation	0.4 mi	3 min	Year-round	8,846
Tangier – Onancock	Tangier-Onancock Ferry	17.0 mi	1h 5m	Year-round	46
Waterside Norfolk – High Street Landing Portsmouth	Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads	0.6 mi	6 min	Year-round	0
High Street Landing Portsmouth – North Landing	Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads	0.2 mi	2 min	Year-round	0
North Landing – Waterside Norfolk	Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads	0.4 mi	5 min	Year-round	0
North Landing – Harbor Park	Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads	0.8 mi	10 min	04/11 – 09/04	0
White's Ferry Landing, MD – White's Ferry Landing, VA	Whites Ferry Inc.	0.2 mi	3 min	Year-round	0
Alexandria City Dock – National Harbor	Potomac Riverboat Company by Hornblower	2.6 mi	25 min	03/01 – 12/31	0
Alexandria City Dock – The Wharf	Potomac Riverboat Company by Hornblower	4.6 mi	25 min	03/01 – 12/31	0
Alexandria City Dock – Diamond Teague Park	Potomac Riverboat Company by Hornblower	5.3 mi	35 min	04/01 – 12/31	0
Alexandria City Dock – Georgetown Harbour	Potomac Riverboat Company by Hornblower	8.0 mi	45 min	03/01 – 10/31	0

Notable Virginia ferry routes

Busiest route: Jamestown – Scotland (Virginia Department of Transportation) carries about 2,286,312 passengers a year.
Longest route: Buzzard Point – Tangier is 18.0 miles (Tangier and Chesapeake Cruises).
Season mix: 8 routes operate year-round, 6 are seasonal.
Intermodal terminals: 3 of 18 terminals connect to local bus, rail, or bike share.

Ferry terminals in Virginia

The list below covers every ferry terminal recorded in Virginia, including the operator, ownership, and what intermodal connections (bus, rail, bike share, parking) are available at the terminal.

Terminal	City	Operator	Ownership	Connections	In operation
Alexandria City Dock	Alexandria	City of Alexandria	Public	bike share, intercity bus, intercity rail, local bus, parking	Yes
Buzzard Point	Reedville	—	Private	parking	Yes
Harbor Park	Norfolk	Hampton Roads Transit	Public	intercity rail, local rail, parking	Yes
High Street Landing Portsmouth	Portsmouth	Hampton Roads Transit	Public	parking	Yes
Jamestown	Williamsburg	VDOT	Public	—	Yes
Merry Point	Merry Point	VDOT	Public	—	Yes
North Landing	Portmouth	Hampton Roads Transit	Public	parking	Yes
Onancock	Onancock	—	Private	parking	Yes
Ophelia	Ophelia	VDOT	Public	—	Yes
Ottoman	Lancaster	VDOT	Public	—	Yes
Scotland	Surry County	VDOT	Public	—	Yes
Sunnybank	Reedville	VDOT	Public	—	Yes
Tangier	Tangier	—	Private	parking	Yes
Waterside Norfolk	Norfolk	Hampton Roads Transit	Public	bike share, local bus	Yes
White's Ferry Landing, VA	Leesburg	—	Private	—	Yes

Biggest ferry operators in Virginia

Virginia Department of Transportation: 2,320,064 annual passengers
Tangier and Chesapeake Cruises: 10,000 annual passengers
Tangier-Onancock Ferry: 46 annual passengers

How Virginia compares nationally

Virginia ranks #10 of the 41 US states with ferry service. Just ahead is North Carolina with 2,334,145 annual passengers, and just behind is Maine with 1,786,898.

For the full national picture and rankings across all 41 US ferry states, see the complete US ferries map.

Neighbouring ferry maps

Maryland ferries, North Carolina ferries, Washington DC ferries, Kentucky ferries, West Virginia ferries.

Frequently asked questions

How many ferry routes are there in Virginia?

The BTS National Census of Ferry Operators records 14 unique passenger ferry routes serving 18 terminals in Virginia. Including both directional segments, that is 28 numbered route entries in the database (most routes are recorded once for each direction).

Which is the busiest ferry in Virginia?

The Jamestown – Scotland carries about 2,286,312 passengers each year, making it the busiest ferry route in Virginia according to the latest census.

Are Virginia ferries free?

Some Virginia ferries are operated as part of the state highway system and run free for passengers and vehicles, while privately operated routes charge a fare. Click any route on the map above and refer to the operator’s website for current fares and schedules.

Where does the data on this map come from?

Routes and terminals are pulled live from the National Transportation Atlas Database published by the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which compiles every domestic ferry operator’s response to the National Census of Ferry Operators. The map updates automatically whenever BTS refreshes the layer.

Daniel ODonohue

About the Author

I'm Daniel O'Donohue, the voice and creator behind The MapScaping Podcast ( A podcast for the geospatial community ). With a professional background as a geospatial specialist, I've spent years harnessing the power of spatial to unravel the complexities of our world, one layer at a time.