Shipping line
Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries runs 38 crossings listed here, 3,747 sailings a week, busiest at Friday Harbor (San Juan Island), Lopez Island and Anacortes. The most frequent is Mukilteo to Clinton (Whidbey Island).
- 38
- routes
- 3,747
- sailings a week
- 21
- vessels
- Seattle, Washington
- based in
What to know
- Under-19s ride free, but a teenager driving a vehicle pays the adult vehicle-and-driver fare.
- Seniors aged 65 and over and riders with disabilities get reduced fares, bought in person with proof of eligibility.
- Drivers should be in line at the tollbooth at least 20 minutes before sailing on most routes; walk-ons should be aboard 5 minutes before.
- Since 1 March 2026 card payments carry a 3% surcharge, which cash or an ORCA card loaded elsewhere avoids.
- From 1 May to 30 September a peak-season surcharge applies to full-fare vehicle and driver tickets.
Checked on against wsdot.wa.gov.
About Washington State Ferries
Run by Washington's transport department as part of the state highway network, this system doubles as commuter transit: its own fact sheet ranks it among the largest transit systems in the state. Mukilteo to Clinton on Whidbey Island is its busiest crossing, a 20-minute run, ahead of Fauntleroy to Vashon, also 20 minutes, and Edmonds to Kingston at 30. Each route page carries the counts for the season in force, which change when the fall and winter timetables start. Seattle has two routes, to Bainbridge Island at 35 minutes and to Bremerton at 60.
The San Juan Islands work differently. Sailings from Anacortes call at Lopez, Shaw, Orcas and Friday Harbor in varying order, so a given pair of terminals can take from 10 minutes to over two hours depending on the stops. Only two routes take vehicle reservations, Port Townsend–Coupeville and the San Juan Islands service from Anacortes; everywhere else, cars load first come, first served.
On most routes a walk-on ticket covers the round trip, so passengers pay in one direction only; Port Townsend–Coupeville is the exception, and the international service to Sidney, British Columbia, is suspended.
38 crossings
Routes they sail
Ordered by how often each crossing runs.
32 more crossings
- Seattle to Bainbridge Island35m159Washington State Ferries · 159 sailings a week · from US$11.35US$11.35
- Vashon Island to Southworth10m158Washington State Ferries · 158 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Southworth to Vashon Island10m146Washington State Ferries · 146 sailings a week · from US$7.60US$7.60
- Point Defiance (Tacoma) to Tahlequah (Vashon Island)15m134Washington State Ferries · 134 sailings a week · from US$7.60US$7.60
- Tahlequah (Vashon Island) to Point Defiance (Tacoma)15m134Washington State Ferries · 134 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Port Townsend to Coupeville (Whidbey Island)30m70Washington State Ferries · 70 sailings a week · from US$5US$5
- Coupeville (Whidbey Island) to Port Townsend30m70Washington State Ferries · 70 sailings a week · from US$5US$5
- Friday Harbor (San Juan Island) to Lopez Island40m69Washington State Ferries · 69 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Lopez Island to Anacortes45m60Washington State Ferries · 60 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Anacortes to Friday Harbor (San Juan Island)1h 10m57Washington State Ferries · 57 sailings a week · from US$18US$18
- Friday Harbor (San Juan Island) to Anacortes1h 10m57Washington State Ferries · 57 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Orcas Island to Anacortes55m49Washington State Ferries · 49 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Orcas Island to Shaw Island15m48Washington State Ferries · 48 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Orcas Island to Lopez Island30m48Washington State Ferries · 48 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Shaw Island to Anacortes55m42Washington State Ferries · 42 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Shaw Island to Lopez Island20m41Washington State Ferries · 41 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Friday Harbor (San Juan Island) to Orcas Island1h34Washington State Ferries · 34 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Friday Harbor (San Juan Island) to Shaw Island1h 15m34Washington State Ferries · 34 sailings a week · no fare this wayNo fare
- Shaw Island to Friday Harbor (San Juan Island)1h 10m33Washington State Ferries · 33 sailings a week—
Before you sail
Sailing with a US ferry line
Boarding, baggage and vehicle rules apply across the network, not just to one operator.
