San Juan Islands Ferry from Anacortes: Times, Fares, Reservations

Washington State Ferries (WSF) sails from Anacortes to four island terminals: Lopez Island, Shaw Island, Orcas Island and Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. A direct boat takes about 50 to 55 minutes to Lopez, roughly an hour to Shaw or Orcas and 70 minutes to Friday Harbor, and the fall timetable running from 20 September to 26 December 2026 lists eight departures a day to Friday Harbor on most dates we checked. You pay only when leaving Anacortes: $18 for an adult on foot, which also covers the trip back, while riders aged 18 and under travel free.

Which islands does the Anacortes ferry go to?

The route calls at Lopez, Shaw, Orcas and Friday Harbor, and some sailings stop at two or three of them on the way. WSF's page on travel to Canada says the international extension to Sidney, British Columbia, is out of service until spring 2030 at the earliest.

How long is the ferry to Friday Harbor, Orcas, Shaw and Lopez?

Crossing times below are worked out from the departure and estimated arrival times in WSF's timetable for Monday 21 September 2026. Vehicle fares are the price of a standard vehicle under 22 feet including the driver: the first figure is what the WSF fare calculator quoted for 11 September, which carries the summer surcharge, and the second is the base tariff that applies from 1 October.

On 21 September the Friday Harbor departures from Anacortes are 4:05, 6:15, 8:40 and 10:30 am, then 1:35, 4:20, 5:35 and 8:15 pm.

How do fares work on the San Juan Islands route?

WSF collects fares in one direction only. According to its fare pages, passengers and vehicles pay at Anacortes, and nothing is charged at Friday Harbor, Orcas, Shaw or Lopez for the return. Other points from the fare pages and the state tariff that took effect on 1 May 2026:

• Adults 19 to 64: $18 on foot to any of the four islands.
• Seniors 65 and over, and riders with a disability: $9, bought in person with proof of eligibility.
• Anyone 18 or under: free on every WSF route. Where a ticket is needed, the young person must be at the booth to collect it.
• Bicycles: a surcharge on top of the passenger fare, $4 until 30 September and $2 after that.
• Paying by card: a 3% surcharge has applied since 1 March 2026.

Walk-on passengers travel between the islands at no charge, because their Anacortes fare covers it. Drivers pay again when moving west from one island to another; WSF quoted $41.05 for a standard car with its driver from Orcas to Friday Harbor on 11 September.

Do you need a vehicle reservation, and when do they open?

For a car, WSF strongly recommends one. Making a reservation is free; it is not a ticket, and a charge applies only if you fail to turn up. The reservations page explains that standard vehicle space is released in three tranches:

• 30% two months before the season begins, at 10 am Pacific time;
• another 30% two weeks before each sailing, at 7 am;
• the last 30% two days before each sailing, at 7 am.

The remaining 10% is kept for emergencies and standby traffic. Leaving Lopez or Shaw for Anacortes, no reservations are taken at all. Reservation holders should reach the terminal 45 to 60 minutes early and have to be checked in no later than 30 minutes before sailing; miss that and the space goes, leaving you on standby. Changes and cancellations must be made by 5 pm the day before to avoid a no-show fee, which the state tariff limits to between 25 and 100% of a one-way standard vehicle fare. Walk-on passengers and cyclists never need a reservation.

How are the summer and fall schedules different?

WSF's route page lists a summer timetable from 14 June to 19 September 2026 and a fall timetable from 20 September to 26 December. The summer vehicle surcharge ends on 30 September, so drivers pay less from October. The dates of the winter timetable had not been posted when we checked; the reservations page says winter bookings open in late October.

How do inter-island sailings work?

Besides the mainland boats, the timetable includes inter-island-only sailings that run in a T-shaped loop from Friday Harbor to Lopez, Shaw and Orcas and back, every day except Sunday. Counting those and the mainland boats together, 21 September has five sailings from Friday Harbor to Orcas, between 6:05 am and 5:40 pm. Some mainline stops are marked in the timetable as closed to inter-island vehicles, although people on foot and on bikes can still use them. A driver changing boats at an intermediate island can ask for a free transfer ticket.

How do you get to the Anacortes ferry terminal?

The terminal is at 2100 Ferry Terminal Road, 4 to 5 miles outside Anacortes itself; drivers leave Interstate 5 at exit 230 and follow SR 20 west. Summer parking costs $13 a day or $60 a week for a car, and is free with a disabled placard or plate.

Without a car, take Skagit Transit's 40X from Skagit Station in Mount Vernon to March's Point, then route 410, which serves the terminal at the top of each hour on weekdays and Saturdays; Skagit Transit's rider guide says the 410 runs on to the terminal for passengers transferring from the 40X. The standard fare is $1, riders 18 and under go free, and the buses do not run on six public holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas among them. From Sea-Tac airport, the Bellair Airporter shuttle runs to the ferry dock with a change in Burlington; it needs booking 24 hours ahead and its timetable is not coordinated with the ferries.

WSF offers no public Wi-Fi on its boats or at its terminals, though many of its ferries sell food and drinks. Drivers may stay in their cars or go up on deck; WSF asks for the alarm off and the parking brake on. Walk-on passengers should be on the boat five minutes before departure, and cyclists are asked to arrive 20 minutes early at Anacortes.